Parks and Recreation

Organization of this Chapter

The Parks and Recreation Chapter is divided into the following sections:

The Introduction describes the intent of the Parks and Recreation Chapter and its relationship to Redmond’s vision of the future and other chapters.

The Planning Context summarizes how this chapter responds to the requirements of the Growth Management Act and the Countywide Planning Policies.

The Parks Philosophy and Mission section describes Redmond’s approach to providing parks and recreation facilities and services.

The Parks and Recreation Policies are divided into the following areas:

A. Guidelines and Projected Needs Policies describe the guidelines and methods used to project the current and future needs for parks and recreation facilities.

B. Developing a Parks, Trails and Open Space System Policies describe how an integrated system of parks, trails, and open spaces will be provided and managed.

C. Recreation and Cultural Program Policies describe the recreation and cultural facilities that the City will provide to meet identified needs.

D. Conservation of Public Land and Natural Areas Policies provide for the protection of public lands that are important natural areas and the acquisition of sensitive natural areas.

E. Open Space Policies provide for the protection of open space and the types of areas that should be priorities for open space acquisition.

F. The Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan identifies existing and planned parks and recreation areas to meet future needs.

G. Recreational Trails Policies identify a comprehensive trail system to meet future needs.

H. City Center Parks and Recreation Policies identify parks planned for the City Center.

(Ord. 1992; Ord. 1984; Ord. 1929)

Introduction

ne of Redmond’s most attractive features is the large number of high quality recreational opportunities in the area. The City of Redmond, King County and other public and private agencies have taken advantage of the natural condition in and around the City to provide a variety of parks and recreation facilities. These include neighborhood, community, resource, regional parks, hiking, bicycle, and equestrian trails, tennis courts and golf courses. The area’s schools supplement this supply with athletic fields, playgrounds, gymnasiums and multipurpose rooms.

Redmond’s park, recreation and open space system, guided by the policies in the Parks and Recreation Chapter, has the following basic functions:

▀     To serve existing and future demand for a variety of park types (e.g., neighborhood, community, resource) and a multitude of recreation activities (e.g., fishing, picnicking, baseball).

▀     To provide recreational programs for the entire community and all age groups. The recreational programs place a high value on providing programs for young people.

▀     To provide for the conservation of important environmental resources which might otherwise be lost to development (e.g., shorelines, wetlands).

▀     To preserve areas which are unsuitable for development due to flooding, erosion or other hazards (e.g., flood plains, steep slopes).

The Parks and Recreation Chapter helps achieve Redmond’s vision for the future by helping to maintain the high quality of life, meeting the City’s recreational, social and cultural needs and helping to provide a safe community. Parks and recreation contribute a high quality of life by providing a full range of recreational opportunities ranging from competitive activities, such as sports and games, to more restful and reflective activities, such as walking and wildlife viewing. Attractive, well-maintained parks also contribute to the quality of life by providing open space and well-landscaped lands. Including lands unsuited to development in parks also can help to protect natural processes, such as ground water recharge, that contribute to a high quality of life.

In addition to parks and outdoor recreation, the Parks and Recreation program helps meet other cultural needs by providing facilities used by the community theater, by providing a senior center used to provide programs that meet senior and community-wide needs, and by promoting development of a community center. It also provides important youth programs and activities ranging from team sports to a youth center.

Finally, a high quality parks and recreation program also can help maintain a safe community. The recreation programs channel youthful energy into productive pursuits. Recreation programs also can promote community identity.

The Parks and Recreation Chapter is coordinated with other chapters. For example, the Parks and Recreation Chapter and the Land Use and Conservation and Natural Environment Chapters work together to protect sensitive areas and open space.

(Ord. 1929)

Planning Context

edmond residents value their parks and recreational programs. The Comprehensive Plan includes the Parks and Recreation Chapter to meet these community expectations.

The Growth Management Act (GMA) provides that a Parks and Recreation chapter is an optional chapter in the Comprehensive Plan. The GMA planning goals provide that open space should be retained, recreational opportunities should be developed, fish and wildlife habitat should be conserved, access to water should be increased and parks should be developed.

The Countywide Planning Policies provide that an open space system should be provided throughout the county. The policies also provide that physical and visual access to rivers, lakes and streams also should be protected. Local governments are to work cooperatively to provide parks and open spaces as development and redevelopment occurs. Local governments also are to develop coordinated level of service standards for parks and open spaces.

(Ord. 1929)

Parks Philosophy and Mission

he philosophy is to:

▀     Preserve Redmond’s natural environment by minimizing the alteration of natural land features.

▀     Maintain the community’s natural character through the extensive use of landscaping.

The mission is to establish a reasoned process for acquiring and maintaining parks, recreation facilities and open space that retains the balance of green space consistent with the City’s goals and needs. This balance will evolve to follow the urban development that will continue during the planning period. The following mission statement, goals, policies and guidelines have been adopted by the City Council to direct the planning and implementation decisions which will guide the parks and recreation system into the next century.

