Money Lacking To Develop More Parks

The city has the land for more North Side parks, but not the money to develop them.

Partnerships with neighborhoods and some creative thinking might be the answer.

That was the message delivered to Indian Trail and Five Mile Prairie residents last week in a community meeting with staff from the Spokane Parks and Recreation Department.

On the northeast end of Indian Trail Road, 35 acres have been donated in recent years by Meadow Glen developer Leif Sorenson.

There are two sets of power lines that criss-cross the acreage, one owned by Washington Water Power, the other by the Bonneville Power Administration.

About half of the land, tentatively named Meadow Glen Park, will someday be developed as a community park, with play fields, picnic areas and restrooms.

The remaining half, mostly under the power lines, will be left as a conservation area where residents can hike or birdwatch.

On Five Mile Prairie, 24 acres have been set aside for a community park near Five Mile and Strong roads.

Paul Crutchfield, assistant parks director, said it costs more than $85,000 per acre to develop a barebones park. Currently, money isn’t available for developing either of the parks.

But Parks Director Ange Taylor said there are ways to build parks with community participation.

“One way to get something accomplished is by having neighborhoods involved,” said Taylor.

Kathy Miotke, of Five Mile Prairie, was optimistic.

“It would be a positive experience to work in partnership with the city to develop a park,” she said.

Some Indian Trail neighbors were already dreaming about what their community park might include. A swimming pool? Tennis courts?

Taylor has a list of goals and dreams for Spokane parks, as well, including a neighborhood park within walking distance of every home, an indoor aquatic center and an indoor court facility.

“We can do it together,” he said.

In other discussion at the meeting:

Mike Stone, Urban Forester, talked about ice storm damage, cleanup efforts, replanting and the inventory of city trees.

Indian Trail resident Mike Page questioned the wisdom of replacing native Ponderosa pines along Indian Trail Road with non-native, possibly more fragile and labor-intensive street trees.

He also suggested the city grow its own tree stock rather than buying trees from private growers.

Stone said trees are selected to fit with curbs and sidewalks. He noted the city doesn’t have a plan to grow its own trees.

Miotke suggested an ideal place for growing city trees might be the proposed park area on Five Mile Prairie.

Hal McGlathery, recreation services manager, said Indian Trail has the lowest attendance in summer recreation programs of almost any other neighborhood in the city.

As a result, some programs won’t be offered this year, including baseball at Woodridge School. However, the basketball program at Pacific Park will be held.

Taylor Bressler, park operations manager, offered a bit of good news: There will be picnic tables at Pacific Park this summer.

Bressler said Pacific Park is one of the city’s more frustrating park projects. Besides picnic tables, it needs more play fields, better handicap access, an extended walkway and a solution to the water run-off problem.

The parks department is also looking at buying land north of the city limits in anticipation of the city someday annexing that land. The area is outside the Interim Urban Growth Boundary.

, DataTimes