Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks And Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tumwater lays out update to parks and open-space plan to restore grant eligibility
Summary
The Planning Commission heard a presentation from Parks and Recreation Director Danny on the 2026 Parks, Recreation and Open Space plan update, which the city says is needed to regain state compliance and access to grant funding; the presentation covered completed projects, staffing needs, impact fees and aquatics partnerships.
Tumwater's Planning Commission on Feb. 10 heard a presentation on updating the city's Parks, Recreation and Open Space plan, a move staff said is needed to restore eligibility for state grants that fund park acquisition and construction.
Parks and Recreation Director Danny told commissioners the current plan is out of date and "we're out of compliance with the state to be able to apply for grants to buy land and build parks," making the update a priority to unlock grant opportunities. He said the city is issuing a request for qualifications to hire consultants to lead the process.
The presentation outlined accomplishments since the previous plan, including completion of Kindred Park, a master plan for the former Trails End site, an updated Southwest Neighborhood Park master plan and a roughly 50% expansion of the Tumwater Hill trail system. Danny also described new community events, an expanded volunteer program and a new arts program.
Staff emphasized that the update will inventory existing parks and programs, set goals and objectives, and include community engagement through surveys and outreach. The city will review the park impact fee (last examined in 2008), with staff recommending consideration of raising the fee and applying an annual inflator to avoid repeated reauthorization. Danny said the park impact fee applies to housing development only, not commercial projects.
On funding, Danny said the recently formed Metropolitan Park District is generating about $1,007,000 a year but noted that the ballot measure placed specific project and dollar allocations on how those funds are spent; he added district funds can be used for maintenance and currently support two maintenance positions. "We put a very specific list on where it was spent," Danny said, referring to the project list tied to the district revenue.
Commissioners asked about staffing models tied to acreage, survey timing and whether an aquatics facility is feasible. Danny said aquatics have consistently ranked high in community surveys and the city is exploring partnerships with neighboring jurisdictions and the YMCA while noting membership-based models pose trade-offs. He offered to return to the commission with survey drafts or results and to coordinate with the parks board.
Next steps outlined by staff include issuing the RFQ for consultants, conducting public engagement and completing interim updates as requested. The Parks presentation concluded with staff offering to return with additional briefings and survey materials.
The commission did not take formal action on the plan at the meeting; staff will bring draft language and outreach materials back to the commission as the process advances.
