Board previews Fort Wayne/former golf-course planning and reopens dog-park discussion
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Summary
Staff said kickoff for the golf-course planning is expected in January, with a long engagement and education process; the board also discussed community demand for dog parks and environmental, ownership and neighborhood constraints.
Parks staff told the board they expect to begin engagement on the golf-course site with a consultant in January, focusing first on logistics, historical context, educational material and mapping to clarify passive and active uses across the property.
Staff said the site comprises roughly 89 acres, with about 85 acres described as passive use and approximately 4 acres identified for more active uses; board members were told staff will provide maps that delineate the front nine and back nine and identify defined areas for discussion.
The meeting included an extended discussion of dog-park demand and constraints. Board members and staff described persistent community interest in dog parks but noted multiple obstacles: neighbor opposition adjacent to small neighborhood parks, environmental constraints such as critical areas and aquifers, land ownership limits, maintenance needs, parking and accessibility, and permitting challenges for waterfront or sensitive sites.
Staff said one candidate site (near William Penn in the transcript) is actually owned by the water utility and contains an emergency water source and aquifer, which complicates siting and would likely preclude development without substantial study and coordination with the utility. Staff cited Marymoor Park (regional example) as a site developed under older permitting rules that likely would not be allowed under current environmental regulations.
Staff also raised the possibility of temporary or pop-up dog-park trials, neighborhood outreach to build buy-in and inclusion of dog-park acquisition as a consideration in the PROS plan and any future land-acquisition agendas. Consultants working on the PROS plan will analyze acquisition opportunities, especially in the northern (Snohomish County) portion of the city where park deficiency is greater.
Ending
Staff said they will return to the board with maps, a timeline for consultant-led engagement on the golf-course site in January and additional analysis of siting constraints for dog parks.