Tall tree-lined paths through McKinley Park give respite from the roar of the nearby Interstate 5 in Tacoma. As you approach a clearing in the woods, little faces pop out of the brush. A fairy village peeks out from the trunk of a tree, surrounded by toys and fake flowers. Gnomes sporting “USA” hats pose next to felled logs. Welcome signs hang gently from branches overhead, and a long snake grows longer as hikers add colorful stones to its body.
For many neighbors, the addition of small figurines, artwork and lawn decor in McKinley Park has provided a whimsical atmosphere to the forest. But this month, Parks Tacoma staff started taking some of it down, saying the “unsanctioned installations” can create problems, “including attracting people to bring items from home to add to the displays and impeding maintenance.”…