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City releases implementation plan for East Redmond Corridor; staff to target early-action projects for 2026 work plan
Summary
An implementation plan lays out phased work, permit needs and cost estimates to complete the long-planned East Redmond Corridor (Spine Trail) connecting eight parks; staff will pursue early-action items and coordinate with King County for segments outside city limits.
City staff presented the final implementation plan for the East Redmond Corridor, a roughly 3.5-mile Spine Trail intended to connect eight parks on Redmond’s east side, and said they will prioritize early-action items and seek to add projects to the 2026 work plan.
"Parts of the East Redmond Corridor have been built out, but gaps do still exist," senior parks planner Cameron Zapata said, listing Southeast Redmond, Arthur Johnson, Martin, Perrigo, Conrad Olsen, Farrell McWhirter, Hanscom Property and Jewel parks as part of the network. Zapata said the corridor crosses both City of Redmond boundaries and unincorporated King County land, and that several proposed trail locations are encumbered by critical areas — wetlands, streams and steep slopes — which increases permitting complexity and mitigation needs.
The implementation plan, prepared with consultant HBB, divides work into three buckets: early action (lower-cost items that may require minimal permitting or volunteer labor), capital improvement projects (larger projects needing significant design and permitting) and planning projects (that require land acquisition or further master planning). Zapata said staff and the Parks, Trails and Recreation Commission provided input and the plan will help staff advocate for projects on the city’s CIP list.
Council members welcomed the timeline elements in the plan. Council vice president Foresight said timelines are "really, really helpful" after repeated delays, noting that the plan’s dates let staff provide clearer information to the public. Council member Fields and staff discussed volunteer roles: Fields said volunteers have expressed readiness to begin work and asked whether the city has capacity to leverage that interest; staff said early-action items such as benches, picnic tables or signage are candidates for volunteer involvement and that a newly hired volunteer coordinator increases internal capacity.
Council president Kritzer asked about two specific connections — Conrad Olsen to Nobberley Hill Road and Arthur Johnson along the Spine Trail — and staff said those segments are among the more complex and are pushed into longer-term planning, with some connections expected in the 11–20 year horizon. Staff compared the timeline to the Redmond Central Connector, which spanned about 15 years.
Council member Stewart urged the council to study alternative funding strategies (municipal park district, parks foundation or philanthropic partnerships) to help deliver the long-term plan, a suggestion other council members echoed. Staff said early-action/high-priority projects will be evaluated for inclusion in the 2026 work plan.
Next steps: staff will identify which early-action projects can be advanced in 2026, continue coordination with King County on cross-jurisdictional segments, and return with additional details to support CIP advocacy and community outreach.
