Newcastle volunteers and staff push for Lake Boren promenade, boardwalk repairs and a public trail map

Gary Kampen, a Newcastle resident and representative of Newcastle Trails, told the Community Activities Commission on Feb. 12 that completing an East Shore promenade at Lake Boren should be the city’s top parks priority and urged the commission to press the City Council to seek grants and complete the waterfront work.

Kampen said the promenade would finish the Lake Boren Trail along the lakefront and would include benches, small pavilions, landscaping to reduce traffic noise, and interpretive kiosks. He estimated the promenade could be done as a relatively small project — “a $50,000 type of thing” — and argued the city should pursue state and county grants, including the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) funding programs, rather than waiting years for larger projects.

The proposal resonated with staff updates delivered by Brendan, the city’s parks and trails planner, who outlined current and near-term projects: a design kickoff for the Hazelwood Boardwalk with consultant KPFF and a plan to begin construction this summer when water levels allow; relocation of the Terrace Trailhead after a geotechnical report found the existing access hazardous; tennis court resurfacing and re‑striping at Lake Boren to create four pickleball courts; and use of grant funding (the Youth and Amateur Sports Grant, referenced in the meeting and later renamed to GASA) for smaller park improvements.

Kampen also asked the commission to adopt standards for trail-map kiosks and suggested a two-tier approach: low-cost, scout-buildable kiosks for neighborhood parks and larger commercial map kiosks for main parks. Several residents and commissioners raised the lack of a consistent, publicly available trail map; Paulina, a new resident and University of Washington graduate student, offered GIS skills to help produce maps, and one commission member said a potential volunteer map maker had been identified.

Commissioners and staff discussed grants and timelines. Kampen noted the city had applied previously for an RCO grant (for an amphitheater project) and had not received it; he recommended pursuing RCO and similar grants for waterfront access and trails. Brendan confirmed the Hazelwood Boardwalk design is underway, with construction targeted for summer, and described other projects in design or outreach phases, including the Newcastle Historical Park site work and a north parking/turnaround design for Lake Boren Park this year.

The discussion also touched on institutional capacity: Kampen recommended restoring an independent parks department or ensuring the parks planner position is continuously funded so the city retains institutional memory. Commissioners said they plan to engage more consistently with staff on master-plan implementation, community surveys to set priorities, and volunteer-supported smaller projects such as kiosks or community gardens.

Commissioners and staff identified next steps: (1) consider a public survey to reprioritize Lake Boren master-plan elements with cost information included; (2) finalize comprehensive-plan map updates so a usable trail map can be produced for kiosks and pamphlets; (3) continue design work on Hazelwood Boardwalk and pursue applicable grants for the promenade; and (4) recruit volunteers for kiosk and mapping work.

A number of speakers contributed ideas and offers of help: Gary Kampen (Newcastle Trails); Brendan (Parks and Trails Planner, City of Newcastle); Amy (City staff, recreation/veterans programming); Paulina (resident, UW graduate student, offered GIS support); Peggy (volunteer/parks advocate).