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Liberty Lake commission adopts NRPA-aligned park level-of-service standard
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Summary
The Parks and Arts Commission on Feb. 2 unanimously approved a new level-of-service standard aligned with National Recreation and Park Association guidance, setting acreage and trail access benchmarks the city will use for planning and grant requests.
The City of Liberty Lake Parks and Arts Commission unanimously adopted a revised parks level-of-service standard intended to align the city’s park planning with National Recreation and Park Association best practices.
Jen Dial, the project manager for the parks plan at SCJ Alliance, presented the recommended “alternative B,” which the commission had previously favored at a joint session with the planning commission and which staff updated to reflect recent inventory corrections. Dial told commissioners the revisions removed Ridgeline High School and Selkirk Middle School acreage from the city inventory because the limited-use agreements previously assumed were not in place, and reclassified several small HOA "pocket parks" as neighborhood parks to better reflect who they serve.
Dial outlined the numerical standards the commission adopted: a total parkland target of 10 acres per 1,000 residents; community parks at 2.75 acres per 1,000; neighborhood parks at 1 acre per 1,000; open space and natural areas at 5 acres per 1,000; and a quarter mile of urban trails and pathways per 1,000 residents. Dial said those metrics will make the city more competitive for grants targeted at specific park types and trail projects.
Commissioner Laura Frank moved to approve alternative B; Commissioner David Heimbaugh seconded the motion. The commission voted by voice and Chair Nancy Hill announced the motion passed unanimously.
Why it matters: the adopted standards give Liberty Lake a consistent, tiered framework for measuring park acreage, classifying park types and prioritizing investments. Staff and the commission said the change will help when applying for targeted grants and when setting maintenance and development priorities.
What’s next: Staff will incorporate the adopted standards into the parks inventory and comprehensive-plan materials and will use the metrics to guide grant applications and the city’s capital planning processes.
