The $2.68 million Klapprich Park improvement plan has become defined by a single feature: a 40-foot embankment slide celebrated by many families but opposed by neighbors who say it doesn’t fit the park. City Council will revisit the project Tuesday, August 19, to consider added landscaping and screening.
City leaders note that the hillside slide was part of the Klapprich Park design approved in early 2023, alongside other renovations. But for many neighbors, the scale and exact hillside placement only became clear once construction began this summer. That disconnect has fueled frustration, with opponents saying they should have been given another chance to weigh in before the project advanced.
Loved by Some, Loathed by Others
The plan—already underway—includes the hillside slide manufactured by Berliner Seilfabrik. With a free-fall height of more than 16 feet, it is the largest play element in the renovation. Community engagement showed strong interest in adding a slide at Klapprich, and the city responded with a dramatic embankment design. Supporters see it as a bold centerpiece, though some neighbors argue the final version goes far beyond what residents had in mind.
Neighbors along Park Street have objected to the slide’s size, appearance, and placement, as well as the loss of mature trees that once screened their homes. Some have even nicknamed the structure “the green weenie,” underscoring their unease.
Neighbor Fred Geyen, who has lived by Klapprich Park for more than two decades, said many residents were caught off guard when heavy equipment arrived to remove trees on the west side of the park. “At the meeting last fall, the slide was shown further east with stairs over there. Then all of a sudden trucks showed up on the west side, cutting trees, and people nearby didn’t even know what was going on,” he said. Geyen also questioned the city’s explanation that many of the pines were diseased, saying that if that were the case, they could have been treated earlier.
Beyond the tree loss, Geyen said neighbors are most concerned about the design of the new slide, described as a 40-foot green tube cut into the hillside. “You look at it and think, why do you need to clear out that many trees just to put in a giant tube slide? It changes the whole character of that corner of the park,” he said, adding that while residents support park improvements, they want the area re-forested and equipment scaled more appropriately to the surroundings.
Too Big?
Several nearby residents have voiced their opposition to the improvment. “The scale and scope of the slide seem to be quite large for a local park that is set in the midst of a small neighborhood… the new 40 foot slide, with its clear cutting of the hill to make room for it and green plastic color, appears to be anything but naturally fitting into the landscape. This creates a huge eyesore for the neighborhood.” stated Joe & Elissa Madson in an email to the City.
“I cannot believe that this got approved and I’m asking you to reconsider. A slide like that invites all sorts of problems and liabilities… I can’t imagine that [preteens] are going to use that as a slide, but rather something they can urinate in or send other objects down. You are just asking for trouble. Not only that, the fluorescent green is a complete eyesore on the beautiful park. Please reconsider adding this offensive slide to the park. Wayzata is better than this.” states Tasha Fraser.
Strong Support
Supporters, however, see the slide as a signature feature. “As a Wayzata resident, I’m writing to express my strong support for the Klapprich improvements under way. I believe it represents an exciting and necessary investment in our city’s future—a place that will foster community, provide safe and accessible green space, and enrich the quality of life for individuals and families like mine.” — Margaret Green.
“A quick note to express my support for the long overdue reinvestment in Klapprich. My kids, now 9yrs old and 14yrs old, spend a lot of time at parks. We ride bikes to Minnetonka, etc, but are excited for a new place to play near our house. Living in Holdridge neighborhood, all the kids are very excited for it to be done.” — Jeff Bull
Trees Lost, Screening in Question
Excavation for the slide and retaining wall has already claimed nearly twenty mature trees on the Park Street edge of Klapprich. City staff have said many of the removed trees were diseased or in decline, but neighbors argue that explanation feels like a convenient excuse for the scale of clearing.
To soften the impact, city staff have proposed a change order that includes four large spaded evergreens, ten deciduous saplings, five arborvitae, and a modular retaining wall. The $34,730 package would come from project contingency funds.
Residents voiced concerns that spaded trees take years to establish and that young plantings cannot recreate the canopy that shielded homes from the ballfields and playground.
5–1 Vote Keeps Slide in Place, With Call for More Options
In late July, the Parks and Trails Board voted 5–1 to recommend one of three options: keeping the slide in its current location, accelerating tree replacement with more mature plantings, and monitoring potential parking issues on Park Street before taking further action.
The lone dissenting vote came from Board Chair Tory Schalkle. He emphasized that his objection was not to the slide itself, but to the board forwarding only one option to the City Council. “I agreed with the conclusion the board came to and the logic they had … it was addressing the overall purpose for the park, which was all residents. Keep it still a large green and a free space to run and play while also adding amenities the public requested,” Schalkle said.
Schalkle, speaking in his personal capacity and not on behalf of the full board, said the group weighed several considerations in recommending the slide’s current placement. Among the factors he listed were:
- City safety requirements
- ADA (accessibility) compliance
- Cost to taxpayers
- Aesthetic considerations
- Results of public surveys requesting a slide
- Environmental impact
- Parking concerns
Schalkle noted he was the lone dissenting vote, explaining that while he agreed with much of the reasoning, he felt the City Council should have been given more alternatives to consider.
The Slide Is Paid For, but Its Future Isn’t Set in Stone
Although the slide has already been purchased, the City Council retains full authority over how — or even whether — it is installed. Council also controls the scope of tree replacement and the type of screening to be added. Residents urging changes hope the city will consider more mature plantings, berming, or other buffers to preserve the neighborhood’s character.
Alternatives considered in earlier discussions included moving the slide further east, shortening or removing the stairway to Park Street, or replacing the feature with another play element. City staff and the Parks and Trails Board ultimately recommended against those changes, noting that the slide has already been fabricated at a cost of about $40,000 and that shifting its location would disrupt other planned play areas.
As written, Tuesday’s decision does not reopen the question of placement; Council will be asked only to approve additional landscaping and a retaining wall. Still, several neighbors have urged elected leaders to revisit the larger issue, leaving open the possibility that council members could signal a different direction.
When Neighbors’ Voices Carry — and When They Don’t
The debate has highlighted a contrast in how the city weighs community input. On short-term rental regulations, leaders have taken a deliberate approach, emphasizing the concerns of residents living closest to rental properties. In the case of Klapprich, opponents argue that the same deference has not been shown.
Marlene Geyen stated in an email to council, “…A significant portion of the meeting focused on [Short Term Rentals], with the Council stressing safety, minimal disruption, and neighborhood integrity. Those standards did not appear to be applied to the park, suggesting a troubling double standard.”
A Flurry of Letters Before the Vote
In the days leading up to the meeting, a flurry of comments arrived at City Hall. Supporters described the slide as a unique addition that would set Klapprich Park apart. It appears that some of that support was galvanized after Parks and Trails Board members encouraged friends and neighbors to share their views with the city.
Opponents countered that this wave of citywide support was drowning out the voices of those who live closest to the park and will feel the slide’s presence most directly.
Tuesday Night
The Klapprich debate has grown into more than a question of playground equipment. For supporters, the slide represents long-requested amenities and an investment in making Wayzata’s parks more vibrant for children and families. For neighbors, it has become a symbol of scale, process, and the loss of green buffers that defined the park for decades.
With the slide already purchased but placement, landscaping, and screening still in City Council’s hands, the outcome is not yet fully settled. What is clear is that Klapprich has become a case study in how Wayzata balances citywide demand for amenities with the concerns of those who live closest to the changes.
Stay tuned to Wayzata.com, your source for local news and community reporting, as we continue to follow the conversation around Klapprich Park and other issues shaping Wayzata.
Editor’s note: A comment previously attributed to Gretchen Piper was incorrect and has been removed. Other details have been clarified to keep the record accurate.
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