The City of Redmond Parks and Recreation Department is committed to:

▀     PROTECT Redmond’s natural beauty through a vibrant system of Parks and Open Space;

▀     PROVIDE citizens of all ages wholesome recreational and cultural opportunities in clean, safe, and accessible facilities; and

▀     PRESERVE our quality living environment for future generations.

(Ord. 1929)

Parks and Recreation Policies

A. Guidelines and Projected Needs

he guidelines in this section provide parameters for planning the parks and recreation needs of Redmond residents and businesses.

The City has three major park categories: neighborhood, community, and resource. Resource parks are subdivided into Special Use Areas and Natural Open Space/Greenways. Additionally, there are beautification sites which are small landscaped areas providing aesthetically pleasing seasonal color for citizen enjoyment.

Each park type provides a different function in serving the community. However, not every neighborhood needs every type of park. For example, some subdivisions provide recreational facilities, i.e., children’s play areas, reducing the need for certain types of parks in that neighborhood. For these reasons, these guidelines must be tempered by the type and style of residential development which will take place in the planning area and the supply of regional facilities provided by King County and others.

For neighborhood and community parks, service area radius have been recommended. These are the areas most serviced by the parks.

Parks also vary in size. Neighborhood parks are generally small with limited active recreation. The usable space should be at least 7 acres with optimum size being 10 acres. Community parks are large (25 to 50 acres) with numerous active recreation opportunities. Resource parks vary in size because of their unique opportunities.

The National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) is an organization which has prepared a nationally recognized program identifying needed parks and recreational facilities. The NRPA guidelines were considered for neighborhood parks, community parks, and trails, as well as for many sports facilities and are shown in Tables PR-1, PR-2, PR-3 and PR-10.

In 1995 the Redmond City Council adopted the following levels of service standards.

Neighborhood Parks 1.00 acre per 1,000 pop.

Community Parks 3.00 acres per 1,000 pop.

Resource Parks 2.50 acres per 1,000 pop.

Trails .25 miles per 1,000 pop.

These levels of service are used to calculate development impact fees (payments made by developers to compensate for the increased demand by new development on Redmond’s parks, trails and open space areas). Table PR-4 illustrates the future needs of parks and trails based on the above adopted levels of service standards.

Table PR-1

Neighborhood Park Guidelines
Space for passive and active recreation: children’s playgrounds, court sports (basketball, pickleball & tennis), picnic areas, trails, open grassy areas, and practice grade softball fields.
Service area	0.25 to 0.5 mile radius
Desired size	7 to 10 acres
NRPA Guideline	1.0 to 2.0 acres per 1,000 population
City Council, Adopted level of service	1 acre per 1,000 population
Redmond Guideline (Park Board recommendation)	1.5 acres per 1,000 population

Table PR-2

Community Park Guidelines
Diversified active and structured recreation opportunities with some passive uses: Baseball/softball complexes; tennis, basketball and pickleball courts (whose use may be extended with lighting). Areas are provided for children’s playgrounds, jogging paths and open space.
Service area	1 to 3 mile radius
Desired size	25 to 50 acres
NRPA Guideline	5.0 to 8.0 acres per 1,000 population
City Council, Adopted level of service	3.0 acres per 1,000 population
Redmond Guideline (Park Board recommendation)	5 acres per 1,000 population

Table PR-3

Resource Park Guidelines: Special Use Areas and Natural Open Space
Special Use areas have unique non-structured recreation opportunities. Sites include waterfront parks, support facility areas, and sites occupied by buildings such as the City Campus and Teen Center. Natural Open Spaces are sites which are not intended to be developed into neighborhood or community parks. They include wetlands, steep hillsides, environmentally sensitive areas, stream and creek corridors, wildlife habitats and unique natural sites containing trails.
Service area	No applied guideline
Desired size	Large enough to protect natural resources and provide maximum public benefit. Sizes vary according to use.
NRPA Guideline	None
City Council, Adopted level of service	2.5 acres per 1,000 population
Redmond Guideline (Park Board recommendation)	3.5 acres per 1,000 population for Special Use 3.8 acres per 1,000 population for Natural Open Space

Table PR-4

City Owned Facilities
Summary of Park and Facility Needs
Based on Redmond City Council Levels of Service

Area or Facility	Adopted LOS	Existing Inventory	Current Need	Current Deficiency	Year 2012 Demand	Additional Need	No. of Parks
Neighborhood Parks	1.00 acre per 1,000	39.20 Ac	40.03 Ac	.83 Ac	56.55 Ac	17.35 Ac	2
Community Parks	3.00 acres per 1,000	122.20 Ac	120.09 Ac	+ 2.11 Ac	169.65 Ac	47.45 Ac	1
Resource Parks	2.5 acres per 1,000	320.93 Ac	100.08 Ac	+ 220.85 Ac	141.38 Ac	+ 179.55 Ac
Trails	.25 miles per 1,000	9.54 Mi	10.01 Mi	.47 Mi	14.14 Mi	4.60 Mi

NOTE: “+” indicates that there is an overage and no deficiency.

