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Bothell board: PROS plan engagement draws hundreds; skate park design tied to $2 million in private fundraising
Summary
Parks staff told the October 6 board that the city’s PROS plan engagement has reached roughly 516 survey respondents so far and that the skate-park element is integrated into a 30% schematic design; private fundraising of about $2,000,000 toward the skate park was reported, and staff is planning a December open house to show preferred concepts.
Bothell Parks and Recreation staff told the board at its Oct. 6 meeting that the citywide PROS (parks, recreation and open-space) plan is in an active engagement phase and on track to deliver consultant analysis early next year. The public-survey portion had recorded about 516 responses as of Monday, Oct. 6, and staff said the survey closes Oct. 13; the consultant will combine survey results with stakeholder focus groups and dot-exercise feedback before producing recommendations.
Why it matters: The PROS plan will guide capital priorities and programming across Bothell’s park system. Staff said the engagement phase is intended to surface community needs that will inform decisions such as where to invest, whether to acquire land and how to prioritize projects such as inclusive playgrounds and new amenities.
Staff said the PROS-plan outreach included tabling at senior centers, community events and university sites, QR-code signage in parks and a project page promoted through partner newsletters. “We went through Snohomish and King County to try to get a varied pool of audiences,” a parks presenter said during the meeting, adding that the consultant will analyze how respondents heard about outreach and which channels were most effective.
The board also discussed the design for Park Above the Landing, currently at roughly 30% schematic design. Staff said the consultant intends to host an open house in December to present a preferred conceptual design, including a proposed skate park, and that the consultant is exploring a phased approach if private construction funding is secured sooner than other project funds.
Board members and staff reported that a private organization is already raising money specifically for the skate-park construction and that approximately $2,000,000 has been raised to date. A board member said the existence of committed private funding could bolster a future capital-bond proposition by showing that a substantial, popular element has partial funding.
Staff cautioned that revenue-generating uses in the park (for example, rental of a new public facility and kayak fees) will not offset construction costs fully but could help cover some programmatic expenses. Staff said program and maintenance costs must also be considered when evaluating revenue ideas.
What’s next: The city expects consultant analysis in January–March and will return survey findings and engagement summaries to the board once the consultant processes and reports on the results. Staff asked board members to be available for the planned December open house so the community can see the 30%-level concept and provide input.
Provenance: Topic introduced SEG 229; topic last discussed SEG 776.
