Editorial: Patience, Planning Needed as Trinity Park Takes Shape in Dallas

"You can be forgiven for the sense that a park will rise along the Trinity River around the same time your feet start getting cold from hell freezing over," begins an editorial by The Dallas Morning News editorial board.

However, the editorial argues that Dallas should resist the urge to quickly begin spending some of a $1 million windfall in private funds already raised for the park. The rush to spend some of that money comes on the heals of a preliminary design concept released earlier this year [pdf] by a "Dream Team" convened by Mayor Mike Rawlings.

Patience, according to the editorial, should take the shape of a robust public engagement process. "Sketches…are not designs. And the voice of the public still needs to be heard as we go forward. This $1 million gift will make both actual design and public input possible."

Another critical item remaining in the development process of the long-awaited Trinity Park: "The city must clarify how the parks department will participate in the park’s development and upkeep."