Document Redmond_doc_32cc70d0d2

Chapter 4: Parks Redmond provides a variety of parks filled with a wide variety of recreational opportunities, art, events, and quality facilities to meet the diverse needs of people who live and work here. The community has helped create a vision for the future that plans for continued population growth, protects Redmond’s natural beauty and celebrates its heritage. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 1 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Table of Contents Contents 4.0 Introduction 3 4.0.1 Park Classifications 4.0.2 Park Status 4.0.3 Open Space 4.1 Policies and Goals 8 4.1.1 Policies 4.1.2 Goals 4.2 Inventory 10 4.2.1 Park Amenity Inventory 16 4.2.3 Distribution of Parks by Neighborhood 19 4.2.4 Accomplishments Since 2010 20 4.3 Need 23 4.4 Demand 26 4.4.1 Public Demand 26 4.4.2 Visitation Rate 27 4.5 Level of Service 28 4.5.1 LOS Methodology 28 4.5.2 Level of Service Standard 33 4.5.3 Level of Service Results 34 4.6 Implementation 41 4.6.1 Developing the Recommended Project List 41 ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 2 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Exhibits Exhibit 4.1: Park Development Status 6 Exhibit 4.2: 2015 Park Inventory 12 Exhibit 4.3: 2015 Inventory of Redmond Parks by Classification 14 Exhibit 4.4: Inventory of Parks by Other Providers within 1/4 mile of Redmond 14 Exhibit 4.5: Park Amenities 15 Exhibit 4.6: Sports Field Inventory 16 Exhibit 4.7: Picnic Shelter Inventory 17 Exhibit 4.8: New Parks Inventory 2010 to 2015 17 Exhibit 4.9: Distribution of Developed Parks 19 Exhibit 4.10: Priority for Potential Park Projects 26 Exhibit 4.11: Average Daily Visits to parks monitored during the You Count Program 27 Exhibit 4.12: Park Service Area Credit by Provider 30 Exhibit 4.13: Use Rates LOS for Facilities 30 Exhibit 4.14: Calculation of Use Rates of Sports Fields 31 Exhibit 4.15: Calculation of Use Rates of Picnic Shelters 31 Exhibit 4.16: LOS Standards 33 Exhibit 4.17a: Children's Play Features: Level of Service by Provider 35 Exhibit 4.17b: Outdoor Sports & Fitness Facilities: Level of Service by Provider 35 Exhibit 4.18: Hours of Sports Field Use by Sport 36 Exhibit 4.19: Percent of Time Sports Fields Rented 37 Exhibit 4.20: Percent of Time Picnic Shelters Rented 38 Exhibit 4.21: Current and Proposed Urban Parks Locations 40 Exhibit 4.22: Implementation Steps for Recommended Projects 41 Appendices Appendix 4 A: Policies 53 Appendix 4 B: Maps 56 ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 3 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan 4.0 Introduction The ideal park system for a community consists of a variety of parks that collectively offer a wide range of recreation opportunities for everyone. To address specific needs and uses, parks have been organized into seven classifications: Community Parks, Neighborhood Parks, Resource Parks, Urban Parks, Private Parks, Trail Corridors, and Community Center Properties. 4.0.1 Park Classifications Community Parks provide diverse active recreation opportunities with some passive recreation uses. Community parks generally range in size from 20 acres to 40 acres and support a more regional draw than neighborhood parks. Community parks typically include a variety of active amenities that use more than half of the park for amenities such as sport fields, courts and facilities, playgrounds, picnic shelters, beach facilities, equestrian facilities, educational programs, and community gardens. The remainder of the park may also contain natural habitat and trails. Support facilities typically include parking, restrooms and lighting. Neighborhood Parks provide space for active and/or passive recreation. These parks are accessible to nearby residents and business people primarily by walking and bicycling. Neighborhood parks are the smallest parks and vary in size from “pocket” parks that are less than one acre, up to parks that are 20 acres. They typically have fewer park amenities and organized activities than community parks. The unique character of each site helps determine appropriate features, which may include: children’s playgrounds, small scale active recreation amenities, open fields, open space, trails, environmental preservation areas, picnic areas, urban plazas, passive areas for reflection and gathering, and occasionally restrooms or other small structures. Resource Parks include natural areas under City ownership that will not be developed for active recreation use. Development is typically limited to trails and interpretive and educational opportunities. Resource parks include natural attributes that may support wildlife habitat and/or environmentally critical areas that the City intends to preserve and sometimes enhance. Community Park - Idylwood Beach Park Neighborhood Park - Cascade View Park Resource Park - Redmond West Wetland ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 4 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Urban Parks is a new classification of park introduced with this update of the plan. These parks are designed to both host community events and provide day-to-day recreation opportunities for neighborhood residents and businesses. Urban parks are closer in size to neighborhood parks, two acres or more in size, have significant infrastructure, and are generally built of high quality materials that respond to more intense and frequent uses. A significant amount of consideration is taken for the design and construction of these parks compared to others due to their multi-faceted nature. Urban parks are planned and constructed in Redmond’s urban centers (Downtown and Overlake) and local centers (such as the Marymoor subarea of Southeast Redmond) where the population is most concentrated. They have the capacity to host events of up to 10,000 people. Events can be accommodated on a single site or a combination of several smaller sites within close proximity to one another. Some urban parks may be developed by the private sector, ownership may vary between public and private, and nonetheless they are open to the public per an agreement between the City and owner. An example of this is Esterra Park in Overlake Village, where the developer owns the property, is building the park and will maintain the park, and it will be open to the public. Trail Corridors are city-owned properties in which the primary feature is a developed public trail. These properties are typically linear in shape and relatively narrow when compared to other park properties. Examples include the Redmond Central Connector, Southeast Redmond Open Space, and Bridle Crest Trail. Trail Corridors can contain other park-like features that support the trail such as waysides for seating, public art and interpretive signage. In the case of the Redmond Central Connector, a portion of the Trail Corridor, referred to as “The Station,” was purposefully developed as a community gathering space and includes a plaza, public art, seating options and extensive landscaping. See Chapter 6 Trails for details on other amenities typical for trails of different types. Community Center Properties are properties that support public community centers and other recreation buildings. Typically these include little to no outdoor recreation opportunities. Examples are the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center, Redmond Senior Center, the Redmond Pool, and the Old Firehouse Teen Center. For this plan, the acreage for these properties has been counted separately from other parks. Details of the recreation opportunities and level of service provided by community centers is found in Chapter 8 Recreation. Private Parks are typically created by a developer in conjunction with residential development. In most circumstances, this land is controlled by the developer or homeowner association and the parks remain as private property. These parks may be classified as neighborhood parks, or resource parks. Typically these parks are developed to comply with zoning regulations, to provide public open space, and as attractive amenities for Urban parks are designed to host community events like “A Recipe for Love” (shown above). These parks are built with the infrastructure needed to support these events. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 5 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan the development. These parks are recognized in this plan and counted toward parks level of service (LOS) because they serve a portion of the population and/or protect sensitive habitat, just as public parks do. 4.0.2 Park Status Throughout this document parks are referred to as developed, interim use, or undeveloped parks using the following definitions: Developed Parks: Parks that have been acquired, master planned, designed and constructed in accordance with the master plan. Implementation of the design is considered complete when the park is open to the public and meets part of or all of the intended level of service needs. Developed parks and their amenities are listed on the City website. Examples of these parks are the Watershed Preserve, Grass Lawn Park, and Meadow Park. Interim Use Parks: Parks that have been acquired, master planned, and may have some level of design or development allowing the park to be open for public use. An example is Juel Park, which is considered an interim use park because it has features and facilities that provide recreational opportunities, such as a disc golf course, open field, community garden, gravel parking lot and portable restrooms. The master plan for Juel Park proposes to improve the open field to a Cricket field and potentially other sports, expand and improve the parking area, and add a large picnic area, restrooms, play features and other elements. The interim use status helps identify and quantify potential service expansion in the system. Undeveloped Parks: Parks that have been acquired by the City, that may have been master planned and/or designed, but implementation of the plan or design has not occurred. In some cases, areas or entire parks are not officially open to the public for safety reasons. While some of these parks may be open for public use, access and recreation opportunities are limited due to the lack of developed facilities. Arthur Johnson Park and Conrad Olson Park both contain areas that are considered undeveloped and limit access for public use. Some open space areas are in the undeveloped category, because trails, Developed Park: Grass Lawn Park Undeveloped Park: Southeast Redmond Park ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 6 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan interpretive centers or other amenities are planned but have not been developed. For example, Southeast Redmond Park is considered undeveloped even though it has grass and an underground irrigation system. Because it lacks a master plan and any recreation amenities, it remains part of the undeveloped inventory. This park status is recorded in this plan to help quantify potential service expansion in the system. Exhibit 4.1 is a breakdown of the development status parkland across the system. There are six undeveloped park properties in the system, two Neighborhood Parks, two Resource Parks, one Urban Park and one Trail Corridor. These lands represent over eighty eight acres of land that currently provide very few recreational services but are opportunities to grow. In addition, park lands shown as being in interim use, do not currently provide the full recreational service planned for them. This information is considered in planning and prioritizing future park development projects. Details of proposed projects can be found in section 4.6.1 and in Chapter 10, Capital Project Recommendations. Exhibit 4.1: Park Development Status Development Status - Number of Parks Park Classification Developed Interim Use Undeveloped Total Community 5 1 6 Neighborhood 14 3 2 19 Resource 11 2 13 Urban 3 1 1 5 Trail Corridor 3 1 4 Grand Total 3ϲ 5 6 47 ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 7 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan 4.0.3 Open Space The term “open space” is a used in a variety of ways in the Redmond Zoning Code (RZC) 21.36 Types of Open Space1 and provides a hierarchy and definitions for different types of open space recognized by the City, which are:  Conservation Open Space: Resource areas where plants, animals, water, air and soil have been left in an undisturbed state or areas of historical value. Such open space may consist of, but is not limited to, wetlands, watercourses, rivers, lakes, ponds, flood zones, ravines, steep slopes, wooded areas and wildlife areas.  Amenity Open Space: Undeveloped land and natural features worthy of preservation primarily for their scenic or aesthetic value and landscape areas. Such open space may consist of, but is not limited to, wooded areas, agricultural land, open valley floors, pastures and fields, parks, landscaped right-of-way, buffer areas, and all manner of landscape areas, such as courtyards, gardens, lawn, and shrub areas.  Recreation Open Space: Recreation areas and facilities that meet recreation needs of City residents. Such open space may provide for active or passive open space uses and may consist of, but shall not be limited to, parks, walkways, bikeways, trails, sitting areas, para-courses, golf courses, tot-lots, recreation buildings, and outdoor activity areas, such as tennis, basketball and sport courts, and swimming pools. While the majority of the City park lands and facilities discussed in this plan fall under the Recreation Open Space type, City parks can contain one or all three of these three types of open space. In this plan, the term “open space” may be used interchangeably with the term park. For the most part, park lands will be referred to by their classification and status as outlined in the sections above. 1 Redmond Zoning Code (RZC) 21.36 http://online.encodeplus.com/regs/redmond-wa/doc- viewer.aspx?secid=3829&keywords=open+space%20-%20secid-3829#secid-3829 ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 8 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan 4.1 Policies and Goals The Parks and Recreation Department follows the guidance of City policies and community goals in prioritizing capital projects. As part of the development of the PARCC Plan, the Parks and Trails Commission, the Arts and Culture Commission, and community members at large were also asked to provide input on about vision and priorities for parks. 