City unveils Balfour design

Community members came to Balfour Park on Thursday to see the final plan for the park expansion they helped design.

Judging by the comments at the final community meeting, the efforts at Balfour Park have been a success.

“You guys included a lot of what everybody thought,” resident Meg Kreiner told a representative of the Spokane County Library District. “This is great.”

Valley officials had previously held community meetings to seek input on features and designs for the park, a process similar to the one used when Greenacres Park was designed. Greenacres was completed 2011.

The city of Spokane Valley purchased the 8-acre site at Sprague Avenue and Herald Road to expand Balfour Park last year. It is partnering with the Spokane County Library District to put a new library on the site that would replace the aging Spokane Valley branch just a few blocks away on Main Avenue.

On Thursday people had the opportunity to walk the site, where pink tape tied to wooden stakes outlined the footprint of the new library. Balloons and small tents marked the location of features such as the stage, picnic shelter, public art and splash pad. “We thought we’d try a novel approach and let people walk the site,” said Parks and Recreation Department Director Mike Stone.

Stone said a final design and a cost estimate for the park expansion will be presented to the City Council by the end of October.

Kreiner said she has wanted Balfour Park expanded for the last 20 years. “All these walking trails will be great,” she said. “This is going to be so nice when it’s done. I can hardly wait.”

Carol Taylor has lived nearby on Herald Road for the past 16 years and is also pleased to see a park come to the vacant property. “I think it’s a wonderful addition,” she said. “I’ve wanted something to be done on this land for a long time.”

A frequent library user, she also looks forward to walking down the street to check out books. “I think it’s wonderful,” she said.