One unusual feature stands out in the first of two concepts Boise Parks and Recreation has proposed for undeveloped land south of Quinn’s Pond, a popular swimming hole in the West End between Whitewater Park Boulevard and the Boise River.

This feature would put a “natural playground with music integrated with existing trees” on the southwest side of the three acres. The first part of that description is simple: A natural playground would have obstacles like rocks and logs that fit the natural landscape instead of traditional equipment like monkey bars. It would be something like the playground at the Foothills Learning Center, Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Sarah Collings said.

The musical part is more surprising. Instruments like xylophones and drums would be dispersed in a stand of trees and fixed in place. Parks and Recreation installed instruments, including a xylophone, at Boise Hills Park, but removed their mallets because the noise was bothering neighbors, Collings said.

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Parks and Recreation’s first concept also includes proposals for a fishing dock, a floating wetland just north of the south shore and east of the fishing dock, steps down to the water, a grassy meadow that wouldn’t be mowed, and a pollinator garden with plants that attract and feed bees, butterflies and other pollinating bugs.

The second concept swaps out the natural, musical playground for a traditional playground and outdoor workout station. It also calls for a pollinator garden and unmowed areas. It would have a large, sandy stretch with easy access to the Boise River Greenbelt on the west.

The concepts are partly the products of an open house Parks and Recreation held Sept. 13. People who attended voted on their favorite proposed amenities. The most popular was a playground — traditional or natural.

Some kind of structure, such as a dock, to facilitate swimming was high on the list, too. So were an outdoor workout station, bird-watching areas and volleyball courts.

Quinn’s Pond is part of Bernardine Quinn Riverside Park. It is named for a Boise woman who moved here from Wisconsin in 1910 and became active in the Catholic Church, Girl Scouts and the then-Saint Alphonsus Hospital.

Always a favorite swimming hole, the pond’s popularity has grown in recent years with the addition of a beach and grassy area on its north shore, a whitewater park in the Boise River to the west, and Esther Simplot Park to the north.

The public is invited to comment on the Quinn’s Pond proposals by emailing Project Coordinator Wendy Larimore at wlarimore@cityofboise.org, or calling her at (208) 608-7636. The deadline is Friday, Oct. 26.

An official proposal likely will go before the Parks and Recreation Commission in November, Collings said. The department plans to plant grass and install an irrigation system next year, with other features to come later.