Kenmore planners launch 2026 PROS plan update; residents object to new park fees

Kenmore Planning Commission members on Tuesday, June 10, received an introduction to the city's 2026 update to the parks, recreation and open-space plan (PROS) and reviewed early findings from stakeholder workshops and a public survey. At the start of public comment, Stacy Valenzuela urged the commission to drop proposed new park charges and press city leaders to collect unpaid rent and loan obligations from local clubs.

The presentation, led by Todd Hall, principal planner for Kenmore's Community Development Department, and Tom Beckwith of Beckwith Consulting Group, summarized outreach so far and a multi-month schedule of commission meetings, council briefings and public open houses through late 2025 and early 2026. Hall said the city deferred the parks element during last year's comprehensive-plan update while statewide PROS requirements were being revised and hired Beckwith's firm to run the update.

Why it matters: the PROS plan guides which park facilities the city will prioritize, how it manages limited waterfront and school-district assets, and how the city proposes funding maintenance and new facilities. Commissioners pressed staff on survey outreach, the cost and feasibility of pools and athletic fields, and funding options including levies, bonds and lease-purchase arrangements.

Tom Beckwith told the commission the consultant team conducted multi-hour workshops with neighboring cities, school-district staff, user groups and state agencies, and compiled survey responses posted on the project website. He said neighboring jurisdictions are seeing pressure on waterfront parks, a strong demand for pickleball courts and athletic fields, and that many agencies are converting fields to synthetic turf to increase usable hours. "You can retire the construction cost, but it's the maintenance cost that's difficult," Beckwith said when commissioners asked about public pools and other high-cost facilities.

Beckwith described cross-jurisdictional issues: North Shore School District told consultants that district-owned fields are prioritized for district programs and are scheduled directly with user groups; some districts are converting fields to synthetic turf and charging hourly rates of roughly $150 for field use, he said. He also summarized conversations with State Parks about Saint Edward State Park, noting the lodge is on a separate lease and that parking limits complicate any major new waterfront capital work.

During public comment, Stacy Valenzuela criticized recent council and staff moves to charge residents for park uses and called for stricter collection of outstanding loans from nonprofit clubs. "All the clubs should be paying rent to the city. They should be paying their own utilities. They should be paying their own maintenance rather than increasing the taxes or another levy and having our residents priced out of their homes," Valenzuela said.

Commissioners asked detailed follow-up questions. Items of note included: - Pools and aquatics: Beckwith said two regional studies found most proposed public pools showed operating shortfalls; feasibility usually depends on regional population and on minimizing operating staffing and energy costs. He said a typical minimum population draw for a single public pool feasibility study is in the 60,000'75,000 range, and recommended regional partnerships for any large aquatic facility. - Athletic fields: neighboring jurisdictions and user groups reported shortages of fields, heavy demand for pickleball and pressure on waterfront and regional parks; synthetic turf was cited as a way to expand capacity but with trade-offs for injury risk and maintenance cost. - School-district access: North Shore School District representatives told consultants the district schedules its facilities directly with user groups and advised working with leagues; the district said it is not looking to expand field capacity on district property and favors resident use priorities. - Arts and culture space: local groups reported a lack of permanent rehearsal and performance space and storage; consultants proposed prototype facility requirements to explore adaptions of existing properties. - Parking and urban design: commissioners explored concepts for multiuse parking structures and lids that could host recreation amenities, and the consultants said such approaches are feasible if planned as public-access facilities. - Outreach and equity: commissioners pressed the consultants to broaden survey reach to renters, non-English speakers and younger households. City staff noted the project website includes an accessibility/translation widget.

Tom Beckwith and Todd Hall previewed the schedule: the consultant team will return to the commission on July 1 and host a public open house on July 22 in Kenmore; council briefings are tentatively scheduled in October'December as the project moves toward review and adoption. Hall said the city is targeting completion of required PROS-plan updates tied to state requirements in early 2026.

Votes at a glance: the commission approved the meeting consent agenda by unanimous consent at the start of the meeting; individual consent-items were not read aloud and were not detailed on the transcript.

What commissioners directed: staff and the consultant team will continue the workshop and survey work, present a follow-up package at the July 1 meeting, and hold the July 22 open house. Commissioners asked staff to widen outreach to renters and underrepresented groups and to provide more quantitative benchmarks for feasibility and funding scenarios in future drafts.

The commission adjourned at 9:18 p.m.; the PROS-plan process will continue with the July 1 meeting and the July 22 public open house.

Sources: Kenmore Planning Commission meeting transcript, June 10, 2025; presentation by Todd Hall, principal planner, and Tom Beckwith, Beckwith Consulting Group.