Chelan Parks has a lot on its plate

by Richard Uhlhorn

Chelan Parks Board met Thursday, February 15 and went over the Park Department’s Annual Workplan.

There are a number of exciting things on the horizon for Chelan Parks.

Parks Director Paul Horne provided a 2024 Parks Capital Projects Overview.

Pocket Parks:
One of the major issues with residents in Chelan is more access to the lake and the Parks Department is moving forward with the Road End Pocket Park at Park Street. This project has been on the Parks agenda for well over a year and is now scheduled to be bid and constructed by the end of May. “We will have the project out to bid in March and built this spring,” Horne to the board.

The next pocket park project is the old Howe Sound Mining Dock area between the Boat Company and Sunset Marina. The Park’s Department will be going out for consultant proposals for design work this month.

Another exciting project that will be worked on this spring is Chelan County PUD’s popular swimming hole at the Southeastern side of the Woodin Avenue Bridge.

Lakeside Park’s improvements are scheduled to be accomplished in early 2025. The project has $800,000 and design work is 60% completed with permitting yet to come. “Its taken a long time to go through all the agencies. We are extremely close for the design to be completed,” said Horne.

The $100,000 grant from the PUD to build a community park at Stinky Field is undergoing its design phase. This work will begin in March and be completed by the end of May.

One of the ideas is to build a walking path around the perimeter of the property. It was also suggested that the PUD might entertain opening a walkway across the Chelan Dam that would connect Riverwalk Park with the trail on the south side of the dam.

The Parks Department is hoping to do an economic impact study for the Parks similar to the study done for the Golf Course. This study would be for Don Morse Park and Lakeside RV Park. John Olson remarked that the Golf Course study was impactful and asked if Earth Economics would conduct this study. Horne replied that Earth Economics would be willing to work with the department. “We need a firm that has done it all the time,” said Horne. “The investment in the parks will pay for itself.”

Don Morse Park, the RV Park and Marina Parking lot will all receive new asphalt this Spring as soon as the weather permits.

Regarding the athletic fields, Horne stated that once they start putting information on a map they will have a good consensus of where they are.

Recreation software and a parks website will be operational by early May.

The department is also seeking ‘Branding’ ideas, i.e. logos, signage, etc.

The department is planning to overhaul and modernize its irrigation system. “The design work has been done,” Horne told the board. They are now seeking the required permits. The two ponds will be filled as soon as the lake refills to its pump site. “We want to put the pump further into the lake,” said Horne. “We are looking at March 16. The pond serves as a reservoir for the irrigation system.”

Horne stated that the department will be hiring a deputy director (project manager) which is something that was in Horne’s original contract. It has been approved at the administrative level and Horne stated that would be using a head hunter for that position. He also has the authority to hire a full-time Office Lead, an Assistant Golf Superintendent and Parks Maintenance People.