4.1.1 Policies Policies that guide the department in park planning and development are found in various elements of the Comprehensive Plan. The following are highlights from Comprehensive Plan policies that relate directly to the planning and development of parks. The Goals, Vision and Framework Policies establish overarching direction for the City. One policy states that the City will “Maintain and promote a vibrant system of parks and trails that are sustainably designed, preserve various types of habitat and protect the natural beauty of Redmond” (Policy FW -29). Other policies in this section guide the department to utilize parks as places to preserve Redmond’s heritage and to coordinate with other entities and surrounding jurisdictions in plan parks to meet the needs of the wider community on Seattle’s eastside. Redmond strives to be a “green” community that values its natural resources. The Natural Environment element directs the City to ”Encourage environmentally friendly construction practices, such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), King County Built Green, and low-impact development” (Policy NE-12). The Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture and Conservation (PARCC) element of the plan provides direction to develop a vibrant park system where parks are distributed equally across the city. It encourages coordinated effort between city departments and other entities like King County, School Districts, Puget Sound Regional Council and others in the identification of shared needs and planning of parks. It directs the planning and development of parks to be in harmony with the surrounding neighborhood character and with the natural environment. It states that parks should educate the public on the rich natural features and sensitive habitats that are preserved in city parks. The plan calls for inspiring parks and public gathering places that are infused with art across the city but especially in the Downtown and Overlake urban centers where population densities are the highest. It recognized the need to provide quality indoor recreation space and to plan for the renovation and/or replacement of Redmond’s aging community buildings. It also calls for the support and enhancement of Redmond’s historic resources and landmarks to preserve its unique character (Comprehensive Plan Ch. 10). This plan proposes several updates and additions to park related policies as detailed in Chapter 3. A consolidated list of park related policies from across the Comprehensive Plan is provided in Appendix 4 A. Arbor Day in Meadow Park ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 9 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan 4.1.2 Goals The community provided comments during public meetings, focus groups, and surveys as part of the PARCC Plan visioning process. The most consistently heard comments and goals are provided below. These goals are not listed in priority order. 1. Preserve more open space and natural areas around Redmond and include open space in urban settings, as places of tranquility. 2. Preserve trees and add more trees to expand the tree canopy across Redmond. 3. Become a more wildlife-friendly City by improving habitat and reducing impacts to the environment. 4. Provide more neighborhood-level opportunities for recreation like small neighborhood parks with playgrounds, sport courts, picnic shelters and tables throughout the city so each neighborhood has some green space easily accessible. 5. Develop parks sustainably. 6. Develop an environmental education center. 7. Create a more walkable community through a well distributed parks and trails system. 8. Provide more access to water for recreation such as access points to the Sammamish River and Lake Sammamish. 9. Expand the Community Garden program to provide P-Patch opportunities across town while taking into account the P-Patch at Marymoor and the area it serves. 10. Plan and provide fields flexible enough to support a wide variety of sports such as lacrosse, cricket, ultimate frisbee and rugby. Partner with other jurisdictions and entities where needed to accomplish this. 11. Consider providing more splash pads. 12. Seek out and support projects that inspire the imagination and provide a sense of adventure such as a large treehouse that has rentable space, rope challenge courses, zip lines, and low level balance rope (slackline). 13. Develop more urban parks with plazas and integrated commercial venues. 14. Provide alternative sport facilities in our parks like skate parks, mountain bike parks, rock climbing, and the like. 15. Create advanced skate park features at the Edge Skate Park or another site. Plan this with demographics and neighborhood growth in mind. 16. Evaluate parking where needed to improve access to park facilities especially at neighborhood and community parks. Research parking demands at parks and create a plan for providing new and enhancing existing parking facilities. 17. Build a playground in the Downtown area. 18. Build a playground in Overlake Village in anticipation of the planned population growth. 19. Plan and build an inclusive playground in Redmond designed to accommodate children of all abilities. 20. Establish a funding program dedicated to playground replacements and upgrades focused on providing inclusive play. 21. Build new and strengthen existing partnerships to establish a sports complex in Redmond. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 10 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan 4.2 Inventory An inventory of the park system was conducted including a physical inventory, and a review of land acquisitions, transfers and development activity. A map depicting the inventory of the parks that make up the system is provided in Appendix 4 B Map 4.1. The inventory lists parks alphabetically and includes the neighborhood they are in, the park’s classification and development status (see section 4.0.3 for definitions). The physical inventory included an evaluation of the facilities within each park as well as the overall condition of the park. This inventory included photo documentation of facilities in all existing parks. People who live and work in Redmond benefit from all the public lands that are within and nearby the City limits. In addition to the City of Redmond, a number of other entities own and manage public lands throughout the city that provide some of the area’s most popular and well used sites. Because of this, the City accounts for the service provided by parks owned and managed by other entities. Marymoor Park and the Sammamish River Trail are owned by King County and maintained by King County Parks and Recreation. Similarly, the entire length of the Sammamish River Trail from Marymoor Park to NE 116th Street is inside city limits which may lead many users to assume that the trail is part of the City’s system. Other examples of public lands provided by other providers include the PSE Powerline Trail, Sixty Acres Park, the East Lake Sammamish Trail, and the SR 520 Trail. Additionally, Lake Washington School District (LWSD) grounds and private parks provide recreation opportunities for the neighborhoods in which they are located. Public recreation lands, regardless of ownership and operation, provide value to everyone, especially those who live or work within walking distance. Accounting for lands with public access helps establish a complete picture of the recreation services being provided to any given area. For this reason, lands within a quarter mile distance, known as a walkshed, have also been inventoried for this plan and are considered in the level of service calculations described in section 4.5 of this chapter. Redmond’s Parks provide amenities that facilitate a wide range of recreational activities. Exhibit 4.7 lists recreation amenities by park. As part of this update, a number of changes were made for this inventory that resulted in differences between this and the 2010 inventory. The following is a list of the items that were changed.  City acreage containing community centers are accounted for in the Recreation Chapter inventory.  Some parks have been officially named; o Slough Park was renamed Dudley Carter Park. o North Redmond Park was expanded by a five-acre acquisition and renamed Smith Woods in honor of the family who used to live on the property. o Heron Rookery was officially named Heron Rookery.  It was determined to remove from the inventory the acreage captured under the name “Riverwalk” as the name represented a number of separate parcels some of which are owned by King County.  The Parks classification was updated to include Urban Park and Trail Corridor.  Interim Use development status was introduced and applied to some parks to better describe the condition of park properties. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 11 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Exhibit 4.2: 2015 Park Inventory Name Acres Classification Status Neighborhood Anderson Park 3.0 Neighborhood Existing Developed Downtown Arthur Johnson Park 15.4 Resource Existing Undeveloped Southeast Redmond Bear and Evans Creek Open Space 29.2 Resource Existing Developed Bear Creek Bear Creek Park 11.1 Resource Existing Developed Downtown Bridle Crest Trail 12.1 Trail Corridor Existing Developed Grass Lawn & Overlake Cascade View Park 8.0 Neighborhood Existing Developed Overlake Conrad Olson Farm 8.4 Neighborhood Existing Undeveloped In King County City Owned Downtown Park 2.1 Urban Interim Use Downtown Dudley Carter Park 1.2 Neighborhood Interim Use Downtown Esterra Park 2.7 Urban Existing Undeveloped Overlake Farrel-McWhirter Park 67.7 Community Existing Developed In King County City Owned Flagpole Plaza 0.1 Neighborhood Existing Developed Downtown Grass Lawn Park 28.4 Community Existing Developed Grass Lawn Hartman Park 41.6 Community Existing Developed Education Hill Heron Rookery Park 4.6 Resource Existing Developed Downtown Idylwood Beach Park 19.2 Community Existing Developed Idylwood Juel Park 38.3 Community Interim Use In King County City Owned Luke McRedmond Landing 2.1 Neighborhood Existing Developed Downtown Martin Park 10.0 Resource Existing Developed In King County City Owned Meadow Park 5.0 Neighborhood Existing Developed Education Hill Municipal Campus 7.6 Urban Existing Developed Downtown Nike Park 14.9 Neighborhood Existing Developed Education Hill O'Leary Park 0.1 Neighborhood Existing Developed Downtown Perrigo Heights Open Space 3.3 Resource Existing Developed Education Hill Perrigo Park 29.8 Community Existing Developed Bear Creek Redmond Central Connector, Phase I 11 Trail Corridor Existing Developed Downtown RCC Station Area 1.5 Urban Existing Developed Downtown Redmond Central Connector, Phase II & III 29.9 Trail Corridor Existing Undeveloped Sammamish Valley Redmond West Wetlands 4.4 Resource Existing Developed Overlake Reservoir Park 1.9 Neighborhood Existing Developed Education Hill Rotary Park 1.0 Neighborhood Existing Undeveloped Downtown (Continued on next page) ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 12 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Exhibit 4.2: 2015 Park Inventory Continued Name Acres Classification Status Neighborhood Sammamish Valley Park 31.0 Resource Existing Undeveloped Sammamish Valley Scotts Pond 1.4 Neighborhood Existing Developed Grass Lawn SE Redmond Open Space 10.9 Trail Corridor Existing Developed Southeast Redmond SE Redmond Park 3.2 Neighborhood Interim Use Southeast Redmond Smith Woods 9.9 Neighborhood Interim Use North Redmond Spiritbrook Park 2.0 Neighborhood Existing Developed Grass Lawn Sunset Gardens Park 1.0 Neighborhood Existing Developed Bear Creek The Edge Skate Park 1.5 Urban Existing Developed Downtown The Stroll 0.4 Resource Existing Developed Downtown Town Center Open Space 40.9 Resource Existing Developed Downtown Viewpoint Open Space 9.6 Resource Existing Developed Idylwood Viewpoint Park 4.8 Neighborhood Existing Developed Idylwood Watershed Preserve 805.5 Resource Existing Developed In King County City Owned Welcome Park 2.6 Resource Existing Developed Willows/Rose Hill Westside Park 6.4 Neighborhood Existing Developed Overlake Willows Creek Park 4.7 Neighborhood Existing Developed Willows/Rose Hill Total Acres 1351.1 Exhibit 4.3: 2015 Inventory of Redmond Parks by Classification Park Classification Number of Parks Acres Community 6 225.1 Neighborhood 19 78.9 Resource 13 968.0 Urban 5 15.3 Trail Corridor 4 63.9 Grand Total 47 1351.1 ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 13 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Exhibit 4.4: Inventory of Parks by Other Providers within 1/4 mile of Redmond City of Bellevue Name Acres Redmond Neighborhood Ardmore Park 30.5 Idylwood Bellevue Municipal Golf Course 119.2 Grass Lawn Goldsmith Neighborhood Park 7.6 Overlake North Bellevue Community Park 7.8 Overlake Tam O’Shanter Park 14.3 Idylwood Mark Twain Park 6.7 Willows/Rose Hill Snyder’s Corner Park 4.6 Grass Lawn Total Acres 190.7 King County Parks and Recreation Name Acres Redmond Neighborhood Bridle Crest Trail Site 1.5 Grass Lawn East Lake Sammamish Trail Site 127.6 SE Redmond Evans Creek Natural Area 38.2 SE Redmond Lower Bear Creek Natural Area 11.4 Ed Hill Marymoor Park 634.8 SE Redmond Marymoor Bellevue Ballfield Complex 20.0 SE Redmond Middle Bear Creek Natural Area 66.0 North Redmond Novelty Hill Little League Fields 6.6 Near Watershed Redmond Watershed Trail Site 0.6 Near Watershed Redmond Watershed Addition Park 2.5 Near Watershed Sammamish River Trail Site 169.6 Downtown Sixty Acres Park 90.9 Sammamish Valley West Sammamish Trail Site 95.3 Sammamish Valley Total Acres 1265.0 (Continued on next page) ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 14 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Exhibit 4.4: Inventory of Parks by Other Providers Within 1/4 mile Continued Lake Washington School District Name Acres Redmond Neighborhood Albert Einstein Elementary 9.1 North Redmond Ardmore Elementary 9.0 Overlake Audubon Elementary 10.3 Idylwood Benjamin Rush Elementary 38.6 Grass Lawn Horace Mann Elementary 9.6 Ed Hill Interlake High School 9.4 Overlake Mark Twain Elementary 24.2 Willows/Rose Hill Redmond Elementary 23.6 Downtown Redmond High School 13.2 Ed Hill Redmond Middle School 39.6 Ed Hill Rockwell Elementary 9.6 Ed Hill Rose Hill Elementary 13.6 Grass