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Lakewood unveils update to parks 'legacy plan,' seeks community input for 2026 adoption
Summary
City parks staff presented a scope and timeline for updating Lakewood's Parks, Recreation and Open Space Legacy Plan, described outreach methods and listed completed and planned projects that the update will document to support grant applications and future work.
Mary Doddsworth, Parks and Recreation Director for the city of Lakewood, and David de la Cruz, parks capital project manager, told the commission that the city is updating its Legacy Plan and launching public engagement ahead of a planned adoption in spring 2026.
The update will serve as a combined strategic plan and parks, recreation and open-space inventory intended to guide capital projects, programming and grant applications, staff said.
“This plan really helps create that road map that kind of understanding of how folks access parks,” Doddsworth said. David de la Cruz said the update will be used to “think through how services and parks and recreation is really responding to community needs and community ideas.”
Staff said the plan is typically refreshed about every six years to remain current, to identify gaps in amenities and to improve competitiveness for state grants. The update will include community profiles, an inventory of amenities, a needs assessment with a task force and a level-of-service scoring system that staff said will produce quantitative metrics to guide investment priorities.
De la Cruz described outreach the city will use: pop-up events, presence at the farmers market and Summerfest, an open-house meeting, targeted focus groups and a QR code linking to the Legacy Plan website. He asked the commission to consider appointing a liaison to a Legacy Plan task force to review early draft sections.
Staff listed projects completed since the last legacy plan in 2020, including work at American Lake Park (north parking lot and access), Fort Steilacoom Park (redevelopment of four turf fields and batting cages), Springbrook Park (property purchases, removal of dilapidated structures, a new playground, community garden and transit bridge) and Ward's Lake land acquisition. De la Cruz said one of the Fort Steilacoom fields is used as a home field by Pierce College and all four are open to the public.
Current and upcoming projects described by staff include waterfront and ADA access work, a plaza and restroom at American Lake Park; shoreline and fishing-pier improvements plus new restroom and pickleball courts at Harry Todd Park; designer work on playground equipment across the system; the Camp Murray master plan; and H-barn renovations at Fort Steilacoom Park. De la Cruz said Edgewater Park planning has secured “about 3 plus million dollars in grants” and will require permitting and construction time. Staff also described a pilot to activate street-end public access sites, beginning at Westlake Avenue.
Staff outlined a timeline: community engagement through the summer, a public survey slated for fall after some construction projects are complete, compilation and drafting through winter, task force review over late 2025 and early 2026, and an anticipated plan adoption around May 2026.
Commissioners asked about likely large projects over the next five years (questions included a possible cricket pitch, downtown park development of a 1.5-acre former commercial parcel and continued improvements at Fort Steilacoom and Edgewater). Doddsworth and De la Cruz said big projects depend on grant funding, permitting and available land in a largely built-out city.
The presentation closed with an invitation for commissioners and residents to leave written suggestions on post-it boards provided at the meeting and to scan the QR code for ongoing updates.
