North Greenacres Neighborhood

Draft Park Plan April 23, 2006

North Greenacres Neighborhood Draft Park Plan

North Greenacres Neighborhood Parks and Recreation Discussion Draft
February 7, 2006
Official Public Comment
Neighborhood Meeting May 3, 2006
Introduction and Purpose:
The Parks and Recreation Chapter of the North Greenacres Neighborhood Plan, provides another layer of focused comment within the Spokane Valley Comprehensive Plan and serve three related purposes. First, this chapter provides information related to the type and level of service for parks and recreational services desired by the residents of North Greenacres Neighborhood (NGN). This chapter provides information and direction to elected officials on the Neighborhood’s park issues and identifies current and future park and recreation needs.

The second purpose of this chapter is to identify and protect a system of open space and trail corridors for NGN and identify critical linkages of these systems throughout our neighborhood. We value inter-connected, open space corridors for the wildlife habitat, trails, recreation and connection of critical areas they can provide. We recognize that acquiring public open space corridors can be helpful as greenbelt buffers between developments or land uses.

Greenbelts and park development become more likely as they are augmented with site development policies such as impact fees. These fees aid in the purchase and upkeep of public lands and right-of-way (CSVCP, Chap. 4.2.10, CFP-10.2). Other options include incentives for developers to provide public right-of-way in harmony with the Neighborhood’s Parks and Recreation map as part of their projects. Parks and open space are one of the first factors used by small business in deciding where to locate their business. Parks play a vital role in economic development. The role parks play in creating revenue for cities more than offsets the investment in parkland.

Our third purpose for writing this chapter is to develop guidelines for identification and protection of important trees and groves of trees in the Neighborhood. Trees act as pollutant filters and can help prevent asthma in children, removes particulates, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide daily, making for a healthier environment. The natural features of Spokane Valley create an air inversion. Trees help to mitigate air pollution and reduce pollution control costs.
We recognize that preserving, protecting, and enhancing our tree population is a vital element in protecting the overall character of NGN.

North Greenacres Neighborhood recognizes that parks bring vitality and are essential for building a healthy community. Parks stand as the standard bearer of equity to all races and economic classes. Preserving our greenspaces statistically reduces crime, as well as parks and recreation programs.

In time, North Greenacres is committed to participating in a Park Board authorized by our City Council to help in connecting policy with reality, to provide the grassroots energy to be more than a facilitator but an active stakeholder in helping our entire community expand our Parks system.
A Parks Board would encompass and look out comprehensively community wide for the best interest of all the single interest groups, ie. Horses, trees, dog parks, etc.

Ultimately, the North Greenacres Neighborhood will be under City of Spokane Valley’s jurisdiction. Our City is responsible for planning facilities and services within the Neighborhood and our residents have expressed a strong desire to ensure their City identifies and acquires any additional lands which would satisfy the North Greenacres Neighborhood’s long-range parks and recreation needs as set forth in this document.


Major Issues:
The current and planned densification of the North Greenacres Neighborhood highlights the current need for a proper “Neighborhood Park” that is:

“…the recreational and social focus of the neighborhood [with] both active and passive recreation activities geared specifically for those living within the service area. Accommodating a wide variety of age and user groups, including children, adults, elderly, and special needs populations is important. [Our Neighborhood Park should create] a sense of place by bringing together the unique character of the site with that of the neighborhood” (CSVCP, 9.2.2 Neighborhood Parks).

According to the City of Spokane Valley Draft Comprehensive Plan (CSVCP), “A neighborhood park should be centrally located within its service area, which encompasses a ¼ to ½ mile radius uninterrupted by major streets or other physical barriers.” By this standard alone, the North Greenacres Neighborhood is currently underserved by park facilities.

The nearest park to the North Greenacres Neighborhood is Sullivan Park on Sullivan Road. The City of Spokane Valley has designated this 16.1 acre park as a “Special Use Park Facility” which denotes that it is “typically oriented toward a single-purpose use”. Along with its “Special Use” status, both the Spokane River and Sullivan Road pose significant physical barriers to park access by the Neighborhood.

Current zoning designations along with the platting of smaller, non-traditional lot sizes for the NGN ensure a significant increase in population density. The current parks and recreation need is compounded by the needs associated with a major increase in the quickly-growing NGN population.

