Three projects proposed for West Plains
When Spokane County published a list of potential park improvement projects to gain public input and to help prioritize and guide future decisions, Airway Heights Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director J.C. Kennedy was surprised to see that the proposed 70-acre Airway Heights sports complex was not on it.
Spokane County has 27 projects on their park improvement list, one being a 93,0000 square-foot, $27 million multi-purpose sports complex on the North Bank in downtown Spokane, right behind Riverfront Park. Spokane County Parks Director Doug Chase said Spokane’s Public Facilities District would own the sports complex.
There are three projects proposed for the West Plains: installing a park near the Fairways Golf Course, completing of Fish Lake Trail and enhancing Fish Lake Park. The county is still seeking input from residents through an online survey.
“We’re looking at the big picture,” Chase said. “Spokane County has over 50 parks and facilities and much of the parks system started 50 years ago. We’ve looked closely at those needs.”
Back in 2010, Airway Heights entered into an agreement with Spokane County to acquire a 70-acre parcel adjacent to Spokane County Raceway Park, formerly Spokane Raceway Park was purchased in 2008 from a court-appointed bankruptcy trustee, to be developed as a regional sports complex — a project the county said had “regional benefit.”
The agreement included the master planning of the property via completion of Spokane County Project No. P6179-Sports Complex Master Plan, which was developed in the summer of 2012.
Kennedy said 25 residents appeared at a March 10 open house, hosted by the county, to express their concerns as to why the complex was not on the list. He hopes more citizens will write to the county and ask them to consider putting the complex on the list.
“We’re just trying to get a seat at the table,” Kennedy said.
Cheney City Manager Mark Schuller, Mayor Tom Trulove and Kim Best, parks and recreation director, spoke with Spokane County Parks Director Doug Chase. One of the things they discussed was partnering with the county to help support infrastructure and projects such as the Cheney swimming pool, which is in need of an upgrade.
“It was important for us to have the dialogue with the county and come up with ways we can benefit everyone who lives on the West Plains,” Schuller said.
Another one of the proposed projects on the list is a Park Improvement Grant Program for cities and towns in the county. Chase said the program would allow cities to request funding to complete their own projects.
“This program could be the vehicle for a town to request funding to complete something like a sports complex or other needs,” Chase said. “Cities have a great handle on what their citizens want.”
City Manager Albert Tripp and Mayor Patrick Rushing met with Chase.Tripp said they discussed providing funding for the first two phases of the Airway Heights sports complex. He added that by funding the Airway Heights sports complex, the county would already have the land ready for a sports facility.
“Completing the first phases of the sports complex would provide a cluster of options for the city and surrounding businesses like Northern Quest Casino,” Tripp said. “The challenge with (the grant program) is that it would be unlikely to have the money to adequately fund the first two phases of the sports complex.”
Chase added that county is looking at a separate levy as an option, though no decision has been made. He said the goal is to narrow down the list and submit a recommendation to the Spokane County board of Commissioners. The county also plans to reveal the survey results.
“We hope that people will take a minute and look at the results and see what their neighbors want,” Case said.
Al Stover can be reached at al@cheneyfreepress.com.
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