Parks board backs Alternative F for Ashwood Park, unanimously recommends keeping name

The Bellevue Parks and Community Services Board voted unanimously to recommend Alternative F as the preferred update to the 1990 Ashwood Park master plan and to keep the park’s official name as Ashwood Park, staff said.

Pam Fairman, capital projects manager for the Parks and Community Services Department, told the board the study area covers about 2½–3½ acres in the downtown area and that outreach included five community meetings, mailed invitations to roughly 6,500 nearby addresses and a voluntary online survey. Fairman said final survey responses were reported in the project memo as 171 but earlier presentation remarks rounded that to “over 200,” and she said she would follow up with precise counts.

Fairman summarized two preferred designs for the park. Alternative F is a more formal layout that preserves a large open lawn, includes a roughly quarter-acre off-leash dog area, terrace seating, two picnic shelters and a restroom. Alternative G uses a more curvilinear layout, brings the open lawn up to sidewalk level and includes a larger off-leash area (about a half-acre), integrated art-play elements and a different circulation pattern. Fairman said community feedback favored Alternative F by about 60% to 33% for G.

Board members pressed staff on several practical issues before voting, including parking, safety and enforcement. Cameron, Parks staff, said traffic engineers estimate 14–21 parking spaces will be required to support the park in typical conditions and that staff have held multiple conversations with the King County Library System about possible coordination with the adjacent library garage. On enforcement and off-leash misuse, Fairman said the city contracts with King County animal control and uses rangers and site alerts to educate visitors; staff also plan to pilot additional temporary off-leash spaces this year.

Several board members, including Paul (board member) and Elizabeth (board member), said they favored Alternative F because it preserves open green space and responds to the community’s most common preference. Other members, including Eileen (board member) and Michelle (board member), said they preferred some design elements of Alternative G—noting its aesthetic qualities and potential to better separate play areas from dog areas—but agreed community preference and staff analysis support F.

After deliberation, Paul moved and the motion was seconded to recommend Alternative F, as presented, as the preferred update to the 1990 master plan. The board voted in favor with no recorded opposition. The board also moved and approved recommending that City Council adopt 'Ashwood Park' as the official name, a choice Fairman said was supported by roughly 92% of community respondents.

The board directed staff to summarize the discussion and include member concerns and suggested modifications (for safety and adjacency between play and dog areas) in materials sent to City Council. Fairman said staff expect to bring the plan and name to council for direction and environmental review in April, with possible construction beginning in late 2027 or 2028 if the plan is adopted.

In public comment before the presentation, Alex Zimmerman urged cutting park spending and discussed housing shortages; the speaker used profanity and made personal attacks toward an identified council member. Chair (presiding) said the board does not condone hateful or offensive speech but respects individuals’ First Amendment rights.

The board closed the meeting after a brief new-business calendar discussion and staff previews for March presentations from operations/maintenance and the probation division.