Feedback on Sandpoint park site concepts
Revised Final Draft City Beach Concept
Jennifer Stapleton said over 4 years ago:
CITY BEACH The City Beach park was created in 1922 following the ground being donated by Northern Pacific Railroad, although substantial improvements were not immediate. Flooding wiped out early improvements and continued to be problematic until the property’s elevation was raised 8 feet to alleviate this condition and the creation of the Albani Falls Dam allowed for permanent flood control. Major improvements were not seen until the mid-1950’s when the local Lion’s Club initiated work on recreation of a beach house, grass areas and walks. Other improvements were added over the years as funding became available resulting in the current City Beach Park. However, the lack of a master plan to coordinate these improvements has resulted in amenities located in the most convenient places and consuming larger areas than necessary to accommodate them.
Paramount to the concept plan is to maintain the beach/waterfront as a passive, family-oriented space. All major uses along the shoreline have been retained – Children’s play area, concessions building/restroom/lifeguard office, large picnic shelter, restroom, swimming areas. Enhancements include an enlarged, accessible children’s playground with splash pad.
Following the goal of maximizing the value of waterfront for public use, the plan suggests more significant changes. Currently located at the southern end of the beach is a city boat launch, along with parking and a Parks, Recreation & Open Space Division maintenance shop. The maintenance shop and parking are recommended to be relocated with the shop being moved from City Beach. The boat launch is recommended to be relocated further west on property being considered for trade between the City and a local developer/resort owner. This land swap would allow for a new boat launch and trailer parking that does not compete with beach/park users for waterfront and vehicle parking. This change would double the current boat trailer parking and increase the launch by one lane while eliminating activity conflicts in the park’s core. Accessible parking and a fire lane turnaround would still be maintained at the park’s southern end. The land swap would allow the City to acquire additional permanent public waterfront and accessibility.
Connectivity shown in the plan illustrates new or upgraded pedestrian paths to allow users to move comfortably and safely through the park and parking lot. Enhanced connectivity is envisioned to the north for access to the Windbag Marina and beyond to the Ponderay Bay Trail via a new Ponderay Bay Trail Trailhead near the entrance to the park with dedicated parking. This trailhead is in accordance with the Ponderay Bay Trail master plan. To allow for waterfront connectivity, a boardwalk is proposed to flow below the railroad and Highway 95 Bypass to Sand Creek with eventual connections to downtown. The opportunity also exists to increase day use moorage along this boardwalk, increasing water access to downtown. An underutilized grass area in northern area of the park currently exists, surrounded by travel lanes and parking. This area is rarely used for gatherings, picnics, or even free play activities. The concept plan recommends that this area be considered for the introduction of a special community activity, such as the proposed carrousel (adding to the economic vitality) and added parking. With this alteration, the plan reorients parking and adds over 125 car parking stalls to the park. Parking maneuverability would be improved, landscape enhancements added per ordinance, and areas to collect and treat stormwater would all be addressed with this concept. This change would also allow for parking adjacent the beach to be relocated, freeing up valuable space for beach goers.
To encourage economic vitality for the community, the concept plan calls for the introduction of a performance structure and activity pad located on the western side of the park. Utilities improvements could be extended to this location to support various sized concerts or other performances and community events. The hard surface would be organized to allow for use seasonally as a basketball courts, or other court games with sleeved backstops or net/goals. This hardscape surface could also serve as an ice rink during winter months adding activity and use during the winter months. The area directly east would be opened up to allow for large gatherings of viewers by removal of selected trees, relocating existing tennis courts to another city park location, and relocating the existing volleyball courts to the southeast grass area near the beach reserved for boats only. This open area would become the largest uninterrupted open space within the park, forming a central green with views eastward to the lake. Utilizing what is now a roadway and parking, a proposed pedestrian promenade along the park’s west side would provide for fairs, markets, and other gatherings while serving as a required fire access lane to a remodeled concessions/restroom building.
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