Newcastle Trails urges adding Sylvan Park and rerouting Cougar Trail in comprehensive plan

At the New Castle Community Activities Commission meeting on May 14, Newcastle Trails representative Gary Campin asked the commission to recommend two amendments to the city’s comprehensive plan: add a proposed resource park called Sylvan Park and change the proposed Cougar Access Trail’s route and name so it connects to the Terrace and Wheel Wall trails while avoiding a planned subdivision.

The request matters because, Campin said, the proposed park would “provide a lovely new park to the Hazelwood area” and help close a park‑access gap on the city’s west side while connecting trails from Lake Washington to Cougar Mountain Park.

Staff member Brendan Hutchins gave a procedural briefing to the commission explaining the comprehensive plan’s legal basis and amendment timeline. He said most jurisdictions must plan under the Growth Management Act (transcript: “RCW 36.7 a”) and noted the comp plan has a 20‑year horizon, is updated every 10 years and accepts annual amendments. Hutchins described the plan’s new 10‑minute walk‑shed map, saying the model assumes “an average person is expected to walk about 10 minutes or about a half mile on level ground” and that the shaded map areas identify neighborhoods that lack a park or safe walking access.

Commissioners pressed for specifics staff should research before making a recommendation. Questions included whether adding Sylvan Park would materially change the walk‑shed coverage, whether a named project is required to pursue state or regional grants, who owns the land parcels and whether putting a dotted park or trail line in the comp plan creates any financial obligation for the city. Campin told the commission the city owns part of the valley and that trail easements from an HOA or developer would be used to complete the connection; he said putting a proposed park and trail into the comp plan gives the city leverage with developers and funders. Hutchins said he would check with the community development director and the consultant who produced the walk‑shed to answer technical questions and would return with staff analysis in June.

Public comment included a long statement from resident Carol Simpson emphasizing equity and access. “I can’t walk to a park or a trail in Newcastle from where I live,” Simpson said, and urged the commission to consider how the walk‑shed and the comp plan treat resource parks, pocket parks, school fields and storm‑water vaults as neighborhood recreational assets.

The commission agreed informally on record to support rerouting and renaming the Cougar Access Trail to the “Cougar Trail” (no formal ordinance change; the commission recorded a vote of no opposition). Commissioners did not adopt a final recommendation about Sylvan Park during the meeting; instead they directed staff to report back in June with answers on walk‑shed impact, grant eligibility for a named project, parcel ownership and likely maintenance costs before deciding whether to recommend a comp‑plan amendment to city council. Hutchins reiterated the deadline for amendment applications: items must be submitted by July 15 to be considered in this year’s docket.

Background: staff noted the comp plan’s parks and recreation element is intended to be high level but includes maps and a parks inventory. The commission discussed tradeoffs between adding a single named park that could unlock grants and keeping the plan at a higher, goal‑oriented level to preserve flexibility. Campin and multiple commissioners said adding the park to the map is a low‑cost administrative change that would create future leverage with developers and grantors, while others asked for clearer estimates of maintenance and capital costs before moving forward.

Next steps: staff will collect the outstanding technical information and return to the commission at the June meeting so the commission can decide whether to recommend one or more comp‑plan amendments to city council by the July 15 submission deadline.