Lawn Rose Hill Middle School 9.4 Grass Lawn Sherwood Forest Elementary 11.7 Overlake Total Acres 230.9 Puget Sound Energy Name Acres Redmond Neighborhood PSE Trail Site - Redmond 97.5 Ed Hill Private Parks Name Acres Redmond Neighborhood Microsoft Main Fields 11.6 Overlake Division 1 0.4 North Redmond Prescott at English Hill 0.7 North Redmond Tyler's Creek 0.4 Ed Hill Whistler Ridge 0.3 North Redmond Woodbridge 1.3 SE Redmond Woodlands West 1.7 North Redmond Woodrun Townhomes 0.1 Ed Hill Total Acres 16.5 ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 15 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Exhibit 4.5: Park Amenities ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 16 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan 4.2.1 Park Amenity Inventory Parks are comprised of various amenities such as playgrounds, sports fields, sports courts, picnic shelters, and more. Many of the facilities provided are open for drop-in use by the general public and others are available for rental use or are programmed with recreation activities. The Exhibit 4.5 summarize the current inventory of amenities by park. A breakdown of rented and programmed sports fields and picnic shelters are provided. Sports Fields The city has eleven sports fields, seven of which have artificial turf and four with grass fields. The following exhibit provides details of the inventory. Exhibit 4.6: Sports Field Inventory Park Field Name Primary Use Can joint use field Artificial Soccer Softball Baseball Little League Baseball be used simultaneously? Turf? Grass Lawn Soccer Field #1 1 Yes Grass Lawn Soccer/Softball Field #2 1 2 No Yes Grass Lawn Softball Field #1 1 Yes Hartman Babe Ruth Field 1 Yes (infield) Hartman Little League Field #1 1 No Hartman Little League Field #2 1 No Hartman Little League Field #3 1 No Hartman Little League Field #4 1 No Hartman Soccer/Softball Fields #5/6 1 1 2 No Yes Perrigo Soccer/Softball Field #1 1 1 No Yes Perrigo Soccer/Softball Field #2 1 1 No Yes ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 17 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Picnic Shelters The picnic shelters across the City are available for rent during the peak season for a half day or full day and when not rented, they are open first come, first serve. The following exhibit provides the current inventory of picnic shelters. Exhibit 4.7: Picnic Shelter Inventory Picnic Shelter Location & Name Capacity (Number of People) Anderson Park Shelter 50 Grass Lawn Park Dome Shelter 75 Perrigo Park Shelter 75 Idylwood Park Shelter 50 Farrel-McWhirter Park – Hutcheson Shelter 50 Farrel-McWhirter Park – Mackey Creek Shelter 50 Since the 2010 plan was adopted, over 54 acres of park land has been added to the City’s inventory. The following are brief summaries of the recently acquired properties and the primary use planned for them. Exhibit 4.8 provides recent additions to the parkland inventory. Redmond Central Connector: In 2010, the city acquired 4 miles of former BNSF rail corridor as the first step in realizing the vision of a regional trail connection that would link the historic core of the city to more distant neighborhoods, business corridors, and adjacent communities. The project was planned to be built in three Exhibit 4.8: New Parks Inventory 2010 to 2015 Park Name Neighborhood Classification Acres Date Acquired Redmond Central Connector (BNSF Corridor) Downtown/Sammamish Valley Trail Corridor 42.3 2010 Redmond Bike Park at Hartman Park 1 Education Hill Community 2.0 2010 Downtown Park Downtown Urban 2.1 2011 Smith Woods expansion 2 North Redmond Neighborhood 5.1 2011 Esterra Park 3 Overlake Neighborhood 2.7 2011 Total New Acres 54.2 1 The acreage attained for the Redmond Bike Park has been City utility owned for many years and there is an interim use agreement in place for the parks department to use this property until the utility needs it. 2 The City owned five acres known as Northeast Redmond Park. In 2011, the City acquired an additional five acre parcel to the west. The expanded ten-acre park was also re-named to Smith Woods in 2015. 3 Esterra Park is privately owned and designed and will be privately constructed and maintained. It will be open to the public like other public parks. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 18 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan phases. Phase I, which runs from the Bear Creek Trail east of 170th Ave NE to the Sammamish River Trail, was completed in 2013. Phase II will be constructed in 2016 and extends the trail from the Sammamish River, along Willows Road to NE 100th Court. Phase III is planned to complete the trail to Redmond’s north border at Willows Road and NE 124th Street. Redmond Bike Park at Hartman Park: In 2010 the City Council approved a request for interim recreational use on two acres of City utility property south of Hartman Park. The acreage has been added to Hartman Park’s acreage in the inventory for this plan. In 2014 the City, with the help of a consultant design/builder, and more than 170 volunteers constructed the features that now make up the Redmond Bike Park. Downtown Park: In 2011 the City purchased two acres of land in the heart of downtown Redmond. The land was developed on an interim basis with grass and an irrigation system while planning and designing the park, which is scheduled for construction in 2017 and opening in 2018. The park will provide people who live and work in and near the Downtown with a place to recreate on a day to day basis, and it will provide the broader community with opportunities to enjoy special events, arts, and music. Smith Woods expansion: In 2011, the City purchased five acres adjacent to an existing five-acre park formerly known as North Redmond Park. The expanded ten-acre park was renamed to Smith Woods Park upon the recommendation of the Park & Trails Commission to City Council, in an effort to capture the wooded character of the site and to honor the former landowners, who collected specimen trees on the property and desired that their property become a public park. Esterra Park: In 2011 the City entered into a unique public-private agreement with the developer of the Esterra Park, the former Group Health site. This will become the first public park space in Overlake Village. The agreement outlined that the developer would dedicate 2.7 acres of the development to build a public park space. After the park is completed, the developer will retain ownership of the property and maintain it. Redmond Bike Park at Hartman Park Downtown Park (Festival of Color 2016) Esterra Park (rendering) ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 19 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan 4.2.3 Distribution of Parks by Neighborhood One of the level of service policies for parks aspires to ensure that parks are distributed across the City. Exhibit 4.9 shows how the 1,300 acres are distributed across the Redmond’s ten neighborhoods and the unincorporated portions of King County to the east. The acreage and type of parkland in each neighborhood varies widely. The urban centers have and will have smaller parks that serve urban park needs such as sitting to talk with friends, picnicking, attending events, appreciating art and history, and children’s play. The more densely populated single family residential neighborhoods have large community parks and neighborhood parks with many active recreation opportunities including sports fields and courts and large playgrounds. The East Redmond Corridor has many resource parks and a large community park that support the needs of the entire city. The exhibit also shows the development potential that exists. Park lands with the development status of interim use and undeveloped are priority locations for planning efforts and/or new projects. These tables help assess the equity of park development across the city and development opportunities in each neighborhood. More details about these analyses are discussed in the next sections of this chapter as they influence decisions and priorities for future Park planning and development. Exhibit 4.9: Distribution of Developed Parks ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 20 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan 4.2.4 Accomplishments Since 2010 Since the last version of this plan, the city has completed several important capital projects in the Park system. The following are highlights from the projects completed since 2010. Sports Field Turf Replacements: turf has an expected lifespan of 12 years under typical use. The following fields have had turf replaced: Field Date Replaced  Grass Lawn Soccer Field 2013  Hartman Park Baseball Infield 2013  Grass Lawn Softball Outfield No. 1 2015  Grass Lawn Softball Infield No. 1 2015 Spiritbrook Renovation: Completed in 2012, this project brought new life to the neighborhood. Spiritbrook Park suffered from soil drainage issues resulting in wet conditions for much of the open field space, impacting community use. The renovation included a drainage field for storm water management with an open grassy field on top, a new playground, sports courts, a small picnic shelter, and an enhanced stormwater pond. Redmond Central Connector Phases I & II: Phase I, completed in 2013, features a one mile segment of trail located in Downtown Redmond and extends from the Bear Creek Trail by SR 202 and Redmond Way to the Sammamish River Trail. This project provided a much needed connection between Redmond’s historic downtown, modern shopping areas, and the city center. Phase II is a 1.3 mile segment that extends the trail from the Sammamish River, along Willows road to NE 100th Court near DigiPen and the Overlake Christian Church. This segment links downtown to the Willows business district. This phase is scheduled to be complete in early 2017. Smith Woods: In 2015, the residence and outbuildings on the property were removed. The pond on site had some hydrological problems and an interim improvement was constructed consisting of an earthen embankment around the pond. A long term improvement will be designed, permitted and constructed in the next few years. In addition, an Eagle Scout developed a soft surface trail through the Turf Replacement at Hartman Park Spiritbrook Park renovation Redmond Central Connector, Phase I Sky Painting by John Fleming ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 21 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan eastern side of the park and staff installed an official park sign at the property. Heron Rookery: In 2014, a significant invasive species removal effort was undertaken in this wooded area in Downtown that opened up the middle of the woods for walkers and an occasional special event. Reservoir Park: Resurfacing of tennis courts in 2012 and replacement of fencing in 2014 Hartman Park: Renovation of all little league dugouts was completed in 2012. Resurfacing of basketball area was done in 2014. Replacement of the batting cage for the baseball field with a new, larger facility was completed in 2016. The batting cage project included concrete containment, new surfacing, poles and fencing, and asphalt pathway. Juel Park: In 2017, the community garden was expanded with 17 additional fenced garden spaces. Paver pads were added to the disc golf tee boxes, and in 2015 and 2016 a new culvert at trail crossing with associated plantings in construction zone were installed. Between 2012 and 2015 restoration work was done on Bear Creek in collaboration with the Natural Resources division. Projects included installing logs in the creek, planting, replacing the main trail culvert, removing an old dam, removing a culvert in the park, and removing a culvert on adjacent Puget Sound Energy property at the confluence with Bear Creek. Martin Park: Improvements to the interior of the barn were completed which included deep cleaning, removal of interior animal stall spaces, replacement of the garage and person doors, installation of new lighting, and new paint. Grass Lawn Park: Multiple updates and renovations have occurred at Grass Lawn Park since 2010 which include the following. All the tennis courts were resurfaced in 2013. The electrical/storage room underwent a full renovation in 2014. Major fencing replacements on all fields was completed in 2014. An asphalt overlay of 70th Street parking log was done in 2015. The large merry-go-round was replaced in 2016. Redmond Town Center Open Space: City of Redmond acquired a parcel within the Redmond Town Center Open Space and partnered with Washington State Department of Transportation to restore the natural channel of Bear Creek and improve its riparian buffer. The project included moving the Bear Creek Trail north. This site also included mitigation and protection measures for cultural resources along with future improvements that provide educational opportunities regarding the earliest known inhabitants of the Sammamish Valley. Municipal Campus: Electrical service was added for improved support of events and the pickle ball courts at the Senior Center were resurfaced in 2011. Farrel-McWhirter Arena Improvements: The arena adjacent to the red barn was improved to provide enhanced riding conditions and allow for more class time in the dark months. In 2015 the fence was redesigned and footings was replaced. Lighting and water were added in 2016. Farrel-McWhirter Improvements: A heated, enclosed Tack Room was constructed from previous stall area in 2013 and additional horse shelters were added in 2015. Farrel-McWhirter Restroom Replacement: In the 1970’s, a restroom structure was constructed in Farrel- McWhirter park that resembled a round grain silo to fit with the park’s farm aesthetic and to serve the park’s many visitors. While the structure added to the character of the park, it was not insulated so was only available ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 22 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan during 9 months of the year. Also, it did not have hot water available for handwashing. Seeing that the silo restroom was not meeting park user needs and that it had lived out its expected lifespan, a replacement project was planned. In 2015 the silo restroom was replaced with a restroom that provides all-year access, hot water, a large handwashing sink, and an aesthetic that is similar to the historic buildings in the park. Perrigo Park Phase 2a: A 4 acre portion of Perrigo Park extends