A Look Back at 2025: Prouty Plaza's Water Feature Nixed
Vol. III, No. 208 - Residents showed up, spoke out and a water feature was removed
Late this summer, a moment of quiet victory for the community unfolded in downtown Troy. After months of debate, public meetings, and passionate discussion, City Council quietly decided to remove a proposed water feature from the Prouty Plaza redesign plans. It might seem like a small change on paper, but in practice, it represeted something much larger — a powerful reminder that when residents speak up, City Hall listens.
The idea for a splash pad or water feature had been circulating for months. Initially, it was presented as a fun, family-friendly upgrade for our main public square. But as more details emerged — about cost, safety, and long-term maintenance — the initial excitement turned into serious concern. Residents asked practical questions: How much water would it use? Would it be safe with two busy roads on each side? And perhaps most importantly, was this really what downtown Troy needed?
As Summer wore on, those concerns became impossible to ignore. Some council members pushed for clearer answers about the project’s true cost and long-term impact on taxpayers. When few answers came, the situation brought renewed energy from the public. It was a turning point not just for a park project, but for civic engagement itself.
But residents didn’t stay silent. They organized. They emailed councilmembers, spoke at meetings, and shared thoughtful comments online. Their voices quickly became the heartbeat of this issue.
Councilmember-elect Madison Hickman helped focus that energy in a public way. In her open letter to city leadership, Hickman shared the results of her own outreach — conversations with neighbors, hundreds of online comments, and survey-style feedback. The message was remarkably consistent: people wanted to preserve green space, make smarter investments, and explore more suitable locations for a splash pad. That kind of data-driven, people-first leadership made a strong impression. It also showed what local democracy can look like when done well.
By early August, it was official. The water feature was out of the plan for a removated Prouty Plaza would be updated, but more importantly, the process demonstrated that local decisions need not be carved in stone. They can evolve through open conversation as more information and more thought is given to ideas that are going to change the face of inconic places for generations to come.
Of course, this doesn’t mean the conversation about water play is over. Both the city’s 2024 Comprehensive Plan and the 2025 Parks and Recreation Master Plan identified a strong desire for a community splash pad. The question should now shift from whether Troy should have one to where it should go.
Some conversations have centered on McKaig/Race Park. But given the recent plating of 70 cherry blossom trees — scaled back from the original 100-tree plan — that location may no longer be appropriate. It’s possible that a splash pad could find a home elsewhere, at a site better suited for active play, shade, restrooms, and parking. Residents and council will likely revisit the discussion in 2026 with a stronger sense of what worked — and what didn’t — in this year’s discussions.
What makes the Prouty Plaza story so noteworthy isn’t just the outcome. It’s the process. This was democracy, done locally and done right — questions asked respectfully, answers demanded patiently, and decisions shaped by reasoning rather than rhetoric.
As Troy turns the page toward 2026, residents can take pride in knowing their voices matter. By paying attention, staying engaged, and asking good questions, the community proved that civic capacity isn’t just a term — it’s the living heartbeat of our city.
As we move into 2026, the lessons from Prouty Plaza are clear. Residents need clear information, real chances to respond before decisions are made, and leaders who are willing to listen, explain, and sometimes change course when the public raises good points. That’s one of the foundational goals of this project - to provide information for our residents so that the best decisions for our community can be made.
Staying engaged does not require special training or a title; it means reading up, asking questions, and talking with neighbors about what kind of community Troy should be. If the city creates better ways for people to share their ideas—and residents keep showing up—Troy can keep building a future where big choices about parks, projects, and public spaces truly reflect the people who live here.
A New Handbook to grow Civic Capacity!
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