Several community members turned out in an effort to stop the addition of a parking lot to the yet undesigned Cybil Madeline Park — and it worked.

The council decided to have Parks and Recreation Department staff members take another look at the options, rather than approve an agenda bill that would have started the process of paving a parking lot at the park.

“I voted for parks, not parking lots,” Issaquah resident Bryan Weinstein said. “This is putting the parking lot before the park.”

Council members agreed. Councilmen John Rittenhouse and Josh Schaer timidly brought the motion to floor, but only to get a discussion going.

“I do not see the people using this park need the parking lot,” Council President Maureen McCarry said.

Parks department administrators brought forth the motion because parking spaces near the park — on Rainier Boulevard North and Northwest Holly Street — is usually filled with workers from Darigold or local housing.

Department officials said they hoped to get the process started through Site Development Permits, a SEPA review as well as engineer contracts, and requested $65,000 from park bond funds.

“I do think it is premature,” Councilman David Kappler said. “Especially for that amount.”

Council members told the department that they would prefer that the design for the park come before the parking lot, rather than having the design be created around parking spots already installed.

“This is a real gem,” Councilman Fred Butler said. “It’s something that I know we will do right.”

The council told the parks department to bring a motion or design to the Services and Operations Committee.

“We need more basic information about the land,” Kappler said.