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Feedback on Sandpoint park site concepts

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City Beach Concept #1

Jennifer Stapleton said over 5 years ago:

Parks and Rec consultants have developed a concept for City Beach which supports more types of recreation, parking and a dedicated event space to promote economic vitality within the downtown core.  The dedicated event staging area is a hard surfaced area the size of a NHL hockey rink.  It can be installed with chilling components below to facilitate ice skating in the winter in order to activate City Beach as a year-round destination.

A key component of the concept is an improved boat launch with more parking which realigns this use to separate it from the rest of the park uses.  This component is dependent upon the City being able to negotiate a land swap with the Best Western Edgewater Hotel property owner.  The parties are under discussion about a land swap for the grassy area between the current hotel and the sidewalk along the waterfront which the City owns in exchange for the current RV park which belongs to the private owner. 

Through a realignment, this concept adds more than 130 parking spaces (in addition to the boat launch parking) to what exists today.  It includes the addition of a splash pad and expanded regional playground along the shallow side of the beach where families with young children most often recreate.  It identifies a potential location for the Carousel of Smiles (a second location is identified in the Downtown Waterfront concept).  

(Click on the image to see the concept full screen.)

21 comments

Chris Bessler over 5 years ago

At the rollout last week, this was presented as a possible venue for the Festival, or other large music events. But there are loud passing trains every 15-20 minutes (and that's likely to increase substantially with the second railroad bridge coming). The train noise renders City Beach a poor venue for any large musical concert or performance event that requires quiet and where the audience expects or is paying for a high quality experience. Let's plan to keep the Festival, and other big performing arts events that would attract large audiences, at Memorial Field. It's quieter, also a beautiful location, and has the grandstands to seat large audiences. City Beach already has heavy use in summer without adding the huge crowds that performance events draw.

Other comments: The schematic feels like we're losing too much green space in favor of the additional parking. Adding a hockey rink would be a plus, but can it be designed for summer use, to retain the tennis that's apparently been lost in this plan, as well as basketball? Or let's get back some of the space devoted to the parking lot for a couple tennis courts. City Beach offers a different tennis experience (with a swim) than the courts at Travers.

 

Ethan Schaffer over 5 years ago

I agree with all of Chris' comments. Keep the festival at Memorial. Reduce parking and add more green space. Keep tennis at the beach.

 


Name not shown over 5 years ago

Additionally bathrooms not clear on the other side of the beach would be helpful. Especially for parents with young children. When the concession stand is closed it's a long distance to get a toddler to the bathroom without an accident 1st.
Reducing the green for additional parking doesn't work well. We have plenty in town and close for walking.

 

Cis Gors almost 5 years ago

and the elderly.... as one who is 80... it is a stretch to get there..

 


[email protected] Jensen over 5 years ago

Artificial turf is a terrible idea for this....a beautiful natural setting in one of the most beautiful places in the world with artificial grass ? No thanks....can you imagine the goose/dog poop and pee all over it and all the disgusting germs and everything else it would have....tobacco chew spit, kids barf, spilled drinks, food to name a few.....who would want to lay down their blanket on that and enjoy a relaxing day reading a book ? No thanks! We are so so fortunate to live in an area with beautiful NATURAL GREEN SPACES....let’s not ruin the best one !

 

Name not shown over 5 years ago

artificial turf was not proposed for City Beach

 


Name not shown over 5 years ago

Improving the link between the lake and Schweitzer Mt. was listed as a top priority for residents. Yet nothing in this plan seems to suggest a solution to this problem. A gondola from City Beach to the Mountain would provide that link and would be a huge draw for the area, benefiting both downtown and the mountain. It would solve lodging shortages for both and improve the cultural and recreational experience for both sets of users. It would link the mountain to the proposed ice rink at the beach. The beach would have ample parking in the winter to support it and relieve pressure from the mountain parking.

 


Ethan Schaffer over 5 years ago

Have you considered adding a small section of paid metered or time limited parking? When I saw the lot packed this summer, I thought that would be a possible solution to keep a few spaces available at peak times.

 

Jennifer Stapleton over 5 years ago

These are just initial concepts so planning hasn't gotten that granular yet. It will be a topic of discussion moving forward.

 

Ethan Schaffer over 5 years ago

Got it, thanks. I was thinking that maybe parking management might help reduce the need to dedicate so much space to parking.

 


Name not shown about 5 years ago

City Beach area is fairly crowded all summer. It does not make sense to provide for events that would add even larger crowds (like the Festival). It is much better to spread out events to multiple sites so as not to overload one location. Families at the beach and boaters deserve to not have their space taken over by large events. With already heavy traffic and limited parking, it will make a very unpleasant experience to try to utilize the the beach when an event is happening? And why take away the tennis courts?

 


Name not shown about 5 years ago

Removal of the tennis courts is a terrible idea. Removal of the basketball courts is also a bad idea. Traffic control on Bridge Street turning onto First Street will be a challenge. There is one road in and one road out to and from City Beach and compounded with the traffic of bikes, dogs, walkers, joggers, skateboarders, strollers and phone watchers, it would be worse than it currently is. Having the volleyball courts so close to the lake would be bad too. They are fine where they are.

 


Christine Winslow about 5 years ago

Unless there is a special arrangement w the railroad to pause traffic for extended periods which Is probably unlikely, seems reckless to plan for large events at city beach at the expense of other features. Every large event require consistent audio.

