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Parks department urges restoration of $11 million CIP; warns Wheaton project and solar tax credits at risk
Summary
Parks Director Mittie Figueredo told the Planning, Housing and Parks Committee the department’s $11 million CIP request includes funds for Wheaton Regional Park, a solar initiative and routine repairs; she warned cuts would halt the Wheaton Action Sports Park and could forfeit federal solar tax credits.
Parks Director Mittie Figueredo told the Planning, Housing and Parks Committee on March 9 that the department’s capital request seeks restorations the department believes are essential to keep the county’s park system safe and functional. She said the request includes an additional $4,000,000 in general obligation bonds for Wheaton Regional Park, $1,000,000 to add a restroom at the Wheaton Action Sports Park and $2,400,000 in geo bonds for a park solar initiative (about $400,000 per year).
"If we were not to receive a GO bond funding that we asked for during this cycle for Wheaton, we cannot move forward with the Wheaton Action Sports Park, and we put that $5,500,000 in state grants at risk," Figueredo said, noting the department secured $5.5 million in state capital grants tied to the Wheaton project. She also told the committee that losing the first two years of solar funding would mean losing federal tax‑credit leverage that is sunsetting, delaying the department’s goal to double solar production on parkland over five years.
Figueredo also described a $4,800,000 current‑revenue request: $3,000,000 for Pilar lifecycle and maintenance repairs (playgrounds, mold remediation, amphitheater rehabilitation, bridge replacement) and $1,800,000 for natural surface trails and bridge replacements, which she said would address roughly 60 bridges and improve trail connections.
Chair Friesen and several committee members pressed Parks for clarity on which projects could be scaled or delayed if the executive’s recommended reductions stand. Friesen asked Parks to provide an operational‑impact scenario so the committee could see what partial restorations would buy and what would be lost if the cuts were accepted. Figueredo agreed to provide that information to guide council decisions.
The committee did not vote on restorations; members signaled strong support for Wheaton Regional Park in particular. Council President Fani Gonzalez said, "Do not touch Wheaton Regional Park," stressing the park’s regional importance and prior commitments.
Next steps: Parks will return with an operational impact statement showing tiered options for partial restorations, and the committee will consider those scenarios alongside the county’s current‑revenue update expected March 15.
