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Help steer direction of Olympia's parks system

City department asks for public’s input for Thursday workshop

By Matt Batcheldor | The Olympian • Published November 18, 2008

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OLYMPIA – A dog park. Improvements to an artesian well. A new swimming pool.

They're all suggestions residents have made to Olympia's Parks, Arts and Recreation Department. Now it wants to hear more.

The city is updating its Parks, Arts and Recreation plan for the first time since 2002, and it's asking residents what they want. The city will conduct a public workshop Thursday where people can chime in.

When completed next year, the plan will guide how the department operates for the next five years.

Suggestions could be about physical parks — say, new ballfields. Or they could be about programs — such as adding a new class or recreational activity. Or it could be a maintenance need, such as replacing a shelter or repaving.

"What do we want our parks system to look like 10 years from now?" said Parks Director Linda Oestreich.

It's not just about a list of projects, she said. The workshop will start by splitting attendees into workgroups to explore what activities residents cherish most. Then the groups will consider what projects the parks department should take on.

Besides being a useful document, state law also requires the city to refresh its parks plan every five years to maintain its eligibility for grants, said Associate Parks Director David Hanna. The city takes that opportunity to update its comprehensive plan for parks.

City parks workers are shifting their focus from acquiring parkland to developing the parks, Hanna said. In the ast two years, the city spent $9.8 million to buy eight park sites totaling nearly 49 acres, including West Bay Park, Ward Lake and several neighborhood parks. The city borrowed the money to buy the parks after voters approved a 3 percent utility tax increase; the money from that tax will pay off the bonds.

But now the city must develop the parks into usable space with new programs, and that's where residents' suggestions come in.

They're likely to get plenty. Many are asking for the city to fence in an area for an off-leash dog park. The city did a study in 2006 that recommended putting dog parks at Yauger and Priest Point parks, at a cost of $80,000 per park. The study estimated about 36,000 dogs live in Olympia and its urban growth area, which has about 60,000 people.

Another group is clamoring for the city to improve access to an artesian well in downtown Olympia. And there is a movement to turn much of the land between Budd Inlet and Capitol Lake into a park.

The city has many ongoing projects as well: an overhaul of the rotting Percival Landing boardwalk, creating a park along West Bay, and adding swimming access to Ward Lake.

An arts center also is proposed, but has no funding.

Then there are maintenance concerns: replacing play equipment, replacing bathrooms and picnic shelters, and paving and replacing utilities.

Next steps

There are several more steps before the plan is complete. According to parks:

• Nov. 30 is the last day for people to submit a written comment on updating the plan.

• The Olympia City Council is expected to discuss the plan on Jan. 27, and provide direction, priorities and a funding strategy.

• The public will have a chance to comment on the draft plan, tentatively on May 6.

• The final plan is expected to be adopted by July 28.