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Parks board and council hold joint session; PROS plan, Cedar Grove playground and Wayne master planning top priorities
Summary
The Bothell Parks and Recreation Board and City Council met jointly on March 4 to review the board’s work and discuss the PROS plan update, the Cedar Grove Inclusive Playground, the Park at Bothell Landing, and master planning for the former Wayne Golf Course.
The Bothell Parks and Recreation Board and City Council met jointly on March 4 for a study session to review the board’s work over the past two years and to discuss priorities for park projects, the city’s PROS (parks, recreation and open space) plan update and community engagement.
Blaine Land, the city’s recreation and community events coordinator and staff liaison to the Parks Board, outlined the board’s accomplishments since it formed in April 2023, including outreach for the Cedar Grove Inclusive Playground and conceptual design and stakeholder engagement on Park at Bothell Landing. The board’s chair, Whitney Negebauer, described the board as “extremely engaged” and said the body seeks to strengthen two‑way communication with council.
Board members highlighted current and upcoming capital projects: the Cedar Grove Inclusive Playground, Park at Bothell Landing Phase 1 conceptual design, the First Lieutenant Nicholas Madrazo Memorial Park, and master planning for the former Wayne Golf Course. Board members and council discussed the council’s 2040 vision and how a potential voter‑approved parks levy might be sequenced with the PROS plan update so the city can show voters what new investments would fund.
Council members and board members agreed the PROS plan update should inform any levy proposal and that community engagement and specific design work must precede asking voters for new revenue. City staff said the PROS plan work and associated project design are already in progress and will provide the basis to show voters specific amenities and costs.
Board members asked for clearer feedback loops after they submit recommendations; Councilmember Maggie Catlin asked staff to make it easier for board recommendations to appear in the council agenda packet so council can see how the board’s input is being used. Board members also urged more direct community outreach — tabling at parks and events and targeted engagement with schools, Cascadia College and UW Bothell — to reach residents who do not respond to online surveys.
Several speakers emphasized equity and age‑inclusive design. Board member Maggie Catlin, a physical therapist, described parks as important to health across age groups and asked the council to design parks that serve all ages and abilities. Board members also discussed wayfinding, senior‑focused fitness equipment, volunteerism, sponsorships, and options for donor partnerships to support projects.
Council and staff described next steps: continue the PROS plan update, coordinate capital facilities planning, involve the parks board in CFP (capital facilities plan) and budget conversations, and return with options on clarifying how board recommendations are transmitted to council and reflected in staff agenda items.
No formal council action was taken; the meeting was a joint study and discussion session.
