Last night, for the umpteenth time, the Parks Department unveiled its latest plans for a new, improved Washington Square Park. Being a bit obsessive-compulsive, we're stoked that the blueprints propose to move the fountain so it aligns with the arch; it's been bugging us for years! Still, just like the earlier iterations of the same plan, this one is likely to die at the hands of the community representatives. "People feel very strong about this park," the Sun quotes a Parks spokesperson deadpanning. An understatement, that. In 2005, local activists killed the proposal to put in gates because it would "take away from the tradition of openness"; a plan to level several seemingly functionless mounds was met with even more indignation. As of now, there's a total of five lawsuits dragging down the project, the latest two of which protest the environmental impact of the renovation. Plus there's the little matter of old burial grounds below. In other words, it's time for the Parks Department to consider bold new steps if they want this thing ever done. Here are two that we think could instantly convert nearly all Greenwich Villagers to the renovation cause: a fenced-in hacky-sack zone and a parkwide ban on acoustic covers of "No Woman No Cry."

Washington Square Park Plans Get Cool Reception [NYS]