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Kenmore planning commissioners review draft parks, recreation and open-space update; open house, survey and finance review scheduled
Summary
City planners and consultant Tom Beckwith presented population and parks-usage projections tied to a Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) plan update. Commissioners pressed for clearer labeling of data, a public open house July 22 and additional review meetings in August and September before hearings in October.
The Kenmore Planning Commission heard a presentation July 1 on updating the city’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) plan, including population and activity projections, a schedule for public outreach and a proposed financial-review step before recommending a final plan to the City Council.
The presentation by Tom Beckwith and Principal Planner Todd Hall outlined how the city used Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) housing allocations multiplied by a 2.6 persons-per-household factor to estimate population growth through 2050; Beckwith said “this 33,000 more or less is a number that we’re using as our projection period.” Commissioners asked for clearer labeling of data sources, and staff said narrative context and source citations (including the 2022 State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, or SCORP) will be included in the draft plan and a separate memorandum.
Why it matters: the PROS update will guide future parks investments, capital projects and maintenance priorities in Kenmore. Commissioners stressed the need for transparent data and a clear schedule for community input so the commission’s recommendations to council are defensible.
Most important details: Beckwith summarized statewide SCORP survey results (the 2022 SCORP included about 6,000 households) and showed participation and frequency estimates for activities such as trail walking and waterfront recreation; he said frequency numbers quoted in the presentation were statewide and not adjusted for Kenmore specifically. Staff and the consultant told commissioners that the project team will: publish a draft plan for review, run a postcard survey of every household tied to draft project and funding choices, hold a hybrid open house and a separate high‑school survey when school resumes to capture youth input.
Commissioners pressed staff on process, schedule and public outreach: Vice Chair Thompson and others asked that graphs and charts be labeled with year and source in documents posted online; Commissioner Dorian requested questions that clarify what residents mean by “waterfront access” (for example, physical approach, routes from neighborhoods, and accessibility for people with mobility limitations). Commissioners and staff agreed the schedule will include a July 22 open house, a draft-element review on the August 5 meeting, a financial review on Sept. 2, a mailed household survey in mid‑September, and the commission’s hearings beginning Oct. 7 — with contingency meetings added in August and September if more time is needed.
On funding and maintenance, Beckwith described a standard priority sequence the plan will use: administration, operations and maintenance, repair and replacement, then new capital projects. He said the public survey will present funding choices and tradeoffs so residents can indicate priorities and willingness to fund projects.
Public comments and related limits: two public-comment speakers raised related issues. Pat O’Brien urged the commission to preserve existing ball fields and discussed the former Bastyr campus and other properties as possible park or maintenance sites; Stacy Valenzuela pressed for more direct access to the consultant and argued environmental and habitat protections should be prioritized over some recreational uses, saying staff-filtered surveys can miss resident concerns. Staff noted there is an active application concerning the Bastyr property and that the city cannot engage in negotiations about potential purchase while that application is pending; staff also said they sent a letter requesting additional information from Bastyr with a response deadline in mid‑August.
Next steps: staff and the consultant will post a memorandum explaining data sources and dates (including the 2022 SCORP and OFM population allocations), prepare the draft plan for commission review before the household survey, run the July 22 open house to promote the survey, and circulate dates for any additional August/September meetings the commission requests.
