City’s parks plan is ‘minimalist’

Published 1:32 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

NORTH BEND – At the May 28 work study, the North Bend City Council also heard about the city’s parks plan, which is being updated this year.

Sara Barry, North Bend special projects coordinator, said the update was driven by the city’s $1.2 million grant application to the state Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation.

If approved, the grant would partially pay the city back for the $3.75 million it contributed to the purchase of Tollgate Farm, which cost $9.27 million.

North Bend’s parks plan was created in 1995, and since then had become “woefully out of date,” Barry said.

Parks Commission members worked to revise the plan, which includes a capital improvement plan for 2002-2007 that prioritizes how the city will spend money on parks for the next few years.

“It’s minimalist,” Barry said of the capital improvement plan, acknowledging North Bend’s fiscal constraints. “It’s intended to be minimalist.”

It details 10 projects spread out over the six years. They include:

* Tollgate Farm acquisition (2001-2003).

* Creating a master plan for Tollgate Farm (2002).

* Emergency stabilization of the Tollgate farmhouse (2002).

* Meadowbrook Farm Interpretive Center (2002-2003).

* Paving the remainder of Tanner Trail Phase 1 (2000-2002).

* Creating the Meadowbrook Farm trail (2003-2004).

* Replacing playground equipment and bridge at E.J. Roberts Park (2006-2007).

* Replacing picnic tables at Gardiner Weeks Park (2004).

* Replacing bleachers, backstops, infield fencing and other equipment at Torguson Park (2004, first priority). Paving the parking area (2006, second priority).

* Purchasing Phase 2 of Tanner Trail (2007).

Barry said some things were purposely left out of the capital improvement plan, like creating more soccer fields.

“We have sidestepped the issue of soccer fields. We know we need additional soccer fields here,” she said, adding part of the need would likely be addressed when the city puts together a master plan for Tollgate Farm.

Barry said the western portion of the farm’s central meadow could contain at least three soccer fields, while the eastern portion could be used for passive recreation.

Councilman Jack Webber said creating more soccer fields was important because they can serve multiple uses, unlike baseball fields.

“I would lean toward building more soccer fields than baseball fields,” he said.

The capital improvement plan also doesn’t mention the Si View Community Center and pool, which are operated by the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks.

Their futures are uncertain as the county struggles to reconcile an estimated $50 million budget deficit for 2003. The county may ask North Bend to assume control of them.

“The Si View issues really came up too late to adequately address in the parks plan,” said Councilwoman Elaine Webber.

Although the capital improvement plan lasts six years, it can be amended each year with a resolution passed by the City Council. Taking over Si View would force the council to rethink the city’s parks priorities.

“We may be wholesale amending this [the capital improvement plan] a year from now,” Elaine Webber said.