into unincorporated King County. In 2015 the first phase of the master planned development for the area was completed. The project included an additional parking area with lighting to help alleviate event parking demands, stormwater detention and water quality improvements, a new large grassy open space with a loop trail, landscaping and mitigation plantings and irrigation, and new electrical power and water service to allow for future improvements to the existing barn. Perrigo Park: Tennis courts at the park were resurfaced in 2013. Downtown Park Design: A master plan for Redmond’s signature park in Downtown was completed in 2014. Design work occurred in 2015 and 2016. The park is planned to open in 2018 and will include a raised great lawn with opportunities to play and socialize, tree bosques with chairs and tables for people to gather, a significant artwork in the form of a pavilion with a water wall and digital art, a splash pad for warm weather play, and hardscape and utilities that will support events. Dudley Carter Park Improvements: The roof of the Haida House Replica No. 4 was replaced by a specialty contractor that used the same construction techniques and materials as Dudley Carter used. The windows were treated so they are now shatterproof. A specialty art restoration contractor preserved the totems on the Haida House. A new Dudley Carter sculpture, Seagull on a Post, was added to the park by the Arts Program. In addition, parks staff removed the chainlink fence around the park and a significant amount of understory vegetation to improve the safety of the park. Staff also restored and moved the kiosk for the park and added a new informational graphic about the future of the park. Esterra Park: A master plan was prepared by Capstone Development LLC for this privately owned, public park. The plan was recommended by the Parks and Trails Commission and approved as part of the development review package by the Design Review Board. A small portion of the park was constructed and includes a small play area. The remainder of the park will be constructed in coordination with future development. Habitat/Tree Restoration: As part of the Group Health Development Agreement, the developer of the property now known as Esterra Park, completed tree and plant restoration on 10 acres of city park land and native growth protection areas including at Perrigo Park, Perrigo Heights, Sammamish Valley Park, and the native growth protection area associated with Swedish Medical Center. Green Redmond Partnership: The City manages 1035 acres of forested parkland that this group helps to maintain. Currently over 325 acres are enrolled in active management by the group. Since 2010 Green Redmond has planted over 9,000 trees and over 18,000 shrubs. Collectively, the group has dedicated over 20,000 volunteer hours which was valued at $486,787. Recently, the group has also enhanced their approach to community engagement. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 23 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan 4.3 Need Parks improve our overall quality of life in a number of ways: Conservation: As discussed in Chapter 5, parks are one way that the City can preserve environmentally sensitive areas, culturally significant property, and historic properties. Environmental Benefits: “Trees, water, and animals provide ecosystem goods and services such as swimmable water, habitat, and aesthetic beauty. Washington’s 23 million acres of public land provide many of these benefits. The combined total estimated value of these non-market benefits is between $134 billion and $248 billion a year.”2 The City has committed to developing parks using low impact development and sustainable construction techniques. Vegetation in city parks plays a role in improving air quality and reducing pollution costs. Trees and shrubs remove air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, and some particulates. Leaves absorb gases, and particulates adhere to the plant surface, at least temporarily.3 Parks and public works also frequently collaborate in developing co-located regional stormwater facilities and conduct restoration projects. 2 2015, RCO. 3 2014, Harnik. 2014, Harnik, & Crompton, J.L. Measuring the total economic value of a park system to a community. Managing Leisure, 19(3), 188-211. (Open Source: total-economic-value-of-a-park-system-to-a-community.pdf) Festival of Color - Downtown Park Parks provide places for community members to gather, meet new people, socialize, and build their community. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 24 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Health Value: Parks and recreation facilities typically provide opportunities for the public to engage in physical and social activities, which have been proven to reduce stress, have positive benefit for some chronic diseases, and reduce overall healthcare costs.4 Research shows that exposure to natural environments such as parks, improves mood and can lead to reduced stress levels and blood pressure5. Regular physical activity is essential for health and wellness6. “Outdoor recreation markets help connect urban and rural communities and, as identified by the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Outdoor Recreation in its final report (2014), the benefits of outdoor recreation translate into ‘healthier kids, lowered health care costs, less absenteeism in the work place, and decreases in juvenile crime.’”7 Community Building: Parks provide places for community members to gather, meet new people, socialize, and build their community. Many of our residents live in high density housing, where meeting your neighbor in the yard is no longer an option; therefore public places and community events become more vital to developing neighborhood connections8. Promoting Creativity, Development and Education: Parks provide places of discovery in the form of built and natural environments. Children and adults alike can learn and develop new skills by venturing through parks and discovering new animals, birds, plants and more9. These natural elements, art in the park, performances in parks and other experiences can also enhance individuals’ creativity. Economic: There are a variety of studies conducted around the world that have shown that parks provide direct and indirect economic benefits to cities and citizens in a number of ways such as: increased property values, tourism value, direct use value, health 4 2010, Godbey, A. Mowen. The Benefits of Physical Activity Provided by Park and Recreation Services: The Scientific Evidence. NRPA. (http://www.nrpa.org/uploadedFiles/nrpa.org/Publications_and_Research/Research/Papers/Godbey- Mowen-Research-Paper.pdf) 5 2010, K. Frances. Parks and Other Green Environments: Essential Components of a Healthy Human Habitat, NRPA. (http://www.nrpa.org/uploadedFiles/nrpa.org/Publications_and_Research/Research/Papers/MingKuo-Research-Paper.pdf) 6 2010, Godbey, A. Mowen. 7 2015, RCO. 8 Francis, 2007, How cities use park for Community Engagement, American Planning Association. 9 Witt, L. Caldwell, 2010, The Rationale for Recreation Services for Youth: An Evidence Based Approach. NRPA. (http://www.nrpa.org/uploadedFiles/nrpa.org/Publications_and_Research/Research/Papers/Witt-Caldwell-Full-Research- Paper.pdf) Visitors to Derby Days Event - Municipal Campus When a park attracts people from outside of town, or even outside the neighborhood, it is likely that those people might spend money nearby ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 25 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan and wellness resulting in decreased healthcare costs, community cohesion value, and reduced expenses for storm 10water management and air pollution.11,12,13 In addition, many large companies look for cities with a thriving cultural center when opening new offices.14  Property Value: More than thirty studies have shown that residential and commercial property values are directly related to proximity to parks. Not only do property values increase when adjacent to parks, they also increase with park quality. Most studies demonstrate that property values benefit positively if located within 500 to 2,000 feet from a park. This is advantageous to the property owner and the city, since property taxes increase with the value of the property15.  Tourism Value: When a park attracts people from outside of the area, or even outside a neighborhood, there is higher likelihood that those visitors would spend money nearby, whether it is for a snack, a meal, shopping, or to see an event at the performing arts center, or possibly spend the night at the local hotel16. In addition, “it is estimated that Washingtonians, on average, spend 56 days a year recreating outdoors … resulting in $21.6 billion dollars in annual expenditures.” The activities that have the second largest impact on the state economy were special events such as sports tournaments and races, which generally involve fees and attract overnight stays.”17  Direct Use Value: Most city parks and facilities are free to the public or heavily subsidized, therefore they provide a tangible value to people who might otherwise have to use a commercial facility to realize the same benefits. The direct use value is the cost savings that the park system provides the public.18 11 2009, P. Harnik and B. Welle. Measuring the Economic Value of a City Park System, Trust for Public Land. 12 2005, Crompton, John. “The Impact of Parks on Property Values: Empirical Evidence from the Past Two Decades in the United States”. Leisure Management 10, 203-218 13 2015, RCO. Economic Analysis of Outdoor Recreation in Washington State. 14 1995, Crompton & July 27, 2009 Congressional Record—House H8825 15 2005, Crompton. 16 2014, Harnik, & Crompton, J.L. 17 2015, RCO. 18 2009, P. Harnik and B. Welle. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 26 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan 4.4 Demand Multiple strategies were implemented to understand the demand placed on the parks system for this report. These included a multi-pronged approach to public outreach, collecting park visitation data, analyzing sport field use, and facility rental data. All of these measures help the City understand the recreational interests and needs of people who live and work in Redmond. 4.4.1 Public Demand Knowing the recreational trends and desires of the public is key to understanding the demand placed on parks. Several outreach strategies were implemented in the creation of this plan as described in Chapter 2 Community Engagement. The 2015 PARCC survey showed that nearly three quarters of residents say they visit City of Redmond parks multiple times a month or more. The survey also indicated a very high satisfaction rating for the parks system overall, with ninety-three percent of survey respondents reporting being very satisfied to somewhat satisfied with Redmond’s parks. The following exhibit summarizes the community’s top park project priorities. Exhibit 4.10: Priority for Potential Park Projects (2015 PARCC Survey) ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 27 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan 4.4.2 Visitation Rate Park visitation was measured to establish a quantitative baseline of the demand on the system. Capturing park visitation was accomplished through the “You Count” program established in 2014. The program employed the use of automatic counting equipment that was installed at eleven parks across the system, four community parks and seven neighborhood parks. Trail corridor sites were also monitored. See Chapter 6 Trails for the detail about trail use. Exhibit 4.11 shows the number of people who use various parks within the system as recorded with the You Count program between 2013 and 2015. Of the eleven sites monitored, all of the top four most visited were community parks, which was expected based on their combined regional and local draw. Grass Lawn, Perrigo, Idylwood, and Farrel McWhirter had the highest number of visits in the system. However, some neighborhood parks were close in the number of visits. Grass Lawn Park had the highest average daily visits in the system, with 5,000 visits during peak hours. This park, similar to other community parks, has many amenities that support regional needs such as a tennis court complex, three sports fields, and a running track. It also supports the second largest residential neighborhood in the City with three playground areas, a splash pad, pavilion, walking trails, and picnic shelter. Neighborhood parks, including Cascade View Park, Anderson Park and Meadow Park, all had average visitation rates of 350 to 500 per day, and had 2,000 visitors on peak days. This demonstrates the demand for this type of park and the facilities they host. This indicates the need for parks close to home for families who take advantage of playgrounds and open fields for play. Exhibit 4.11: Average Daily Visits to parks monitored during the You Count Program ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 28 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan 4.5 Level of Service It is important to anticipate the future demand for park lands and facilities then plan accordingly. One of the most direct ways to project demand is through a Level Of Service (LOS) analysis. The LOS method used for this plan included three general steps that are outlined below and described in detail in the LOS Methodology section. The analysis supported the generation of park project ideas and information that was used to prioritize potential projects. See section 4.6 Implementation for details on the planning and development of the park project list. LOS General Steps: 1. Determine the current service provided by the inventory of existing facilities 2. Compare current service to the service standard set by the City 3. Identify the gaps in service 4.5.1 LOS Methodology To determine the current level of service provided by parks, the following key services were analyzed. Key services and methodologies:  Children’s Play Featuresf & Outdoor Sports & Fitness Facilities - Service Areas  Outdoor Sports Fields & Picnic Shelters - Use Rates  Urban Parks - Acreage, Quality, and Program Each key service was analyzed separately on a citywide basis. The measurement methods, described below, are a shift from past versions of this plan based on guidance from RCO and NRPA (citation to RCO & NRPA guidance). Facilities provided by other entities were also included in the analysis as described in section 4.2.3. Children’s Play Features & Outdoor Sports Fields and Courts - Service Areas Play features designed for children’s outdoor play include typical playgrounds like swings, climbers, slides and non-traditional play features like climbing rocks, splash pads, natural play features, and artistic play features. Sports fields, courts, and fitness equipment provide places for people of all ages to engage in structured or drop- in active outdoor activities. These facilities include sport fields constructed of natural grass or turf, hard-surface sport courts of all types, and other features that are designed for fitness and games. This does not include open grass areas that are designed for pick-up sport games or passive use. Examples of facilities included in this analysis are the sport fields at Hartman Park, the tennis courts at Rose Hill Middle School, and the outdoor fitness equipment at the Redmond Senior Center. