Visions of a veterans memorial park stirred a battle of control between two main groups of servicemen.

Last month, veterans of the Korean and Vietnam wars vied to spearhead the effort to transform Pomeroy Park into an all-inclusive memorial park in honor of those who served the United States. While appealing to the Auburn City Council, the two groups had heated exchanges, each arguing theirs should design the memorial.

Recently, city officials named the Korean War Veterans Association the lead group to enhance the land at 172 Genesee St., while Public Works Superintendent Jerry DelFavero mediated between the different groups and the city.

“Someone needs to take the lead role, we were just spinning our wheels,” DelFavero said.

Korean Association spokesman Jim Ferris has stressed the design aims to embody all groups and the committee will welcome all ideas.

DelFavero recognizes there's been tension between the two groups, but believes they be will cooperative because “they all want this park.”

The conflict arose over the timing of the groups' announcements of their intentions for Pomeroy and the lack of communication about the similar projects.

The Korean War group approached Interim City Manager Michael Long about the project and later went to city council and asked for an immediate vote giving it exclusive rights for the piece of land. The council voted weeks later allowing for a committee that sought input from all veterans organizations to design the memorial park.

The idea to renovate the park came about when the group was working on the Korean War Memorial, which stands near the city-owned park, Ferris said.

“The cross caught my curiosity, no one seemed to know what it was for,” he said. They were surprised to discover the park was originally dedicated for a Cayuga County War Memorial, and the cross is a World War I monument.

Francis Bell Sr. is the Vietnam Veterans Chapter president. He first heard of the Korean War Veterans Association's plans for the park after the group approached city council.

“I had no idea that all the Korean War veterans had gone as far as they had,” Bell said. “We were not contacted by anyone. It's like someone walks up to you in the dark and slaps you upside the head.”

Meanwhile, Bell and another Vietnam veteran Nicholas Valenti, began discussing turning Pomeroy Park into an all-encompassing memorial park after the moving wall, a Vietnam memorial, came to Auburn in 1997, Bell said.

“I would have begged them to be on the committee, I would have said 'Please let me include myself on this.' This just leaves a bad taste in your mouth,” Bell said.

The park committee is in its “infancy stage” but plans to reach out to businesses, civic groups and veterans groups, including Bell's, to make sure all veterans and residents are included in the planning stages, Ferris said. Members plan to approach businesses that may employ a large number of veterans.

They are still in the planning stages and want input from different groups on what they would like to see in the park, Ferris said.

He hopes there will be no tension.

“We're not excluding anyone,” Ferris said. “There can only be one committee and that's been decided by the city.”

The committee wants to get everyone's cooperation and will examine any feasible idea, he added.

Paperwork and a rough sketch of the design first crossed his path last week, Bell said. The design has “a lot of merit,” but needs work, he said. While Bell wouldn't get specific, there are details he wants to change to make it more veterans friendly.

DelFavero also has suggested changes to cuts costs and make the parcel easier for maintenance. He will stay involved in the planning and installation stages, he said.

Long points to the fact that the park will remain in city hands, and therefore its workers will be responsible for its upkeep.

The city has final approval over the design, and both DelFavero and Long agree the marble cross that stands near the back will stay where it is, though designers may change the landscaping surrounding the World War I memorial to compliment it, Long said.

DelFavero showed the draft to Valenti, a veterans advocate, who DelFavero said was impressed with the concept.

The next step is to come up with a design that everyone will support, Ferris said. While they have kicked around ideas for funding, they want to have an accurate sketch to present to people before eliciting donations.

While the associate will take responsibility for raising all the funds, DelFavero's department likely will give support in the form of labor and equipment.

Ensuring the space is handicap accessible tops the priorities, DelFavero said. He also wants to soften the park and make it more inviting. The space lies next to the Cayuga County office building and Long would like to see workers eat their lunchs and socialize in the area.

Ferris sees the park as another tourist destination in the county but also a gathering place for residents.

The committee has discussed the possibility of hosting community events there, such as Veterans Day ceremonies and showing movies there on a portable movie screen.

The project is still in the planning stages, but DelFavero suggested the groups set goals around Memorial Day in May and Veterans Day in November.

One idea is to line the park with stones representing scenes from each American war, from the Revolutionary War to the current conflict in Iraq, Ferris said. He also suggested the group may try to find the number of Cayuga County residents that died in each war to etch into the stones.

Bell wants to make sure the park honors servicemen, whether they served in war or peace time.

“I'm hoping that maybe in the near future, we can get together in one room and discuss this like human beings without letting tempers or attitudes get in the way of what really is the best thing for the veterans,” the former Marine said.

Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311, ext 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net