Park bond sets PenMet’s future growth agenda

Funds would develop existing parks, plans for open space

George Le Masurier

of the Gateway

If voters approve the $20 million bond measure for the Peninsula Metropolitan Parks District next month, they would be embracing a long-term plan for recreation facilities on Fox Island and the Gig Harbor peninsulas.

PenMet Parks has been focused on completing the development of Sehmel Homestead Park, the widely popular community project that had stalled for lack of funding, since the district’s formation by public vote in 2004.

Even while fulfilling what was arguably the voters’ impetus for PenMet’s formation, its board of park commissioners was still looking to the future.

Before the construction of Sehmel Homestead Park got underway, the board had already begun to consider the next big step in carrying out its mandate for managing parks and recreation facilities beyond what Pierce County had previously made available.

In 2006, PenMet conducted what it called a “Four Corners Survey” that asked residents to identify priorities and deficiencies in the district.

From that, the board developed a comprehensive park and open space plan and, this March, it held focus groups and an online survey to determine how the community valued such public services and the public’s willingness to pay for them.

Those steps helped the PenMet board gauge the public’s appetite for future parks development.

The current parks bond proposal, which voters will decide on Nov. 4, embodies that vision.

“The bond will enable us to put significantly more resources on the ground sooner,” said Marc Connelly, PenMet’s executive director.

Connelly said the $20 million price tag strikes an appropriate balance between development of existing properties and the acquisition of new parks in the future. About two-thirds of the bond is slated for developmental use.

PenMet has struggled with developing existing properties for the past four years. When voters created the park district, it assumed the assets of the former Peninsula Parks and Recreation District and some Pierce County properties. Many of those had never been developed or would visibly benefit from more local maintenance.

“The board assumed that the formation of PenMet meant residents wanted to develop existing assets so people didn’t have to cross the bridge for recreation,” Connelly said.

A good example of PenMet’s early work is Rosedale Park, an existing property acquired from the former PPRD that consisted of a single ball field that couldn’t be used in inclement weather.

PenMet has developed the Rosedale property into a facility for families and children, not just ball players. It added a playground, picnic shelters and upgraded the field for all-weather use.

The park bond would make it possible for PenMet to similarly improve other existing parks, such as Harbor Family Park. That space is designated for new children’s play equipment, picnic benches and a shelter, restrooms, trails, two softball fields, two soccer or football fields and an open lawn for informal activities.

Other bond projects include renovation of Hales Pass neighborhood park, extension of the Cushman Trail, a “sprayground” or “spray park” and an off-leash dog park.

On the acquisition side, the bond would almost double the amount of available open space in the Gig Harbor and Fox Island areas.

PenMent currently controls 274 acres of park land, and it helps manage another 150 acres of Pierce County-owned open space.

The bond measure would add 236 acres.

Most of that new acreage would come from PenMet’s participation in the purchase of the 567-acre Tacoma Narrows Airport and Madrona Links Golf Course.

But PenMet has also designated about $2 million of the bond measure to a new Land Acquisition Opportunity Fund.

“PenMet always deals with willing sellers, and sometimes those negotiations take years,” Connelly said. “This new opportunity fund will enable us to act quickly when opportunities arise unexpectedly.”

Outside of the airport and golf course purchase, Connelly said the district would use bond funds to purchase the “batch plant” property at the foot of the Narrows Bridge, where the bridge builders made concrete, while providing more public water access and creating more park land in the north end of the district.

“PenMet is trying to reduce the reasons why local residents would need to cross the bridge by providing complete recreational opportunities here,” Connelly said. “Everything you need to live, work and play should be right here.”

Reach Publisher George Le Masurier at 253-853-9248 or by e-mail at publisher@gateline.com.