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 29 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan For this plan, a service area methodology was selected to analyze level of service provided by children’s play features and outdoor sports fields and courts. This methodology takes into account distribution of features based on the target population, walkability, geographic equity, and credit for facilities by other providers.  Target population: The target population used in this analysis includes Redmond’s residential population plus 25 percent of employment population. While people that work in Redmond use City’s facilities, it is estimated that only a quarter of the employment population does so. The current and projected 2030 residential and employment population data were provided by the City Planning Department. Population data was paired with the service areas to calculate the percent of the population served.  Walkability: The community has prioritized the desire to have a walkable community, meaning for this analysis that people can walk one-quarter of a mile or less to a park or trail from their home or work. The City’s Transportation Master Plan also addresses walkability but in broader terms19. This is facilitated by the sidewalks and trails within the city. When there are obstructions to the network of sidewalks and trails, such as gaps in the system, steep slopes, rivers, or large roadways, the ability for one to walk decreases. To account for walkability, a GIS model of existing sidewalks and trails provided a perspective of current conditions. Studies, such as ”How far will people walk?” by Ryan Donahue20, also confirmed the Redmond community’s desire to have a quarter mile walking radius. Once a trip exceeds a quarter mile, people are more likely to choose a different mode of travel, such as by car. However, the quantity and quality of facilities in a park adds to their desirability and increases the distance people are willing to walk to reach them. NRPA standards indicate that a typical community park has a service area of one mile for pedestrians. For this analysis, sites with a high number of quality facilities, such as a picnic shelter, large modern playground equipment, and multiple turf fields were assigned a one mile service area and other sites were assigned a half-mile service area.  Geographic equity: The geographic distribution of facilities affects opportunities for recreation and play for the people that live and work in Redmond. The Department strives to provide facilities equitably across the city. Areas not covered by the service area are considered to be underserved and become priority locations for additional facilities and/or additional pedestrian and bicyclists connections to the facilities.  Other Providers: Beginning with the 2010 PARCC Plan, the City has made a practice of counting credit for parks by other providers. This was done, in part, as a way to analyze the park system from the user’s perspective. While most sites provide full public access, some providers must restrict public access to a degree. For instance, recreation facilities provided by Lake Washington School District (LWSD) must be closed to the public during school hours, but are open outside of the school day. Also, some private parks may be open to the public while other private parks are restricted to local neighborhood residents. To account for this variation in service, a service percentage was applied to the site’s service area. Exhibit 4.12 lists providers and the percent credit applied to their service areas. 19 2013, City of Redmond Transportation Master Plan, http://www.redmond.gov/PlansProjects/Transportation/TransportationMasterPlan 20 2011, Ryan Donahue. Pedestrians and Park Planning: How Far Will People Walk?, ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 30 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan To create the geographic service area, a point was created to represent each feature and a value was placed on each feature. Then, the applicable service area was plotted around each feature. The results of this analysis are shown in Appendix 4 B Maps. Outdoor Sports Fields & Picnic Shelters - Use Rates Sports fields and picnic shelters are rented for use by city programs, club sports, and community members. Capacity or percent use is an indicator of the demand for fields in the community. When demand is high, indicated by a high capacity percent (80 percent or higher) a capital project for increasing field capacity should be implemented within 2 to 4 years. The recommended planning timeframe for implementing a capital project lengthens when the capacity percent is lower. Exhibit 4.13 shows the level of service rating system for facility use. For sports fields, the hours of availability are generally 3 pm to 9 pm weekdays and 10 hours a day on weekends, with about 4 weeks off between seasons. The hours available differ between artificial turf and natural turf fields, as natural turf is not rented in the wet season. Exhibit 4.12: Park Service Area Credit by Provider Provider % Credit Applied to Service Area City of Redmond Parks 100% *Other Public Lands Inside City Limits and within convenient access 100% **School Lands 50% Private 25% During the LOS analysis, these percentages were applied to the service areas calculated for park features by these providers. *Other providers include the Cities of Bellevue and Kirkland and King County. Convenient access is calculated as 1 mile for sites with high quantity and quality facilities and ½ mile for other sites. **Schools counted are from Lake Washington School District (LWSD). Exhibit 4.13: Use Rates LOS for Facilities Capacity (percent use) LOS Rating Estimated Timeframe for Capital Project 81-100 E 2-4 yr. 51-80 D 6 yr. 31-50 C 10 yr. 11-30 B 20 yr. <10 A 20 yr. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 31 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Exhibit 4.14: Calculation of Use Rates of Sports Fields Field Name Field Type Average Hours Used Hours Available* Percent Used LOS Rating Grass Lawn Soccer Field #1 2337 2484 94% E Grass Lawn Soccer/Softball Field #2 2484 2484 100% E Grass Lawn Softball Field #1 1696 2484 68% D Hartman Babe Ruth Baseball Field Natural 1017 1242 82% E Hartman Little League Field #1 Natural 433 768 56% D Hartman Little League Field #2 Natural 372 768 48% C Hartman Little League Field #3 Natural 431 768 56% D Hartman Little League Field #4 Natural 350 768 46% C Hartman Soccer/Softball Field #5 & 6 983 2484 40% C Perrigo Soccer/Softball Field #1 2434 2484 98% E Perrigo Soccer/Softball Field #2 1987 2484 80% D Artificial turf sports fields area rented year-round and are typically available between the hours of 9 am and 11 pm, seven days a week. The highest use hours on weekdays are between 3 pm and 11 pm. Daytime use increases during the summer season of June through August where fields are rented generally between 9 am and 3 pm. Natural grass fields are available for rental use during the spring and summer season from March through August. Natural grass fields are not available for use during the rainy seasons of fall and winter to protect the fields from damage. Exhibit 4.15: Calculation of Use Rates of Picnic Shelters Shelter Name Capacity (people) Average Use Availability Percent Used LOS Rating Anderson Park Picnic Shelter 50 323 900 36% C Hutcheson Picnic Shelter (Farrel-McWhirter Park) 50 127 900 14% B Mackey Creek Shelter (Farrel-McWhirter Park) 50 122 900 14% B Grass Lawn Dome Picnic Shelter 75 494 900 55% D Perrigo Park Picnic Shelter 75 560 900 62% D Idylwood Park Picnic Shelter 50 408 900 45% C For picnic shelters, the hours of availability are generally 9 am to dusk (2 pm to 4 pm depending on the time of year) weekdays for the summer season, generally running from April through September. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 32 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Urban Parks - Acreage, Quality, and Program The Department has recommended the establishment of a new category of park land for Redmond’s two urban centers and its local centers. The city defines urban parks as parkland designed to provide park and recreation functionality for the local neighborhood that surrounds them as well as provide space and infrastructure to support large community events and gatherings. The goal is to provide sufficient urban park space in each urban centers and local centers to accommodate community events of up to 10,000 people using one or more park spaces (such as a hub and spoke approach to an event). See section 4.0.1 for the full definition. The following criteria define the urban park level of service methodology. An urban park must exist within designated urban center boundaries or local center boundaries as defined by the City Comprehensive Plan. Urban and local centers are where Redmond’s population is the densest and is planned to grow the most. These criteria help plan for highly developed parks in areas with the highest population densities. 1. An urban park site must be approximately two acres in size or larger. Urban parks should accommodate crowds of up to 10,000 people or more which can be accomplished by several smaller parcels or by one large parcel. 2. Urban parks must have sufficient infrastructure to support community events. While typical park development includes utilities such as water, sewer and power, it does not normally call for the level of utilities and hardscape needed to support large community events. The demand for community events has been increasing based on the number of special event permit issued. 3. Urban parks are designed and constructed with quality amenities and materials. These parks and facilities are likely to have high levels of use by thousands of visitors each year. Planning for long-lasting amenities and materials will ensure that these parks remain beautiful and functional for years into the future with proper maintenance. 4. Urban parks serve the daily recreational needs of neighboring residents, and at the same time are destination gathering places. Populations in the urban centers will increase over time, and urban parks will provide similar functions as a typical neighborhood park for people living and working within walking distance. Parks in the Downtown and Overlake urban centers were assessed using these criteria. The results of this analysis are listed in section 4.5.2 LOS Results. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 33 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan 4.5.2 Level of Service Standard A service standard provides a benchmark by which the current level of service is measured. The difference between the service standard and the current level of service is identified as the service gap, described in the following section. The service standards are shown in the following exhibit. Exhibit 4.16: LOS Standards *Convenient access is calculated as 1 mile for sites with higher quantity and quality facilities and a half mile for other sites. Target population is all residential population plus 25 percent of the employment population. Children’s Play Features LOS Standard: All residents (100%) in Redmond have convenient access* to children’s play features from their place of residence. Outdoor Sports and Fitness Facilities LOS Standard: All of the target population** (100%) who live and work in Redmond have convenient access* to outdoor sports and fitness facilities from residence or office. Sports Field LOS Standard: Sports fields should be operated at 80% capacity or less. If the facility is used at a higher rate, it triggers the need for additional capacity and/or field space. Rental Facilities LOS Standard: Rental facilities should be operated at 80% capacity or less. If the facility is used at a higher rate, it triggers the need for additional capacity and/or facilities. Urban Parks LOS Standard: Each of Redmond’s urban centers and local centers should contain sufficient urban park acreage to meet all urban park service criteria. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 34 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Measuring the current service level against the service standard provides the gap in service for the park system based on the key services. Projects that increase or add new service in underserved areas can then be identified and prioritized in those areas. The maps found in Appendix 4 B show the gaps in service using the service area method for children’s play features and outdoor sports facilities based on 2015 data. 4.5.3 Level of Service Results The following sections explain the results of the LOS analysis performed for this plan. Children’s Play Features & Outdoor Sports & Fitness Facilities The results of this LOS analysis show that in 2015, 52 percent and 54 percent of the population had convenient access to children’s play features and outdoor sports and fitness facilities, respectively.i The remaining 48 to 46 percent of the population are considered underserved, were in areas that are farther than a one mile or half mile walk to the nearest facility. With the LOS standard of providing service to all residents and employees, this analysis would suggest that there is a need to plan, fund and install more of these features in the system. Redmond expects to see significant growth in its residential and employment populations by the year 2030. It is projected that the percent of residents served by 2030 would drop from 52 percent to 45 percent if the current level of service for children’s play features is not increased. Similarly, LOS for outdoor sports and fitness facilities would drop from 54 percent to 53 percent served if the number of features remains the same. In an attempt to keep up the planned growth of the population, Redmond plans to install more of these features in the parks system. The details about proposed projects can be found in section 4.6 Implementation. The service areas provided by existing facilities and the expanded service area that proposed projects will provide are found Appendix 4 B Maps. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 35 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Redmond residents benefit from children’s play features provided by entities other than the City. In 2015 the City’s facilities served about 41 percent of the residential population. An additional 15 percent of residents were served by facilities in other public parks, school facilities and private facilities. In regard to outdoor sports and fitness facilities, Redmond provided service to about 48 percent of the population and other providers served an additional seven percent. It is important to account for facilities by other providers when making recommendations for future facility development. This approach allows for a holistic view of service provided by facilities across the City. Exhibit 4.17a: Children's Play Features: Level of Service by Provider Provider 2015 Population Served 2030 Population Served Redmond 38% 32% *Other 1% 0% **School 7% 7% Private 6% 6% > 1 Mile walk 48% 55% Exhibit 4.17b: Outdoor Sports & Fitness Facilities: Level of Service by Provider Provider 2015 Population Served 2030 Population Served Redmond 47% 43% *Other 4% 3% **School 3% 7% Private 0% 0% > 1 Mile walk 46% 47% *Other providers include the Cities of Bellevue and Kirkland and King County. Convenient access is calculated as 1 mile for sites with high quantity and quality facilities and ½ mile for other sites. **Schools counted are from Lake Washington School District (LWSD) ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 36 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Sport Fields Sports fields are in high demand by city programs, private sports leagues, and non-profit community groups that use and rent fields. The fields are currently configured for soccer, softball, baseball, and little league baseball. However, cricket and lacrosse groups also rent the fields, although the current fields don’t meet those sports’ standards for field dimensions and lines. Exhibit 4.18: Hours of Sports Field Use by Sport When a field is used 80 percent of the time or more, it is considered at capacity and planning should begin to determine how to fulfill current and future demand. 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Baseball/Softball Soccer Cricket Lacrosse Other ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 37 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Exhibit 4.19: Percent of Time Sports Fields Rented Of the 11 fields in the system today, six are at capacity. There is growing demand for fields by softball, soccer, lacrosse and cricket players in Redmond. Other regional and national recreational trends that may require sports fields in the future include Ultimate FrisbeeTM and rugby. Over the next 20 years, it is projected that the City will require six more fields to meet demand. Some of this demand may be fulfilled by converting single use fields into multi-use fields and by partnering with the school district and county in using fields jointly. The immediate focus for the next two fields will be to identify a multi- purpose field where lacrosse can be included and to build either a multi-purpose or dedicated field for cricket. Lacrosse could potentially be included in the Perrigo Park turf replacement project planned for 2018. Cricket is proposed for the open field at Juel Park, but it could also potentially be included with another sport at another field, assuming the dimensions are appropriate. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 38 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Picnic Shelters When a picnic shelter is used 80 percent of the time or more, it is considered at capacity and planning should begin to determine how to fulfill current and future demand. The following exhibit shows the percent of available hours that the picnic shelters are rented, which does not account for drop-in use. Exhibit 4.20: Percent of Time Picnic Shelters Rented The rental demand is not currently in the 80 percent or above range, which does not indicate the need for another large rental picnic shelter at this time. During various recent public outreach efforts including the PARCC Plan and master plans, community members requested more shelters in neighborhood and community parks. Many people would be satisfied with smaller shelters with one to four picnic tables, such as the new shelter at Spiritbrook Park and those planned for Perrigo Park Phase IIb. These smaller shelters do not schedule use through rentals or reservations. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Anderson Park Farrel-McWhirter/ Hutcheson Farrel-McWhirter/ Mackey Creek Grass Lawn Park Idylwood Park Perrigo Park ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 39 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Urban Parks Service for urban parks is measured by how well the urban park criteria are met. The criteria used to determine appropriate characteristics of an urban park are:  Exists in an Urban Center or Local Center  Is a minimum of 2 acres in size  Has infrastructure sufficient to support community events  Amenities are made of high quality/durable materials  Design is thorough and appropriate for the site and intended use  Site meets the daily recreational needs of the local community Descriptions of existing and potential urban parks in Redmond are listed below. Municipal Campus has been used as Redmond’s main location for community events. It has sufficient space to accommodate large crowds and has convenient parking. That said, the site lacks important infrastructure to support events such as sufficient power and surfacing that can handle large crowds well. Two master plans have been created for Municipal Campus that call for development of the site with more hardscape, improved power and other amenities that would better support events and gatherings. To date, few of the planned improvements have been implemented leaving the campus functional as a community event space but somewhat below its potential capacity. In 2014, the “Station” was constructed as part of the Redmond Central Connector project. Later, power to the site was enhanced with City Innovation Funds. This site functions well as a gathering and event space for the community and is a complimentary site to Municipal Campus. Additionally, the final design of Downtown Park was underway at the writing of this report. When the park is completed, it will become the focal point for events in Downtown. Between these three parks, the Downtown urban center will be able to host large and exciting events for the entire community. Support events with large open space, utilities Quality materials, intimate space, shade Year round furnishings, playful elements, public art ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 40 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Overlake Village is another urban center in Redmond. As of the writing of this report, no public parks exist inside the Overlake urban boundary. Esterra Park will be the first public park developed in the area. It is being planned and constructed in a way that meets all of the urban park criteria. Two additional parks are being planned for the Overlake urban center and will be developed in conjunction with storm water management facilities. They will provide important acreage to the urban park system in the area. These parks have not been officially named so are being referred to geographically as North Overlake Village Park and South Overlake Village Park. Exhibit 4.21: Current and Proposed Urban Parks Locations Right, Downtown Urban Center with Existing Urban Parks; left, Overlake Urban Center with proposed Urban Parks A blue * represents an existing Urban Park and a purple * represents a proposed Urban Park site. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 41 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan 4.6 Implementation One of the goals of the PARCC Plan implementation is to develop and deliver capital projects that serve the priorities of the community. Several steps are taken in the development of the list of projects recommended to move forward to development as described below. Chapter 10. Capital Project Recommendations provides the details on project priorities, cost estimates, and the funding process. 4.6.1 Developing the Recommended Project List Capital projects are those that cost more than $25,000, which can be depreciated over time and meet at least one of the following criteria:  New facility, or increas square footage of an existing facility  Changes the function of a facility  Increase the capacity of a facility One of the main objectives of this plan is a recommended list of park projects for implementation. The steps listed in adjacent exhibit are taken to ensure that the recommended list of projects provides the highest value to the community. These steps are explained below. Potential project identification: The goal of this step is to generate a universal project list. This list is a clearinghouse of all park project ideas and concepts generated in prior planning efforts and during the public outreach for this plan. Project ideas range from conceptual to fully planned and adopted trail projects. The first step in creating this list was to consolidate existing project ideas from previous planning efforts such as the 2010 PARCC Plan, the City’s Comprehensive Plan (including Neighborhood Plans), and the Budgeting by Priorities process. New project ideas were also generated during outreach to the public and to City staff. Feasibility evaluation: The goal of this step is to refine the universal trail project list based on project feasibility. The feasibility assessment process included LOS analysis described in section 4.5 Level of Service for new projects. The analysis used factors such as service area, percent population served, and capacity as a way to Exhibit 4.22: Implementation Steps for Recommended Projects ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 42 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan identify potential projects that would provide the greatest benefit to the city. Planning level studies: Potential projects that score highly in the feasibility evaluation are given more definition such as high level scope details and preliminary cost estimates. Project ranking: After scope and cost details are determined, project ideas are scored and ranked based on the ranking criteria as described in Chapter 10 Capital Project Recommendations. The product of this step is a prioritized list of potential projects. Project recommendation: The prioritized list of potential projects is then recommended for funding. See Chapter 10 Capital Project Recommendations for details. Acquisition: If the City does not hold rights to the property needed for a project, acquisition of those property rights is necessary. Acquisition is commonly accomplished through gaining title to the land or receiving easement on the property. Design & Construction: After property rights are acquired, projects are moved into design. This stage may include master planning, environmental and other studies, preliminary design and the creation of construction documents. Project plans and specifications are then released for bidding to select a contractor. Once a contractor is selected and a contract is awarded, the project begins moving through construction. Once constructed, the new facilities are open for public use. Operation & Maintenance: Some projects are programmed with recreational activities which require city staff to operate. Also, all projects require regular maintenance to ensure safe use and to maximize the facility’s longevity. Eventually all facilities will require renovation or replacement, which may trigger another capital project. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 43 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Project Descriptions Below are descriptions of select projects that were highly ranked on the recommended projects list. Near-term Priority Projects: Projects to be completed between 2016 and 2021 Downtown Park: The City is moving forward with the development of Downtown Park, which is located between Redmond Way and Cleveland Street and roughly between 161st Street and just east of Brown Street. This two acre park is envisioned to be a place for the growing residential and employment population of Downtown to use as a neighborhood park and as a central place for City events and performances to take place. It is ideally located along the two main east-west corridors, Redmond Way and Cleveland Street, and just one block away from Bear Creek Parkway and Leary Way. Construction is underway and scheduled for completion in 2018. Smith Woods Pond and Channel Restoration: Design, permit and construct a permanent solution to the hydrology problems associated with the pond at Smith Woods. Turf Replacements: The artificial turf at Perrigo Park was installed in 2004 and Fields 5 and 6 Hartman Park were installed in 2006. Artificial turf fields typically last 10 – 12 years putting the fields at both parks at the end of their useful lives. The turf fiber has broken down significantly in recent years leaving the sand and rubber infill materials exposed with very fine turf fibers remaining. Projects are proposed to replace turf fields at both parks. Infrastructure Projects: As the infrastructure in the parks system ages, it is critical to plan renovations and replacements to maintain quality service. Several important projects are planned across the system.  At Grass Lawn Park, the rubberized safety surfacing around the climbing boulders and swings has lived out its useful life and is planned to be replaced. In addition, the iconic dome picnic shelter at the park is in need of a new roof and other repairs to extend the life of the structure.  