When all types of park land are considered, the CSVCP shows the current Levels of Service (LOS) to be 1.9 acres/1,000 people. Future park land demand is then calculated by finding the difference in projected population as it relates to the current LOS and comparing that number to our City’s existing park land.

The North Greenacres Neighborhood supports a parks LOS that more closely resembles those proposed in Recreation, Park and Open Space Standards and Guidelines, by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA, 1990). The NRPA recommends that a city’s core system of park lands should be between 6.5 and 10 acres/1,000 people. By these standards, our City’s conservative shortfall of park land is currently 389 acres, with a future shortage of 523 acres in the next ten years (CSVCP, 9.3 Parks Future Needs Assessment).


Goals & Policies:
The Neighborhood Parks & Recreation section provides an opportunity to the North Greenacres Neighborhood to coordinate with the overall City of Spokane Valley as they coordinate with other providers of formal and informal recreational opportunities including state, county and adjacent cities. The goals and policies set forth in this section are intended to maintain consistency with the City Comprehensive Plan.


Goal
PRG-1 Coordinate with the City of Spokane Valley to provide involvement in the creation of community and neighborhood parks as well as open space program that focuses on facilities and services that benefit the North Greenacres Neighborhood and provide broad-based opportunities for neighborhood. Keeping the Green in Greenacres will be the rallying theme to promote support and community spirit.

Policies
PRP-1.1 Encourage the City to make it policy to impose and collect impact fees for the partial funding of public facilities such as parks and open space needed to accommodate new growth.
PRP-1.2 Encourage and work with Central Valley School District to allow for shared access of facilities for recreational and other Neighborhood purposes.
PRP-1.3 The North Greenacres Parks & Recreation Planning Committee will advise the City regarding North Greenacres Neighborhood-based, project-specific task forces (see CSVCP, PRP 1.3). (i.e. CV school/park on Mission Rd and Long).
PRP-1.4 Coordinate with the City in application for matching grants from the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation and other granting agencies.

PRP-1.5 Coordinate with the City to deliver park, recreation and open space services within the NGN.
PRP-1.6 Coordinate with the City to develop funding through bonds and special levies. (i.e. Placement of Park levy times to be on the ballot with another special election such as CVSD school bond).
PRP-1.7 Aid in the establishment of programs, features, and events to help sustain and improve the Neighborhood’s future parks, i.e., Pig-out In the Park, Art on the Green, symphony engagements, ect…
PRP-1.8 Coordinate with the city to provide NGN recreation opportunities through community school programs, special events, festivals, community celebrations, education, environmental, and recreation activities.
PRP-1.9 Setting comprehensive priorities in order to ensure we are prepared and in line for consideration when grants become available.

Strategies

PRS – 1.2 Resolution by City Council to create school/Park with CVSD.
PRS-1.3 Research configuration of proposed school site for future building of park project in order to not duplicate shared needs.
PRS- 1.4 Form a Search Committee for Grants.
PRS- 1.5 Develop park program for specific population.
PRS-1.6 Inform Park Director and City Council to put park levy on ballot timed with another special election. City Council drafts levy for park land acquisition.
PRS- 1.7 Partner with local greenhouses to provide special plantings and seeds offerings to aid in establishing and sustaining future Neighborhood parks.
Promote funding through local store purchases such as Yokes Script program.
Research unique features in our park that preserves our legacy of farming and growing plants through cooperation of horticulture clubs, arborists, etc. that are featured in our park and help promote sustainability. (Possibly building a small
Greenhouse that is included as part of early botany studies at the elementary.)
“Keep the Green in Greenacres” products will be created to promote park and community spirit.
PRS-1.8 City Council establish and recognize NGN as a park district with impact fees established to support creation of park.

PRS-1.9 Recognize kayaking opportunities and include discussion with river groups that are working on expanding recreational uses of Spokane River in NGN.









Goal
PRG-2 Plan, acquire, develop, and maintain throughout North Greenacres Neighborhood, a system of parks that provides a broad range of recreational opportunities and access to natural resources.

Policies
PRP-2.1 Coordinate with the City to provide NGN with a system of park facilities that will adequately serve the current and future population of the Neighborhood while providing 1/2 mile access to all neighborhood members.
PRP-2.2 Coordinate with the City to develop a master plan for North Greenacres Neighborhood before committing to any major use of City-acquired lands therein.
PRP-2.3 Coordinate with the City to establish and implement effective management practices for NGN in the areas of:
Resource protection (wildlife, fisheries, habitat, trees, Centennial Trail
Spokane River,)
Quality recreational experience.
Public safety, i.e., lighting, street crossings, Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED). i.e. full cut off lighting to protect night skies.
Cost efficiency.

