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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

County Looking For Park Site Near Gleneden

Spokane County officials are getting serious about finding property for a park in the Gleneden area north of Wandermere.

Residents of the area have complained over the years about a lack of recreational opportunities there.

The county is looking at a piece of undeveloped land near the Blackhawk and Legacy Hills developments for a park of 10 to 20 acres.

The site is north and west of Little Spokane River Drive and about a half-mile south of Midway Road.

The property is owned by Jim Pounder of Pounder’s Jewelry. Pounder said he is willing to negotiate with county officials.

Steve Horobiowski, a former county planner who recently was hired onto the parks staff, said the county is also considering other possible sites as well.

Horobiowski said the county wants to install facilities for basketball, soccer and softball as well as a picnic area. A portion of the park would be left as open space with hiking and biking trails.

He was scheduled to meet with Pounder this week to talk about a possible purchase.

For years, the land Pounder owns has been used by young cyclists, who ride trails on the land.

But the Pounder site has some problems with vehicle access. A short stub road built in conjunction with a housing development abuts one side of the property. A private easement gives access to another side, Horobiowski said.

The county would need to pave an access road and build a parking lot to make the property usable, he said. Restrooms also would be built.

Development of the park could be completed in phases, he said, with property acquisition, road building and the construction of playfields occurring first.

, DataTimes