The dock at Idylwood Beach Park is in need of repairs to extend its life and improve safety for users.  The Adair House at Anderson Park is one of the designated historic landmark structures in the system and an important rental space. Important repairs needed on the structure Rendering of the Downtown Park Master Plan Spiritbrook Park Renovation Redmond Cantal Connector, Ph. I Sky Painting by John Fleming ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 44 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan include replacing the roof and remodeling the kitchen and restroom. These projects will increase the longevity of the structure and provide an enhanced experience for users. The restroom building at Anderson Park is also in need of a new roof. A replacement project is proposed.  Farrel-McWhirter is home to several historic buildings. It’s been identified that the electrical systems in several buildings need to be updated to meet current code. A project is proposed that will upgrade the electrical systems to be in compliance. The surfacing of horse arenas, or “footing”, is an important part of the feature. The footing of the large arena in the northwest corner of the park is breaking down and is in need of replacement. Revisions to the fence around the arena are also proposed to further improve user experience at the arena. Hardscape Projects: Hardscape elements in the parks system include paved parking areas, pathways inside parks, fences, and other features that need to be renovated or replaced in order for to meet service goals and expectations.  The parking lot at Grass Lawn Park off 148th Avenue is in need of renovation. This project includes improvements to the parking lot asphalt as well as the landscaped islands in and around the lot.  Hartman Park also has hardscape features in need of replacement. The pathway and fence around fields 5 and 6 have lived their expected lifespans and are in need of replacement. These projects are planned to be completed within the next 6 years. Westside Park Playground Replacement & Relocation: Westside Park is an older neighborhood park in Redmond that has been identified as a recommended capital project for renovation. The play equipment is outdated and in need of replacement. A master plan for the park was completed in 2010 that calls for upgrades and relocation of the playground, looping paths, updated sports courts, picnic shelter and a restroom. This project focuses on the playground update portion of the master plan. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 45 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Mid-term and Long- term Priority Projects: Projects to be completed between 2022 and 2030 Overlake Village Park Development: The Overlake neighborhood has the largest employment population in Redmond and is projected to have the fastest growing residential neighborhood in the city. The majority of the planned growth is expected to occur in Overlake Village in the southern part of the neighborhood. As a result, the neighborhood needs more acres of neighborhood park land in the coming years to accommodate growing recreational needs. The City plans to develop two new parks in conjunction with the creation of stormwater facilities. The North Village Park is one of two future parks in Overlake Village that will be built on top of regional stormwater vaults. Property is necessary for this park and stormwater vault and the ideal location is the block bounded by 151st, 152nd, 26th and 27th. This park is planned to be about two and 1/2 acres in size. Once the land is secured, a master plan will be developed for the park, so its specific amenities are undetermined. The public process to date has identified this park as a central gathering place in the large green given its central location, relatively flat topography and easy access from surrounding future developments. This park could be a place for performances, markets, and other events as well as an attractive lunchtime gathering place with amenities such as moveable tables and chairs, water feature, urban landscaping, and places for community engagement such as interactive art and play. The South Village Park will also be built on top of a regional stormwater vault. Land for this park still needs to be secured, but the vault is already built on the west side of future Da Vinci (151st) Ave NE between NE 20th St and future NE Alhazen (22nd) St. This park is planned to be about two acres in size. There is no master plan for the park yet, so its specific amenities are undetermined. . The public process to date has identified this park as a significant open space amongst the cityscape. Within the green are pockets of passive uses such as perennial gardens, p-patches or rain gardens, and more active areas for kicking a soccer ball, throwing a Frisbee, picnicking, playing a game of chess, shooting hoops, or swinging at the play area. The urban flavor reaches into the park at the Plaza, which serves as a transition or mixing zone between on- and off-site activities. It is the hub of community events that spill out across the ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 46 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan green or into the pedestrian street. Tucked along the edge of the park, the refuge is a quieter zone that provides relief from the urban scene for individuals or small groups. Conrad Olsen Park Development: This park, a designated historic landmark property, contains the original farmhouse, barn, outbuildings and farmyard that convey the historic life and operations of this farmstead. The primary program focus for Olsen Farm is to maintain the rural character of the farm and establish an environmental learning center in collaboration with the city’s Natural Resources Division to develop environmental stewardship through education. Native discovery gardens will be developed to enhance ecological function and provide educational activities to teach both students and general visitors about Bear Creek’s riparian corridor. Trails through the riparian zone will lead visitors and students on an educational walk and the existing farm buildings will serve as offices, classrooms and labs for the environmental learning center. The Bear- Evans Creek regional trail will cross through the park and eventually connect with Farrel-McWhirter Park as outlined in the East Redmond Corridor Master Plan. Juel Park Design and Construction per Master Plan: The East Redmond Corridor Master Plan included a conceptual plan for future development of Juel Park. The primary goals of the Juel Park plan are to protect the large stand of trees at the south edge of the property, develop a Cricket field, trails, picnic areas, environmental play, and enhance wetland and stream habitats with interpretive learning. Important infrastructure updates are also planned including adding additional parking, sewer and stormwater updates, repairs to the existing cabin and retrofitting the barn for maintenance use. Municipal Campus Enhancements: Much of Municipal Campus development was completed in 2005; however some elements in the site’s master plan were not implemented. The campus is home to many civic buildings but it also serves as a venue for large community events and gatherings and is used by local residents as a neighborhood park. Improvements planned for the site are intended to support these uses. An artful non-traditional play features are proposed that would fit the aesthetic of the site. Infrastructure improvements to support community events are also planned, including upgrades to the electrical system, hardscape areas and the irrigation system. Landscape areas and the overall design will be ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 47 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan planned to open to and celebrate the Sammamish River that passes along the site’s west side. Farrel-McWhirter Master Plan Implementation: The East Redmond Corridor Master Plan included a conceptual plan for future development of Farrel-McWhirter Park, a designated historic landmark property. The plan primarily focused on improving the park’s organization, and routing a regional trail through the park. The new trail alignment not only provides the most direct route between adjacent parks and the PSE trail, but better organizes the park activity and reduces potential conflicts between park users and operations activity. The master plan proposal includes relocating the service access road to the east edge of the park, enhancing the “Event Meadow” and Mackey Creek. Recently, other major renovations have been identified for the park. These include renovations to multiple structures on this site such as renovating historic buildings, replacing picnic shelters, updating play equipment, providing a new barn for animal shelter, and building a new covered arena. Other improvements needed include expanding the parking area and moving the north arena out of wetland. Dudley Carter Park Redevelopment: A master plan for Dudley Carter Park was completed in 2010. The plan celebrates King County’s first artist in residence, Dudley Carter, and the work he did to build community through the creation of art. In 2013 the first step in implementing the plan was completed when Dudley Carter’s Haida House, a designated historic landmark, was restored. The park is planned to continue serving artists at work in a new studio and will exhibit sculptures on trails that meander through the park. The proposed studio would host a rotating artist, supplies for programs, and provide room for the public to take classes or visit exhibits. The site will also have space for natural play, picnicking and interpretative elements. Sammamish Valley Park: The City acquired this property in 1998 and finalizes a master plan in 2010. The 32 acre park was formerly used for agricultural purposes. It is currently undeveloped, relatively flat and the master plan proposes to restore nearly 28 acres of wetlands, streams, floodplains and buffers. In 2015-2016, 10 acres of restoration plantings occurred. However, 18 acres require restoration. The master plan also proposes active uses on the 4 acres to the west. That portion of the park would include a multi-purpose building that would open up into a large plaza with a ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 48 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan viewpoint/amphitheater and territorial views of the wetlands and Mt Rainier. The building would include a classroom and teaching kitchen that could be programmed. The area to the north of the building would be a community garden and the area to the south would provide more viewpoints and a fire circle. Sports Fields: The City will evaluate opportunities to develop more multi-use fields on City property and to partner with Lake Washington School District on joint use fields on school properties to address community demand for sports fields. Some proposed projects include:  Lacrosse field: Over the past several years there has been some demand for a lacrosse field in Redmond. Perrigo Park has been identified as a potential location for a field as turf fields have sufficient space for lacrosse and a turf replacements project is in the near term. Lacrosse lines may be incorporated into the new turf planned to be installed in 2018, pending design.  Redmond High School Fields: As the demand for sports fields has increased and the availability of land has decreased, the City has looked for opportunities to partner with others that provide similar services. The grass fields at Redmond High School is used relatively little outside of the school year leaving it open during the months when the City’s fields receive their heaviest sports use. This project proposes to renovate the field at the school by converting the grass to turf designed to be multi-use for soccer and softball.  Redmond Junior High Fields: This project proposes to renovate a field at Redmond Junior High School in the same way; by converting the grass to turf designed to be multi-use for soccer and softball.  Turf Replacement: (coming soon) Hartman Park Renovations per New Master Plan: Hartman Park is one of the oldest community parks in the city. The original master plan was completed in 1971 and some revisions occurred in 1983 and 1990. Since that time, important components of the park have aged and the park is in need of a new vision for the future. The 43 year old Hartman Pool will eventually close, which will make the old pool space available for other park amenities. There are many significant upgrades needed at the park including a new and expanded playground, large picnic shelter and improved community gathering ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 49 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan space. The city regularly partners with Lake Washington School District on sports tournaments and plans to work together to create improvements to support this activity. With all these changes and needs occurring, the creation of a new master plan is critical. Martin Park Development: The East Redmond Corridor Master Plan lines out important improvements needed at Martin Park. Martin Park will serve as a trailhead for the regional trail that will connect to Arthur Johnson Park to the south and to Farrel-McWhirter Park to the north. It is also envisioned as a “Farmyard for the Arts”, using the existing barn and chicken coop structures as multi-purpose facilities with a cultural arts focus. An additional multi-purpose events structure is also proposed, which may include service amenities such as a kitchen and restrooms. These improvements are envisioned to provide important support for the City’s Artist in Residence program. Perrigo Park Phase 2b Construction: This community park is about 75 percent developed, with turf fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, a large play area and picnic area, and trails. The City acquired a 4-acre parcel at the northeast corner of the park will be used to create more play area, provide a large field for un-programmed recreation, a small outdoor stage, expanding parking, and upgrades to the barn for use by park operations. The Perrigo Park Phase 2a project was recently completed and included development of the parking lot and open field. Phase 2b will include an inclusive playground designed