Following the recommendation of the city Parks and Recreation Board, Bothell City Council has abandoned an idea to rename Cedar Grove Park in honor of fallen hometown Marine First Lt. Nicholas Madrazo, killed in Afghanistan.

Instead, the city has acted to rename what is commonly referred to as Field 5 at North Creek Sportsfield, 11800 North Creek Parkway S., as “First Lt. Nicholas A. Madrazo, USMC Memorial Park.”

According to information released by the city, the parks board decided against renaming Cedar Grove in consideration of Bothell’s Boughten family, the original owners of the property.

Opened in 2005, Cedar Grove sits at 22421 Ninth Ave. S.E., in the Canyon Park area near Interstate 405.

Speaking at a council meeting last month, resident Barbara Premo objected to the renaming of Cedar Grove, saying her parents had dubbed the park after the name of the family mink farm, which used to sit at the site. Premo added that her parents, now both in their late 80s, still live in the area.

“It would be devastating to change this now,” Premo said.

Premo further contended keeping the park named “Cedar Grove” was part of the sales agreement for the park property. City officials disputed that claim, but left the question up to the parks board to decide. In written materials, the board did not comment on that issue.

Bothell Deputy Mayor Joshua Freed said naming the North Creek ball field after Madrazo was a compromise that satisfied everyone involved.

, including Bothell firefighter Hugh Moag, who initially urged the renaming of Cedar Grove.

Madrazo died Sept. 9, 2008, but not before earning a Bronze Star, according to Moag, who spoke at the same council meeting as Premo.

“This is the kind of young man I think our community should honor,” Moag said.

According to Freed and Mayor Mark Lamb, legislators also plan to look at another parks-board recommendation, which would move a small veterans memorial at located Triangle Park (near the State Route 522/527 and Main Street intersection) to the Park at Bothell Landing once that park is remodeled.

Bothell Landing is slated to be revamped as part of city plans to rebuild the intersection of the two state routes and Main Street, an effort that already is under way.

Having backed the original idea of renaming Cedar Grove, Lamb also said he was happy with honoring Madrazo at North Creek.

“I think he was a remarkable young man and I’m glad he’ll have a permanent place of honor in the city,” Lamb said.

According to information provided at the time of his death by his family and the military, Madrazo was killed by a roadside bomb while supporting combat operations in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan. Madrazo was on his first combat tour, working with the Afghan National Army and French forces.

Madrazo graduated from Bothell High in 2001 and became a Marine officer through Seattle Pacific University’s Navy ROTC program. Joining a friend he had met in the Marines, he volunteered for duty in Afghanistan.

A veteran himself, Moag said he attended Madrazo’s funeral and eventually came to know the Marine’s family. He described Madrazo as a happy young man who shared that happiness.

“He gave joy… right from the start,” Moag said.