COEUR d'ALENE - A family sprawled across a picnic blanket on Wednesday at McEuen Field, while joggers and cyclists sweated past on the Centennial Trail.

Across the park a woman pushed a stroller after a toddler scrambling away from the jungle gym. A lone man sat reading by an empty baseball diamond.

Pretty peaceful.

But not everyone's vision.

"I'm not down there (at McEuen Field) very often," said 15-year-old Candace Marshall, crossing the field to get downtown. "I'm not really into baseball."

Maybe if there was more open field, Marshall said, or some other outdoor recreational activities, it would hold more appeal.

"I think it would help draw people in," the Post Falls girl said.

The park by Front Avenue in downtown Coeur d'Alene has long been the host of simple pastimes, offering shady respite and the sound of cheering crowds as teams battled on the three baseball diamonds.

Now that the Coeur d'Alene City Council has hired a team of architects to redesign the space, with possibilities of tennis courts, an amphitheater and bike trails, local users have their own opinions on what its future should be.

"Leave it alone," said George Miller, 70, walking with his wife, Karen, by the field.

After vacationing at a lake cabin in Coeur d'Alene for 47 years, the couple has long relied on the park as a retreat for picnics and a quiet sit.

George pointed out that the McEuen baseball diamonds are some of the few left in the city.

"Downtown Coeur d'Alene has changed so dramatically over the last few years, it would be nice to have something stay the same," he said.

Karen added that her favorite parts about the field are the grass and proximity to the lake.

"People do use it for picnicking and taking their kids," she said. "I would hate to see it end."

Geraldine Schneider, powerwalking by the field, scanned the grassy expanse and shrugged.

"I'm kind of used to it how it is," the 40-year-old said.

But she can see a few possibilities.

Like dirt jogging paths, maybe.

"You've got the Centennial Trail around the lake, but that's concrete, its jarring for the legs," she said. "Maybe a softer trail would be better."

Throwing a ball to his brother, Tim, on the corner baseball field, David Johnson said he would keep the field as it is - and as he has always remembered it.

The Coeur d'Alene native remembered watching ball games at the field since he was 6.

"I watched my uncle play, he played for NIC (North Idaho College)," the 26-year-old said, adding that he and his brother now play there at least twice a week.

It's one of the few city settings from his childhood that's still around, he said.

"So many things are changing. I can tell stories, but that's doesn't mean much if you can't see something," Johnson said. "And parks are supposed to be about trees, not about buildings and amphitheaters. Don't they already have a place for that?"

Tim admitted he wouldn't mind tennis courts.

"I love tennis," the 22-year-old said.

Amanda Spencer and her husband, Adam, California residents visiting a relative, were unimpressed with the field's playground.

There wasn't much for their 2-year-old, Ashton, to do, Amanda said.

"Maybe (they could make it) just more toddler friendly," she said. "More slides."

Park improvements just means more crowds, said Jordan Meneer, a lifelong Coeur d'Alene resident.

"There are already way too many tourists in the summer," the 19-year-old said as he strolled past the park with a friend. "I think they should leave it alone."

The Third Street docks could also be subject to redesign.

As Justin Spurling helped unload his family's boat after a day of tubing, he said he wouldn't mind seeing the docks stay just as they are.

"I like how big it is, how open, how many boats you can get in and out at one time," the 23-year-old said as he watched his wife and two boys climb out of the boat. "I don't have any problem with it."