for children of all abilities, picnic shelters, a stage area and will upgrade the existing barn to function as a satellite maintenance location. Arthur Johnson Park Development: As outlined in the East Redmond Corridor Master Plan, the regional Bear-Evans Creek Trail runs adjacent to Martin Park, and will connect with Arthur Johnson Park via an underpass of Union Hill Road. Arthur Johnson Park is envisioned to be a retreat for the community with an emphasis on the native plants of Washington (highlighting rhododendrons) and the property’s natural features and animal habitat. Parking will also be provided to accommodate park visitors from around the area. Idylwood Park Renovations & Enhancements: Many of the improvements called for in the 2004 Opportunity Plan have been completed, including the redevelopment of the playground, restoration of the stream and natural areas, and construction of a new picnic shelter. However, many more improvements remain to ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 50 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan be completed. Additional parking space is needed as is an expanded restroom and concessions building. The upgraded building will include more storage space (including room for kayaks and canoes), room for boat rentals and multi-purpose community space that can also be used for classes and meetings. Other upgrades needed at the park include repairs or replacement of the doc and seawall, improved ADA access to the waterfront and addition of a fishing dock. Westside Park Renovation: Westside Park is an older neighborhood park in Redmond that has been identified as a recommended capital project for renovation. The play equipment is outdated, drainage issues exist in the fields and sport courts that require resurfacing. A master plan for the park was completed in 2010 that calls for upgrades and relocation of the playground, looping paths, updated sports courts, picnic shelter and a restroom. The near-term project would replace the playground; however the remainder of the master plan implementation would occur in the future. Cascade View Park Renovation & Expansion: When this site was master planned in 1995, tennis courts were proposed on a parcel approximately one acre in size across the street from the main park, at the corner of NE 40th Street and 162nd Ave NE. Other improvements include replacement of the playground and the potential for creating a community garden. Southeast Redmond Park Design & Construction: The Southeast Redmond neighborhood is developing quickly, including both people living and working within the area. This neighborhood represents a significant gap in service for recreational features. The City owns a three acre parcel called Southeast Redmond Park, which is currently a mowed lawn with no amenities. The LOS analysis shows a need for play features and a sports court. First a master plan needs to be developed for this park, where local residents help shape the future park. The second project would be the design and construction phase. Skate Park Enhancements &/or Relocation: In recent years, there has been a demand from users of “The Edge” Skate Park to provide features for users with more advanced skills. The existing features were originally designed around beginner and intermediate skill ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 51 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan level users. This project would be based on input for park users and professional skate park designers to expand skate park to include more advanced features. Dog park development: While dogs on a leash are welcome in Redmond’s parks and trails, with a few exceptions such as the Watershed Preserve, the City does not currently provide any areas dedicated to off-leash dog play. King County’s Marymoor Park is home to one of the region’s largest off-leash dog parks but it is located far enough away from Redmond’s residential areas that users must drive to get there. With its high number of apartment and condominium dwelling units and high population density, the Downtown Neighborhood is one area with a high need for an off- leash dog park. This project would identify one or more locations for off-leash dog areas in Redmond and create a master plan for their design and implementation. Luke McRedmond Park Enhancements: The level of service analysis shows a gap in service for children’s play features in downtown. One plausible location for this is Luke McRedmond Park. This project would include the design and development of a medium-scale playground designed for inclusive play. There is also a need to renovate or replace the existing picnic shelter which would be included in the project. NW North Redmond Play Features: The level of service analysis identifies a gap in service for children’s play features in the northwest portion of the North Redmond neighborhood. This indicates that residents of the area would be required to drive to another part of Redmond to use a play feature. To fill the gap in service, a site for a play feature(s) must be identified on public or private land and a project created to fund and develop the play feature(s). The City does not currently own property in this location. Rose Hill Park (newly annexed, possibly privately developed): A portion of the Rose Hill area was annexed by the City in 2016. This presents an opportunity to begin to fill the gap in service that exists in the area. The project proposes the planning and development of a new neighborhood park in or near the newly annexed area. The LOS analysis shows a need for play features and a sports court. A site for this park needs to be selected and a master plan needs to be developed with input from local residents prior to design and construction. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 52 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Smith Woods Development: A master plan was created for this park that is located in a developing residential neighborhood. The site is heavily wooded and contains significant and landmark trees, a stream and pond, and other potentially sensitive environmental areas. During the master planning process, community members requested many park amenities, which have been incorporated into the final plan which includes play features, trails and picnic areas. Final design and construction of the park amenities is required, which will include play features and picnic areas. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 53 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Appendix 4 A: Policies The following is a compilation of policies from all elements of the City Comprehensive Plan that are related to the planning, design and development of parks. Policies are arranged by the element name under which they appear in the Comprehensive Plan. Goals, Vision and Framework Policies FW-29 Maintain and promote a vibrant system of parks and trails that are sustainably designed, preserve various types of habitat and protect the natural beauty of Redmond. FW-41 Preserve Redmond’s heritage, including historic links to native cultures, logging and farming, and its image as the Bicycle Capital of the Northwest, as an important element of the community’s character. FW-49 Work with other jurisdictions and agencies, educational and other organizations, and the business community to develop and carry out a coordinated, regional approach for meeting the various needs of Eastside communities, including housing, human services, economic vitality, parks and recreation, transportation, and environmental protection. Community Character and Historic Preservation Policies CC-5 Continue to provide community gathering places in recreation facilities and park sites throughout the city and encourage development of new community gathering places, including in the Downtown and Overlake neighborhoods. CC-29 Coordinate the development of parks and trails and the acquisition of open space with the preservation, restoration and use of historic properties. Natural Environment Policies NE-9 Promote and lead education and involvement programs to raise public awareness of environmental issues, encourage respect for the environment, and show how individual actions and the cumulative effects of a community’s actions can have significant effects on the environment. NE-10 Support sustainable development and strive towards becoming a sustainable community. NE-12 Encourage environmentally friendly construction practices, such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), King County Built Green, and low-impact development. NE-16 Use Best Available Science to preserve and enhance the functions and values of critical areas through policies, regulations, programs, and incentives. NE-18 Use science-based mitigation to offset unavoidable adverse impacts to critical areas. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 54 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture and Conservation Policies PR-7 Distribute parks and recreation and cultural facilities throughout Redmond to improve walkability and provide an equitable distribution of parks based on population density. Encourage this type of planning by calculating neighborhood park and trail level of service standards based on neighborhood populations. PR-12 Encourage parks, beautification areas, art and gathering places throughout the city by coordinating planning efforts with other City departments and private development early in the planning process. PR-13 Design and construct park facilities in a manner that is compatible with the surrounding neighborhood and is sensitive to the environment. PR-14 Allow use of natural areas, open space corridors and sensitive habitats at a level that will not compromise the environmental integrity of the area. PR-15 Integrate public art and park design from the onset of facility planning to create dynamic and interesting public places that are informed by the themes and platforms identified in the Public Art Plan, such as local geography, culture and environment and by the intended use of the park. PR-16 Design new and renovated facilities using appropriate technology, construction materials and maintenance procedures to gain cost efficiencies and conserve resources. PR-17 Encourage development of outdoor plazas and squares within public and private developments in the Downtown and Overlake urban centers for community events, visual and performance based public art opportunities, and to encourage community connections. PR-18 Develop facilities and partnerships to introduce and educate the public about the rich natural environment of Redmond. Facilities for environmental education and stewardship could include features like classroom or exhibit space, overlooks of natural features, and a citywide interpretative program for shorelines, streams, native growth protection areas, aquifers and other important natural systems by the appropriate agencies or City departments. (SMP) PR-19 Replace, renovate and expand existing indoor recreation facilities, or provide new ones, to make spaces available for: a. Community recreation; b. Swimming and aquatics; c. Senior activities; d. Teen activities; e. Activities for children and adults of all abilities; f. Cultural arts; g. Community gatherings; and h. Athletic facilities. (SMP) ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 55 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan PR-20 Prepare a plan to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements for outdoor recreation facilities. Design and renovate identified parks and recreational facilities in a manner that will, where feasible, provide safe and accessible use by all persons. (SMP) PR-21 Assess and appropriately manage risk during the design of parks and recreation facilities. PR-22 Support and enhance the historic resources within the park and recreation system, including Historic Landmarks. PR-23 Maintain the historic character of the farmsteads in Redmond through preservation, design and interpretation. PR-24 Acquire land and develop parks in areas that are experiencing or expected to have significant growth, such as the Downtown and Overlake urban centers, or areas identified as having a deficiency. Capital Facilities CF-18 Identify lands useful for public purposes in functional plans and in the appropriate elements of the Comprehensive Plan. Identify alternative sites or lands more generally where acquisition is not immediate. Identify lands specifically when acquired and used for public purposes on the Land Use Map, or in the appropriate elements of the Comprehensive Plan where not otherwise identified by City or other governmental agency functional plans. CF-19 Identify shared needs and the lands that may be used to meet these needs with nearby cities, King County, neighboring counties, the State of Washington, the Puget Sound Regional Council, school districts, special purpose districts and other government agencies. Maintain a capital acquisition budget and schedule that reflects the jointly agreed upon priorities. Urban Centers UC-17 Promote the vision of the parks, plazas, art, pathways, and open spaces in the urban centers as being part of a cohesive system of public spaces that is integral to distinguishing the urban centers as “people places.” UC-20 Size and design plazas and open spaces to meet the needs of those who live, work, and shop in the area. Include among the facilities a place to gather, rest, eat, and engage in active recreational activities that do not require large amounts of space. Provide trees and places for shade and relief. ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 56 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Appendix 4 B: Maps ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 57 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Map 4.1: Existing and Proposed Park System Map ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 58 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Map 4.2: Children’s Play Features Service Area Analysis ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 59 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Map 4.3: Outdoor Sports & Fitness Facilities Service Area Analysis ---PAGE BREAK--- Chapter 4: Parks 60 I P a g e Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan Map 4.4: Recommended Projects; Park & Recreation (PR) and Renovation (RN) for the Near, Mid, and Long -term