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Sandpoint staff seek commission feedback on parks capital plan, development‑impact‑fee update; consultants visit in April
Summary
City parks staff reviewed a proposed five‑year parks capital improvement plan, explained how development impact fees are calculated, discussed grant and local funding sources and asked the Parks and Recreation Commission to prioritize projects before consultants arrive from Boise.
City parks staff asked the Sandpoint Parks and Recreation Commission on March 12 to help prioritize parks projects and attach cost estimates needed for a pending update to the city’s development impact fee schedule.
Jason (parks staff) told the commission the city’s current parks development impact fee is assessed on new development and remains unchanged for about 15 years; “the parks development impact fee for a single‑family residence in Sandpoint right now is around $3,400,” he said. Staff said state law requires impact fees to be tied to a capital improvement plan, and consultants from Boise will meet with city departments in April to review five‑year capital plans and calculate updated fees.
Staff presented a list of parks projects at various stages — construction, design and planning — and described likely funding sources. Projects under construction or already funded include the expanded skate park, a new playground and work at Memorial Field. Planned or proposed work includes resurfacing and improvements at City Beach (including a parking lot dig‑out and stormwater improvements), a design for an RV campground and circulation upgrades, a resurfacing/bid package for tennis courts with an estimated construction bid target of roughly $200,000, a potential asphalt pump track and a proposed bike park with an estimated budget option around $350,000. Staff also noted long‑standing deferred maintenance across the system, aging playground equipment and ADA accessibility issues on pathways.
Staff outlined funding avenues: state and federal grants (including the Land and Water Conservation Fund and an Idaho parks RV grant the city applied for), public‑private partnerships and user fees. Parks capital improvement fund revenue sources, staff said, include user fees, concessions and donations; staff noted Memorial Field generated about $95,000 in user fees last year. Staff also explained legal limits on development impact fee usage: by state law DIF dollars can be used for park expansion tied to growth but cannot generally be used to refurbish an existing facility.
Staff acknowledged limited in‑house capacity to deliver every project and urged commissioners to prioritize which planning and design efforts should be advanced. Maeve and Jason said they would attach cost magnitudes to the list and circulate a short internal ranking survey so commissioners can submit priorities before the consultants’ visit. Staff said two grant decisions affecting the Gateway to City Beach work are expected in May, with funds (if awarded) released in June; staff targeted July for potential construction starts on grant‑funded work.
Commission discussion covered site‑specific concerns (drainage and subbase issues at Traverse Park due to landfill fill; the proximity of playgrounds to ballfields), options for funding operations and maintenance, and the logistics of coordinating park plans with a planned sewer/water treatment plant reconstruction. Several commissioners proposed forming small subcommittees (playgrounds, capital projects, planning) to provide more detailed feedback and to reduce the time burden on full meetings.
The commission did not take any binding votes on prioritization at the March 12 meeting; staff said they would circulate a brief ranking survey and requested prioritized feedback to inform the DIF consultants’ April visit.
