Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent Ken Bounds has asked the group involved with creating a new Ballard park to rethink their preferred name and identify one that honors a historic community figure.

The Seattle Park Naming Committee supported the community's preferred name for the park, Ballard Corners Park, which is to be built along the west side of 17th Avenue Northwest between Northwest 62nd and 63rd streets.

However, Bounds said it would be a "missed opportunity" to not consider naming it after someone directly involved with Ballard's history or who has made contributions to Seattle's parks. He recommended R.W. Grover, the man who suggested the town be named after Capt. William Ballard, or Fred Sander who began construction of the interurban street railway from Ballard to Everett.

Bounds said park department employees who worked at the old Ballard Community Center or were instrumental in creating community parks should also be considered.

The preferred name doesn't indicate the location of the park either, he said.

"In other words, I think we can do better than 'Ballard Corners Park,'" Bounds wrote in an e-mail. "Fifty years from now, will people know what Ballard Corners Park stands for? Not often do we have an opportunity to honor someone, but street names and park names provide that opportunity."

A person would have to be deceased for at least three years if it were to be named after someone, according to park department naming policies.

But Bounds said if Ballard Corners Park were the community's preferred name after considering other options, he would "honor that," even though he thinks it is a "mistake." He also said a decision will be made before he retires at the end of the month.

The preferred name was originally chosen as a placeholder to avoid being dubbed after a numbered street, such as the 6th Avenue Pocket Park in the Whittier neighborhood, said David Folweiler, co-chair of Friends of Ballard Corners Park.

"I'm not totally enamored with Ballard Corners Park, but I haven't heard any other names that I liked better," said Folweiler. "I'd love to have a better name, but I haven't heard one yet. If someone has a good suggestion, I'd like to hear it."

Some suggestions include, Lutefisk Park, Scandinavian Heritage Park or Ballard Beaver Park. Others are Post Park and Post and Polk Park, in reference to the City of Ballard's old street names, before annexation by Seattle in 1907.

The new park will be built on what are now two unlived on lots. A house on the south lot has sat empty for the past 15 years and will be demolished during park construction. The city acquired the space through Pro Parks Levy funds set aside to purchase property for park development.

A grocery store built in 1905 was located on the north lot where it operated until 1954. The group has discussed historical names in the past, including naming the park after the last grocer to run the corner store- William Boutin, but none of the names seemed to "resonate with the community," Folweiler said.

"My understanding was that the community liked the name Ballard Corners Park and was reasonably content with it," he said. "I agree it may not be perfect, but it does have Ballard in it, which gives it a sense of place."

To suggest names for the new park on or before Feb. 25, contact David Folweiler at David.Folweiler@ballardcornerspark.org, or 714-4271. Suggestions can also be made to Ken Bounds at ken.bounds@seattle.gov.

The next meeting to discuss the design of the park is March 21 at the Ballard Boys and Girls Club, 7 to 9 p.m.