After Oak Harbor staff provided some options for reconfiguring Flintstone Park on Bayshore Drive to the city council, the council’s favorite plan was the city planner’s least favorite.

When the council approved the installation of the Angel of Creativity sculpture at Flintstone Park last year, planners began drafts to reconfigure the park to better suit the artwork, said Brian Smith, parks and recreation director. This included changes to or the complete removal of the roundabout driveway and possibly moving the Naval flagstaff to Veterans Memorial Park.

While early discussion and concepts included the potential for removal of the Garry oak tree within the loop at Flintstone Park, a protected tree in Oak Harbor, this was quickly squashed.

“Absolutely 100%, 1,000% no to doing anything with the Garry oak tree,” said Mayor Pro Tem Tara Hizon, “especially if it’s just for the sake of a little more asphalt or an extra parking space.”

Smith said the city could remove the roundabout and expand the upper parking lot, widen and expand the foot path, partially remove the roundabout and remove the bollards or simply install bollards around the sculpture.

The final option, which removes the roundabout, installs bollards around the sculpture, widens the drive for two lane traffic and pushes the upper parking lot forward, was frowned upon by the city planner, Smith said, as the tenants of the adjacent condo didn’t like being near the traffic and lights.

Flintstone Park is basically a parking lot with a view, he said. The green space is underutilized, and the park has a bad reputation for unsafe and undesirable activities.

The parks and recreation advisory commission voted to remove the roundabout and expand the upper parking lot, Smith said, while the art commission recommended removing the parking lot altogether for more green space and beautification around the sculpture.

Councilmembers Christopher Wiegenstein, Jim Woessner and James Marrow preferred the final option, noting that if there is no hazard surrounding the flagpole there is no reason to move it.

With the shoreline management permitting process, if the city decides to remove the parking lot it will be a major hassle if it ever wants to put it back, Woessner said.

Marrow acknowledged the value of the parking lot.

“I’ve been down there many times to eat my lunch facing the water, and so I’m very well acquainted with the people coming and going,” he said.

There are also many solutions for the disgruntled condo tenants if they are concerned about light, he added.

“This is not an earth-shaking project,” he said.

In the near future, Smith will return with fleshed out plans for removing the roundabout, expanding the upper parking lot, installing bollards around the sculpture and widening the drive.