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Shelton staff release PROS plan survey results, schedule May 11 open house
Summary
City staff reported 210 responses to a PROS plan survey, said walking and biking trails, water access and improved park maintenance ranked highest, and scheduled an in-person open house May 11 to gather public feedback before a June draft and later adoption.
Erin, the community and economic development director, told the council the city received 210 responses to an online Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) plan survey and will hold an in-person open house on May 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. to collect additional public input. "We had 210 responses," Erin said, and staff aim to have a draft by June.
The survey showed nearly a 50/50 split between city and county respondents and identified walking and biking trails, nature access/water access, and community parks/open space as the top priorities. Jordan Pebbles, a parks supervisor, said age and gender breakdowns skewed toward adults and that staff want broader representation from youth and other demographic groups going forward.
Council members and staff discussed maintenance and safety as recurring public concerns. Parks staff said they had added a year-round weekend staff position and will bring on seasonal workers to address trash and upkeep. "A majority of [comments] were on safety, cleanliness or homelessness," a staff presenter said.
The presentation also reviewed possible improvements and costs. Staff described pre-fabricated concrete restroom buildings as a durable, lower-maintenance option: the units used for chlorine buildings were roughly $80,000 each, and comparable park restroom units could cost on the order of $200,000, staff said. Funding options in the survey showed strong support for a bond, moderate support for development-impact fees, and less support for property-tax or utility-tax increases.
Staff said programming priorities included environmental and outdoor education, youth and adult enrichment classes, and afterschool programs, and that the city will seek partnerships with Mason Conservation District, the YMCA and local volunteer groups for program delivery.
The council and staff agreed the plan should emphasize improving existing parks rather than building many new ones, and staff said they will complete SEPA review over the summer, pursue RCO grant funding, and return to the council later this year with a draft for final adoption.
