Despite Craig city officials’ efforts to dispel rumors and provide accurate information regarding the Woodbury Housing Project, the conversation continues to be impeded by misconceptions.

City Council has dedicated time during its two most recent meetings and a workshop to address community concerns about the project. Another public outreach event is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, providing residents another opportunity to engage with council members, city staff and developers.

During public comments at Tuesday’s council meeting, Deputy City Clerk Gina Duran read aloud from a letter City Council received.

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In the letter, a resident of the Woodbury subdivision expressed “concerns about turning the Woodbury Sports Complex into high-density apartments” and lamented the loss of amenities that would result from “taking away an established park.” The author also questioned whether additional funds would have to be spent to “replace the park” at another location.

However, those fears appear to be unfounded. Officials, city staff and the project’s developers have repeatedly shared plans and conceptual designs for the Woodbury project showing that the existing park will remain untouched by the new construction.

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Another resident questioned future plans for the park during public comments. “We were told there’s plans for the lot down there by (First Street) and Mack Lane, and nobody’s saying what’s planned for that property either,” she said.

The eastern portion of the undeveloped Woodbury land was a topic of conversation at a March 4 workshop for City Council members and Planning and Zoning commissioners to address concerns about the Woodbury housing project. During the workshop, the city’s Economic Development Manager Shannon Scott referenced conversations and questions surrounding the space, specifically why the housing complex couldn’t be built there instead.

“This is something that Parks and Rec has been working on for awhile,” she explained as she shared conceptual artwork detailing future plans for a skate park and pickleball courts in the area.

“I just wanted to show this for the benefit of the public,” she added.

Scott said she felt it was “important to note that (city officials) weren’t neglecting some of the park amenities that people had mentioned,” and “that this is obviously a concept that is planned for the future.”

Parks and Recreation Director Ryan Dennison agreed with Scott, saying that “last year (the city) went in and purchased the property for the park expansion and future amenities. There’s a need for both pickleball and skate park amenities (in the community) and it just really made sense for Woodbury.”

Those reassurances didn’t make it to Craig resident Randy Armstrong, who echoed earlier statements in his public comments when he said his “big concern” is for the community’s children and how they are suffering due to a lack of activities and amenities.

“And now you want to take more of that away?” Armstrong asked, seemingly alluding to the misconception of the park’s demise.

While Armstrong acknowledged that City Council had provided “good information,” he said he was unsure how to access it when he’s unable to attend relevant meetings. Armstrong admitted he’s not “very technical” and said he prefers to find his information offline.

“Someone hands me some paper, I can read it, but to find it online is really a challenge for me,” he said.

Anderson continued by saying that that despite his aversion to going online, he wants “to be an active part of this community,” and he asked for guidance on how to secure the necessary information.

As Armstrong exited the podium following his remarks, City Manager Peter Brixius briefly stopped Armstrong to give him a copy of the Craig Press and point out relevant articles and ads inside the newspaper.

During the meeting, City Council members kept in line with their policy of nonengagement during public comment and did not respond to the speakers.

However, Vicki Huyser, who often attends City Council meetings, voiced her observations.

She started by noting the comparatively low attendance at the Woodbury workshop as opposed to the Feb. 27 City Council meeting where the controversy gained a lot of traction.

“Seven people showed up — I counted them myself,” Huyser recalled, referencing the sparse audience at the workshop.

While Huyser said she is unbiased and open to looking at all sides of the debate, she cautioned that “one side is kind of losing credibility if they’re just going to come in here to complain and threaten, and they don’t want to gather information and ask intelligent questions.”

With her remarks underscoring the necessity for informed dialogue and community engagement, Huyser speculated on the number of people who might attend Tuesday’s public outreach event.

“I just hope people are going to show up,” she said. “I’m going to be there, and honestly it doesn’t matter to me one way or the other if you build those apartments or not, but I want the information.”

After public comments, Craig Mayor Chris Nichols re-emphasized the importance of Tuesday’s public outreach event as an opportunity for residents to ask questions about the Woodbury project.

He also said that current and past agendas, as well as the meeting minutes, are available on the city of Craig’s website. All council meetings are live-streamed and recorded and can be accessed on the city of Craig’s Facebook page. Nichols added that city staff are also available to assist in person at City Hall.

“We try to be as transparent as we can,” he said.