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Commission seeks more data on East Ravine master plan after staff flags multimillion-dollar funding gap
Summary
Staff described the East Ravine Park and Trail Master Plan and a likely funding shortfall; commissioners asked for updated natural-resource inventory, development-type details and any potential school-site information. Mayor Byron Bailey said current master plan envisions mostly single-family homes near the proposed community park.
Zach (staff) presented the East Ravine Park and Trail Master Plan and told the commission that recent planning and council strategy sessions flagged a large funding gap if the commission and council pursue the plan as currently drafted. Staff said projected acquisition and build-out costs for multiple neighborhood parks, trailway connections and a larger community park add up to “millions of dollars” and that traditional park dedication payments no longer cover the full cost of land purchase and construction.
Commissioners discussed options including scaling neighborhood parks down to mini parks, prioritizing a single community park over smaller sites or pursuing grant and acquisition strategies. Commissioner Brown and others asked how different development types (single-family, townhomes, apartments or retirement communities) would change park needs, and whether schools could provide shared outdoor space. Commissioner Olsen and another commissioner emphasized the need to update the natural resource inventory for the area and to study the lake and ravine features before finalizing park locations and amenities.
Mayor Byron Bailey said the master plan for the area has long envisioned primarily single-family housing near the proposed community park but that some parcels can change during developer build-out: “That entire area, including where they plan to put all the parks was master planned quite a few years ago. And so the majority of the area, at least the way it sits right now, the majority of the area that would be near the (big park) appears to be single family,” the mayor told commissioners.
Zach offered to return with three items for the commission’s March meeting: (1) current zoning/planned development types and communications from community development, (2) the 1997 natural resources inventory and a proposal and cost estimate to update it for the East Ravine area, and (3) information about whether a school site is contemplated for the area. A commissioner moved that staff bring back those three items; the motion was seconded and the commission voted in favor.
The commission did not change the plan at this meeting. Staff said a decision to scale parks or prioritize features would require further study and direction from council and commissioners.
