Council Splits on Park Monikers

Of the two newest parks in Shakopee, only one officially got a name at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

The Shakopee park formerly known as Riverside Fields/Riverside Bluffs will be dubbed Riverside Fields, as recommended by the city’s Park Board.

While the council unanimously approved that name, they dissented when it came to naming the city’s other new park, now known as Greenfield East/Park Meadows. The Park Board had recommended the name Tripleberry for an obvious reason: Three of the streets in the nearby Park Meadows development include the word berry.

Mayor John Schmitt said he preferred the name Greenfield Meadows as a compromise between the two previous names.

“It’s more inclusive of the entire neighborhood,” he said.

City policy leans toward naming parks based on natural features, and a long list of names was generated by soliciting the public. Some suggestions include Pura Vida, Hackberry Park and Harmony Haven.

The council voted to send the naming of the park back to the Park Board for further review. Councilor Steven Clay cast the lone vote against it, saying he’d prefer to accept the recommendations and move on.

“I don’t care what they call the parks, unless you want to call it Steve Clay Park,” he said.