Kenmore officials and consultants on July 22 kicked off a community update of the city’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) plan, saying the plan must be refreshed about every six years so the city remains eligible for state and federal grants. Todd Hall, Kenmore principal planner, said the plan’s expiration is in February and the update will include a PROS element of the comprehensive plan and an implementation and financing strategy.

The update is led by Tom Beckwith of Beckwith Consulting Group and a project team that includes landscape architects, engineers and a GIS specialist. Beckwith said the consultants were selected through a competitive process and have been engaged since January or February; he told the planning commission he expects the work to be finished by year end. "This evening, is a community meeting regarding the PROS plan that stands for the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space plan. And this is a plan that we need to update approximately every 6 years for, to ensure that we're eligible for grant funding. And our expiration date is, February," Beckwith said.

Community engagement steps announced at the meeting include: an open resident survey (still open), additional public open houses later in the process, a mailed postcard and an online follow-up survey focused on project priorities and financing, and multiple Planning Commission briefings. Todd Hall and Debbie Bennett, the city’s community development director, said draft plan documents will be shared with the Planning Commission in about 6–8 weeks; the commission will make a recommendation to the City Council in the fall with final adoption aimed for the end of the year. Hall added that the impact-fee component of the update will likely roll into the first quarter of 2026.

The update will produce a six-year implementation program and a 20-year vision. Beckwith said the plan will inventory each park, identify improvements and financial strategies, and include a separate chapter on habitat and open space. "When we get to the citywide elements, that's where we'll be taking we're looking at that," Beckwith explained about open space and habitat elements.

No formal actions, votes or binding agreements were taken at the meeting. Staff encouraged continued public participation through the online survey and future open houses, and invited questions to planning staff. Hall and Bennett provided contact information and said uploaded materials and draft documents will be posted on the city's project webpage and are part of the Planning Commission agenda packet.

The meeting closed with organizers reiterating the schedule: continued Planning Commission discussions through the summer, draft plan circulation in the coming weeks, commission recommendation in the fall, council adoption by year end and the impact-fee item finalized in early 2026.