More than 615 Tacoma residents have signed a petition to save handmade art at McKinley Park after Parks Tacoma began removing wind chimes, painted signs and other pieces.

Parks Tacoma staff arrived at the Eastside Tacoma park Thursday, Sept. 24, with a truck and ladder to take down what the agency called "unsanctioned installations," The News Tribune first reported. Items removed included colorful signs reading "Keep on Truckin'" and "Breathe in the Air," along with pieces painted with rainbows, unicorns and fairies. A bike wedged between two tall branches also came down.

The agency said it asked park steward Danny Patnode to begin removing the installations Sept. 1, after staff walked the park Aug. 18 to evaluate the items. Birdhouses will stay. Whether the fairy gardens survive remained unclear as of Sept. 25, Parks Tacoma spokesperson Stacia Glenn said.

Glenn said in an emailed statement to The News Tribune that items hung, screwed or nailed into trees can damage them and undermine habitat management. She added that Parks Tacoma has a process for preapproved art that "allows us to foster a park that is balanced as a natural area with some art features."

The removal sparked quick pushback. Hilltop artist Hawthorne Hawkins, who makes and hides glass Monkeyshines around Tacoma, launched a Change.org petition on Sept. 11 with his roommate Maxwell Stagg, also an artist. The petition had 615 signatures as of Sept. 27.

"I feel like the city is focusing on the wrong things … We could be picking up trash. We could be helping people that need help," Hawkins told The News Tribune.

Hawkins said he understands the agency's concern about vandalism but sees a missed opportunity for compromise. Regular park visitors told The News Tribune that trash often piles up on the trails and that the art made the park more welcoming.

McKinley Park spans 22 acres and features four streams and four wetlands, according to Parks Tacoma's website. The Tacoma Land and Improvement Company donated the land in 1901.

Glenn said no major improvements are planned for the park under the 2026 bond. The park's pond was drained in the spring after crews found extensive liner damage. Glenn said the liner has been sealed and the pond will be refilled within the next week.

The Parks Tacoma Board of Park Commissioners meets Monday, Sept. 28, at 6 p.m. at district headquarters, 4702 S. 19th St. The McKinley Park dispute has not been confirmed as an agenda item.