Richland Parks and Recreation Commission recommends $4,600 in park partnership grants for bike-park design and creek restoration

The Richland Parks and Recreation Commission on March 19 recommended that City Council approve $4,600 in Park Partnership Program funding: a $3,000 design grant to the Columbia Basin chapter of Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance and a $1,600 restoration grant to Tapteel Greenway.

The grants were part of the commission’s review of four applications under the reimbursable Park Partnership Program, which offers up to one-third of project costs with a maximum award of $8,000 and a total of $40,000 available in 2026. Victor Waite, director of parks and public facilities, told commissioners that eligibility requires work on city-owned property and projects that are “open for general public benefit,” and that one application — an $8,000 request from the Tri-Cities radio-controlled modelers — was not recommended because it involved a leased, gated facility lacking general public access. Waite said staff would still help that group identify alternative support, including staff-assisted installation if the group pays materials.

"The first primary requirement is that the projects are done on city-owned property," Waite said, adding that projects…