I agree the tennis experience at city beach is very special and very different from Travers. Would hate to see it go.

 


Cis Gors about 5 years ago

why is Sandpoint trying to cram so much into a smallest area in their area? Festival is a horrible idea.. have you ever had to leave the beach after the 4th of July? and that is with out cars.. LEAVE the basketball courts.. LEAVE the tennis courts.. LEAVE the green grass area... this actually all comes under the phase of.. IF IT ISN'T BROKEN DON'T FIX IT.. the beach is not the answer to all your ideas you would like in the Sandpoint area. Rumors are they will be a charge to park and maybe to go to the beach.. BAD IDEA.. this is the last frontier for those to take their children to the beach.. you have the single mom's the single dad's .. the grandparents who all take the children to the beach for free.. add a charge to that.. will stop a lot of that.. especially the single parents.. who can't afford multiple visits... For over a century … those age 10 to teens have walked, bicycle and now Spot Bus to the beach to join their friends... there is the older generation who use the walk way around the beach for exercise... there are the business who want a break from the stuffy office who come and have a lunch time meeting on the lawn. there are the fishermen, who put their boats in there.....
.. there are so many who use the beach.. this can't be a commercial area... leave it alone... IT ISN'T BROKE… DON'T FIX IT..

 

Jane Fritz almost 5 years ago

I agree that City Beach is a small park and should maintain its green space as much as possible. Why cram so much onto this space? KEEP IT SIMPLE. Picnics, swimming, family orientation, seniors walking, biking. Tennis, basketball, volleyball courts, okay. But I don't like skating rink idea. Put it at Travers Park, the largest wasted space in the winter, where in addition to skating, cross-country skiing could also be implemented without damaging the ubiquitous sports fields for spring, summer and fall. City Beach should continue to be free, although parking meters in prime places, except for handicapped spaces, is an excellent idea if enforced. Memorial Field is the best place for special events. I don't like the idea of a Carousel at the Beach either. Keep it for swimming and family picnics and hanging out in nature. And the geese can be deterred from coming there by allowing dogs on leash and other deterrents rather than capturing them and killing them. See that big lake out there? More geese will fill the void.

 

Vickie Graeff over 4 years ago

I agree with all of the above, leave City Beach alone, it is a swimming and picnic area, and really is just perfect the way it is! It has been an especially nice place during the quarantine months for walks and bicycles. Yes put the new events in Travers, such as ice skating, cross country skiing, and put the Carousel there too. We don't need more parking at City Beach, take a look! The parking lots are nearly empty.
In July and August, when it starts to get crowded, we could add shuttles from other parking locations downtown. We don't need a lot of noise and car exhaust where we are swimming, picnicking and enjoying simple sports (volley ball, basketball) and ice cream cones!

 

Helen Newton over 2 years ago

Well said, Cis and Vickie and Jane! Why mess up what has worked for generations!

 


Name not available about 5 years ago

This has been a sanctuary for our family for generations! This is the place for families to come together and relax, destress and enjoy the beautiful lake. Why ruin a good thing? The festival would be a horrible idea to hold here! One way in and one way out! Sounds like a nightmare! Also could be very dangerous if something were to happen where people needed to exit in a hurry. What about all the elderly who come to enjoy some peace and quiet?Also the young families with infants?The festival is way to loud!
Turf is a terrible idea! It's impossible to clean and maintain. Over time it will just tear up and start to stink! Gross!! Leave our green grass! The beach holds so many beautiful memories and we look forward to many more! Please don't ruin a good thing!

 

Jennifer Stapleton about 5 years ago

Than you for your comment. The event area was designed to accommodate the many events that are already held at City Beach and its proximity. It did anticipate the potential to accommodate The Festival if the new turf surface would not work for the event at Memorial Field. Festival organizers have indicated their desire to stay at Memorial Field. The City Beach concept anticipates retaining natural grass at that site.

 


Brent Heiser almost 5 years ago

The location of the boat launch does not resolve the ability to put in during the winter months. Possible change the location to the east end of Windbag Marina. This would make access available year round and be an avenue not only for recreation but also in the event of a water rescue in the winter. SAFETY FIRST!
Brent Heiser
[email protected]

 


Jane Fritz over 4 years ago

After the Parks & Rec sites, especially City Beach and Travers Park, were presented at the 6/4/20 City Council meeting by Ms. Stapleton and Mr. Woodruff, and reading back over all these comments above, it doesn't appear that anybody in the City is actually listening. Green space should be a priority over parking space in particular. And Ms. Stapleton should consider that dogs on leash in all parks, especially City Beach, is a far better option than harassing, separating and removing geese families in such inhumane ways. Perhaps the reason that right now there are so many people out of compliance needing to be "enforced" by City police, is because it's time to change the 1994 ordinance and allow dogs on leash. Attitudes about dogs have changed among the public, here and everywhere. They are beloved companions, and people want them to be walking alongside them.

Sandpoint has become a dog-friendly town, except at City Beach and Travers Parks. I'm not a dog owner, I'm a cat person, but I find that most people with dogs are very responsible if you put out enough stations for bags and disposal sites. Where there is a poop problem is adjacent to sidewalks, but it's because people have no bags or trash cans, and when a dog has to go, a dog has to go! I'm all for dogs returning to Sandpoint City Beach like in the past. It's time to make the change, especially with this planning process. But will anyone listen to what the majority of the public wants? Time will tell when the final plan is presented at a public hearing in July.

 


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