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Parks & Recreation update: skate-park funding, restroom plans, trails and access projects
Summary
Staff reviewed a wide-ranging parks update including senior programs, Benro Skate Park work funded in part by a $1 million right-of-way vacation payment, restroom design choices, forestlands planning, Whistle Lake dam studies, Maritime Plaza design, Thompson Trail feasibility, and a proposal to seek state grant funding for Heartlake improvements.
Parks and Recreation staff delivered a broad update to the Anacortes City Council on March 24 that covered ongoing programs, capital projects and several facilities planning items downtown and at park and forest sites.
Parks Director Lansford outlined new and continuing senior-center programs, including an aging-mastery program that will be revised after the national provider changed its delivery, and a community needs assessment funded by the Senior Activity Center Foundation that staff expect to present in April. He said the senior resource fair will return Sept. 13 and noted the center hosts Meals on Wheels fundraisers.
Staff reported progress and funding plans for several capital projects. The Benro Skate Park project is moving forward; a $1 million payment received when the city vacated a right of way at Second Street will be used “as the primary use of that fund” for skate-park adjacent restroom and parking work, Lansford said. The city is completing a cultural-resource survey with the Samish Nation as required by the state conversion grant before bidding the restroom and parking contract.
On restrooms, staff compared two approaches for new restroom facilities: CXT modular restroom units like those currently used at the Depot, and Portland Loo-style units. Parks staff recommended CXT-style units for the skate-park location and other sites, saying they believe CXT units provide greater privacy and lower lifecycle cost; council members and some residents raised concerns that Portland Loos can reduce misuse and vandalism in other communities. Council asked staff to document cost deltas and examples of Portland Loos in smaller cities.
Lansford also reviewed several shoreline and trail projects. The Whistle Lake dam — originally installed about 1920 — is under geotechnical review with consultants and Department of Ecology to evaluate options for meeting modern safety standards. The Thompson Trail trestle feasibility study will be presented April 7 with partners from the Samish Nation and the Department of Natural Resources, staff said.
On Maritime Plaza (Depot Plaza) designs, staff showed a stormwater-conscious plaza concept and said available grant funding will not cover pavers; the engineer’s estimate for the current scope is roughly $281,000. The Ship Harbor interpretive preserve and Heartlake access project were discussed; staff said they have an Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account (ALEA) grant application in the 2025 legislative cycle and an estimate for construction of the Heartlake portion between about $1.1 million and $2.2 million, depending on scope and permitting.
Park neighbors and council members discussed ongoing concerns about noise from outdoor pickleball courts at ClearEdge and the city’s approach to expanding courts at 20th and K to relieve pressure on the ClearEdge site. Staff said they had measured decibel levels and will reach out to adjacent houses if the school-court project proceeds; they also noted steps taken at existing courts including planned acoustic curtains and fence repairs.
Other items covered: a West End Park redesign stakeholder process, ongoing Forest Lands ACFL plan work, Grandview Cemetery policy updates that would include an option for green burials, upcoming public events (Easter Egg Dash, Kids Fishing Derby, Bark in the Park), and efforts to identify potential downtown dog-park sites. Staff provided timelines for several items and said some projects depend on state grants, cultural-resource reviews, and additional design phases.
No formal council action was taken on most park planning items at the March 24 meeting; several capital contracts and ordinances later on the agenda were considered separately.