Table PR-5

Comparison of NRPA Guidelines, Current Ratios for City Facilities and Redmond Guidelines
as recommended by the Redmond Park Board

Recreation Area	NRPA Guidelines	Current Ratio	Redmond Guidelines
Neighborhood Parks	1 – 2 Ac/1,000	.98 Ac/1,000	1.5 Ac/1,000
Service Radius			1/4 – 1/2 Mile
Community Parks	5 – 8 Ac/1,000	3.05 Ac/1,000	5.0 Ac/1,000
Service Radius			1 – 3 Miles
Resource Parks	none
Special Use Areas	none	4.27 Ac/1,000	3.5 Ac/1,000
Natural Open Space	none	3.74 Ac/1,000	3.8 Ac/1,000
Beautification Areas	none	0.34 Ac/1,000	.34 Ac/1,000
Total Park Land	none	12.38 Ac/1,000	14.14 Ac/1,000
Facilities
Regulation Baseball Fields	1 Field/5,000	1 Field/40,030	1 Field/6,500
Youth Baseball/Softball Fields	1 Field/5,000	1 Field/5,004	1 Field/4,000
Adult Softball Fields	1 Field/5,000	1 Field/13,343	1 Field/5,000
Soccer Fields	1 Field/10,000	1 Field/20,150	1 Field/3,000
Tennis Courts	1 Court/1,000	1 Court/3,664	1 Court/2,800
Pathways and Trails	.5 Mile/1,000	.25 Mile/1,000	.5 Mile/1,000
Gymnasiums	1 Gym/10,000	0 Gyms/40,030	1 Gym/5,000
Swimming Pools (King County)1	1 Pool/20,000	1 Pool/176,500	2 Pools/176,500
Children’s Play Areas	none	1 Play Area/3,664	1 Play Area/3,664

1 The swimming pool at Hartman Park is King County owned and operated and serves a regional area. Therefore the regional population (176,500) for the Impact and Planning Area was used in the calculations.

The Redmond Guidelines are the Redmond Park Board’s recommendations. In most cases the guidelines exceed the adopted levels of service or present ratio. The Park Board recognizes that the City Council has already adopted levels of service standards for impact fee purposes and the PRO Plan is not directing Council to change these adopted standards. The Park Board would like to strive for higher standards and would achieve them by pursuing opportunity funding through grants, donations, local matches, or other sources.

The guidelines for recreation facilities utilized by the Bellevue, Kirkland and Issaquah also influenced Redmond’s guidelines. Those cities serve similar populations with similar lifestyles. Their supply or lack of facilities can impact Redmond’s recreation facilities due to the transient nature of some users.

The actual ratio of acres, miles or facilities provided per 1,000 population was considered. These ratios may not be desirable, but they do indicate what the residents are accustomed to using. Coupled with the participation rate for programmed activities these ratios provide a picture of the current situation. Table PR-5 illustrates the present ratios. Table PR-6 summarizes the various needs by the year 2012 based on the Redmond Guidelines.

After determining the total need for parks, trails and facilities, an implementation plan is prepared called the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), shown in Table PR-9. Because of funding priorities, fewer parks, trails, and facilities are identified in the CIP than in the needs assessment tables.

Table PR-6

Summary of Park and Facility Needs within Redmond City Limits

Based on Redmond Guidelines (Park Board Recommendations)

Area or Facility	Existing Inventory	Current Need	Current Deficiency	Year 2012 Demand1	Additional Need
Neighborhood Parks	39.20 Ac	60.05 Ac	20.85 Ac	84.83 Ac	45.63 Ac (4 – 6 parks)
Community Parks2	122.20 Ac	200.15 Ac	77.95 Ac	282.75 Ac	160.55 Ac (3 parks)
Resource Parks
Special Use Areas	171.07 Ac	140.11 Ac	+ 30.97 Ac	197.93 Ac	26.86 Ac
Natural Open Space3	149.86 Ac	152.11 Ac	2.25 Ac	214.89 Ac	65.03 Ac
Beautification Areas	13.51 Ac	13.51 Ac	0 Ac	19.09 Ac	5.58 Ac
Total	495.84 Ac	565.92 Ac	70.08 Ac	799.48 Ac	303.64 Ac
Facility
Regulation Baseball Fields Game Grade (GG)	1 Field	6 Fields	5 Fields	9 Fields	8 Fields
Youth Baseball Fields (GG)	5 Fields	10 Fields	5 Fields	14 Fields	9 Fields
Adult Softball Fields (GG)	3 Fields	8 Fields	5 Fields	11 Fields	8 Fields
Soccer Fields (GG)	2 Fields	13 Fields	11 Fields	19 Fields	17 Fields
Tennis Courts	11 Courts	14 Courts	3 Courts	20 Courts	9 Courts
Pathways and Trails4	9.54 Miles	20.02 Miles	10.48 Miles	28.28 Miles	18.74 Miles
Gymnasiums	0 Gyms	4 Gyms	4 Gyms	6 Gyms	6 Gyms
Swimming Pools5	1 Pool	2 Pools	1 Pool
Children’s Play Areas	11 Play A.	0 Play A.	0 Play A.	15 Play A.	4 Play A.