Parks nearer to master plan
Published 8:00 pm Wednesday, January 31, 2007
A recreation and aquatic center on Maxwelton Road may be in the future plans for the South Whidbey Parks & Recreation District.
During a public meeting Thursday, nearly 50 people listened to several options for a master plan for the park.
MacLeod Reckord, a Seattle firm hired to help with the plan, discussed the development of a master plan for a Community Park that included several options. The purpose of the master plan is to show the type of improvements that could be developed in a park at some point in the future.
Four options were presented that included different sites for the recreation/aquatic center; on Langley Road, on two sites on Maxwelton Road, and within the Community Park.
Several ideas were more popular than others, especially a future site for a recreation and pool center.
The most popular site with the public is locating the facility near the old house at the entrance to the Community Park on Maxewlton Road.
“There is a tremendous amount of interest in a pool. The community seems to support building a pool,” said parks director Art Burke.
Burke said the master plan will include expansion ideas for the next 10 or 15 years. The cost of the improvements in the plan — including the pool, gymnasium, recreation center and covered tennis courts — could be $14 to $16 million.
The master plan would be implemented in phases. And there is interest from the Bayview Senior Center in partnering with the parks district on a facility, he said.
“As the population grows the need for recreational sites increases,” he said.
Consultant Ed MacLeod said one of the options includes placing the recreation center on Langley Road, but leaving the fields intact. That approach seemed to be the preferred plan.
“Our goal is to maintain the wonderful natural resources already part of the park,” he said. “There has been support for increasing accessibility to the trails. They are a major asset of the park.”
South Whidbey parks commissioners will study the four options and select one as the preferred plans. Another public meeting is planned for late in February.
Gayle Saran can be reached at 221-5300 or gsaran@southwhidbeyrecord.com.
