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Analysis shows Liberty Lake could need about 138 acres of new parkland by 2042 under current standard
Summary
Consultant analysis presented to the commission shows that, under the existing standard of 30 acres per 1,000 residents, Liberty Lake would need roughly 138 additional acres by 2042 to maintain the level of service; implementing currently planned CIP projects would reduce the shortfall to about 92 acres.
Jen Camp, a city parks staff member, presented a level-of-service analysis from the master plan work. Using the city's current standard of 30 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents, the analysis projects that with an additional 21,000 people by 2042 Liberty Lake would need an extra 138 acres of city-owned parkland to maintain that standard.
Camp said that including only city-owned properties in the calculation shows a larger shortfall; the analysis also includes alternative calculations that add HOA pocket parks, county parks and regional parks, but those do not fully close the gap. Camp told commissioners that if the city implements all projects currently listed in the capital improvement program by 2042, Liberty Lake would still need about 92 additional acres of parkland.
Commissioners discussed whether to keep the 30-acre-per-1,000 standard; staff noted each city can set its own level of service. Staff also said that while HOA pocket parks provide some acreage, their small size means they do not materially close the projected deficit.
Ending: Staff said parkland acquisition and expansion should be considered when prioritizing capital projects in Phase 2 of the parks master plan and during the next budgeting cycle.