Strategy
PRS – 2.1 A neighborhood park as a walk-in park of approximately 10 acres will serve 3-5,000 persons . The additional land adjacent to school property would be ideal to serve this community. This land acquisition would be first priority.

 PRS-2.3 Future Park Sites may include:
 Potential park site across from Greenacres Christian Church – preserve neighborhood identity of this historic church as a meeting place.
 School/Park at the Mission and Long location
 Centennial Properties 10 acres on North Mission near river
 Foot Bridge across River Connecting to Centennial Trail and neighborhood.

 Lighting such as Full Cut Off public lighting that doesn’t pollute night skies.

 Spokane Valley, Spokane County and Liberty Lake enter into a cooperative agreement to jointly build a community park of 30 acres for creation of ballfields and to be jointly used by all three municipalities.



Goal
PRG-3 Coordinate with the City to plan, acquire, develop, and maintain facilities that meet identified needs and are otherwise unavailable to North Greenacres Neighborhood.

Policies
PRP-3.1 Coordinate with the City to assess the Neighborhood’s need for passive and/or active parks in the neighborhood.
PRP-3.2 Provide overall planning and assessment of passive/active park needs in the Neighborhood, including assessment update evaluations every five years, and listing of priority improvements needed park site.
PRP-3.3 Coordinate with the City in seeking grants, private land donations, and other funding sources for land acquisition and park development.

Strategy
PRS-3-2 Develop survey and compile information of what NGA neighborhood desires in park. Determine the balance of passive and active uses. Survey of park elements to include
Picnic areas, play areas with equipment, hard court area (basketball), Tennis Court (2 max), restrooms, parking, multi-purpose ball field (soccer, softball, baseball, lighting, trails and trail connections, benches, picnic pavilion(s), greenhouse building, planting beds, statuary (art in the park.), memorial trees and plantings, water sprinkler play area.

See attached February 14, 2005 Neighborhood Focus Group Summary of Results


Goal
PRG-4 Coordinate with the City to promote, develop, operate, and maintain a comprehensive trail/bicycle system throughout the North Greenacres Neighborhood that provides non-motorized travel (walking, bicycling, skating, and horseback riding) to meet neighborhood residents’ recreation, fitness, and commuting needs.

Policies
PRP-4.1 Develop a network of trails and bikeways throughout the Neighborhood that will interconnect the Neighborhood with population centers, community facilities, work places, neighborhoods, recreational opportunities, and natural green spaces.
PRP -4.2 Promote appropriate planning and design solutions to avoid adverse environmental impacts on sensitive areas within the NGN.
PRP-4.3 Work with the business community, private developers, and CVSD to incorporate trails and bikeways in harmony with the NGN Parks and Recreation Plan map.


Goal
PRG-5 Identify, evaluate, and preserve as open space undeveloped lands throughout the North Greenacres Neighborhood.

Policies
PRP-5.1 Where possible, attempt to link open space lands into an interconnected system of undeveloped NGN land, i.e., Flora Rd.
PRP-5.2 Coordinate efforts to protect NGN open space lands with the City to complement acquisition programs and maximize resource potential.
PRP-5.3 Encourage City/Neighborhood cooperation with other jurisdictions and agencies for purposes of protecting and conserving fish and wildlife conservation areas, environmentally sensitive lands, especially ecosystems that interact with and are within NGN and its open space lands.
PRP-5.4 Encourage innovative strategies and incentives (e.g., adopt-a-park, adopt-a-trail, adopt-a-space) to enhance existing programs for park maintenance, safety and accessibility within NGN.
PRP-5.5 NGN Parks should be designed and located to provide ease of access for pedestrians, handicapped persons, bicycles, autos and public transit.


Goal
PRG-6 Maintain and increase the number of trees in NGN.

Policies
PRP-6.1 Identify, evaluate, and preserve mature trees throughout the North Greenacres Neighborhood.
PRP-6.2 Help the City to achieve Tree City USA status.

Strategy

Coordinate with City to establish a volunteer tree board that is city-wide and
has representation from each park, identified neighborhoods, and emerging needs in neighborhoods for parks or tree renewal and preservation.

City Council passes a resolution to adopt tree policies.

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maryp@icehouse.net