Sandpoint commission puts City Beach boat launch, parking front and center in grant push

The Sandpoint Parks and Recreation Commission on Jan. 15 discussed submitting two grant applications to fund repairs and upgrades at City Beach and at the city RV park, and signaled staff should offer a larger local match for a state waterways grant while pursuing a paid-parking plan to support ongoing maintenance.

Commission member Jason, who led the discussion, said the Waterways Improvement Fund (WIF) application will put “the boat launch improvements front and center” and described the boat ramp as “really bad,” with “in some places, like, 3, 4 inch cracks where where it's collapsed.” He told commissioners the WIF request on the agenda is for $600,000 and the RV-park application is for about $1,000,000, and said both applications are due Jan. 31 with awards likely announced in May.

Jason said the immediate grant priorities are resurfacing the boat launch apron, improving the parking lot and upgrading lighting and stormwater treatment. He told the…