Chapter 6 Park and Facility Needs Assessment
Background
Approximately every six years, OPARD updates the Parks, Arts and Recreation Plan. During the plan update process, an assessment of park and facilities needs is conducted to ensure that OPARD is on track to meeting the community’s needs. Level of Service Standards (LOSs) are the primary means of measuring progress toward meeting park land needs. LOSs are the ratio of developed parkland per 1000 population. LOSs are developed for each of the three park classifications: “Neighborhood Parks”, “Community Parks” and “Open Space.” As parks are acquired and developed, progress towards meeting the Level of Service Standards is monitored. This gives the City the ability to determine, on an annual basis via the Capital Facilities Plan (CFP), what recreation facilities are to be built. The CFP outlines which new park acquisition and development projects will be undertaken and how they will be financed.
Olympia’s park lands are categorized as “Neighborhood Park”, “Community Park” or “Open Space.” Each category is analyzed independently to ensure that current and future Olympia residents have access to the desired level of each park type. Depending on the level of development at each site, each park is assigned a “percentage developed” rating. The following sections outline the needs assessment for all three categories.
Neighborhood Parks
Neighborhood Parks Existing Ratio
There are currently 26 Neighborhood Parks in Olympia totaling 72.39 acres (See Figure 6.1). Note that the acreage of some parks is split into multiple classifications if the park serves multiple functions. Many Community Parks, for example, have a playground component and thus serve the function of a Neighborhood Park. In these cases, two acres of the park are assigned the “Neighborhood Park” classification. Parks that have had an Interim Use and Management Plan (IUMP) implemented (which typically includes an unirrigated play meadow, swings, trails, picnic tables and benches) are considered 25% developed. The 2015 population of Olympia and its Urban Growth Area is estimated at 62,9405. The existing ratio in 2015 of developed Neighborhood Parks per 1000 population is thus .71.
|
Park Name |
Total Acres |
% Developed (2015) |
Developed Acres (2015) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Existing Neighborhood Parks |
|
|
|
|
Olympia |
|
|
|
|
8th Ave |
3.99 |
0% |
0.00 |
|
Bigelow |
1.89 |
100% |
1.89 |
|
Burri |
2.32 |
25% |
0.58 |
|
Chambers Lake (NP Portion) |
2.00 |
0% |
0.00 |
|
Decatur Woods |
6.27 |
100% |
6.27 |
|
Edison St. Parcel (NP Portion) |
1.50 |
0% |
0.00 |
|
Evergreen |
3.99 |
25% |
1.00 |
|
Friendly Grove (NP Portion) |
4.79 |
100% |
4.79 |
|
Grass Lake (NP Portion) |
2.47 |
0% |
0.00 |
|
Harry Fain |
1.34 |
100% |
1.34 |
|
Kettle View |
4.80 |
100% |
4.80 |
|
LBA (NP Portion) |
2.00 |
100% |
2.00 |
|
Lions |
3.72 |
100% |
3.72 |
|
Log Cabin Road Park |
2.35 |
0% |
0.00 |
|
Margaret McKenny |
4.16 |
25% |
1.04 |
|
McGrath Woods |
4.00 |
25% |
1.00 |
|
Mission Creek (NP Portion) |
2.00 |
0% |
0.00 |
|
Olympic Park |
0.60 |
0% |
0.00 |
|
Priest Point (NP Portion) |
2.00 |
100% |
2.00 |
|
Stevens Field (NP Portion) |
2.00 |
100% |
2.00 |
|
Sunrise |
5.74 |
100% |
5.74 |
|
Ward Lake (NP Portion) |
2.00 |
0% |
0.00 |
|
West Bay (NP Portion) |
2.00 |
100% |
2.00 |
|
Woodruff |
2.46 |
100% |
2.46 |
|
Yauger |
2.00 |
100% |
2.00 |
|
Yelm Highway Parcel |
3.54 |
0% |
0.00 |
|
|
72.39 |
|
44.63 |
Neighborhood Park Demand Analysis
The 2010 Parks, Arts and Recreation Plan articulated a vision of having a Neighborhood Park walking distance (one-half mile) of all residences. In a random sample survey conducted for this plan, when asked what type of park was most needed, the number one response was “Neighborhood Parks” (see p. 14). For this plan, a GIS analysis was conducted to determine which areas of the community were not yet within walking distance (one-half mile) from a neighborhood park. An analysis of Map 6.1 shows that there are about ten areas (with a significant number or residences) that are not yet within walking distance to a neighborhood park. As a result, this plan calls for the acquisition of ten new combination neighborhood parks/open spaces to meet this need. The intent would be that each of these approximately 5-acre sites would have two acres dedicated as an active neighborhood park and three acres of forest or other natural area dedicated for passive open space. In this manner, each site would provide active recreation and serve as a neighborhood urban green space, a goal outlined in the Comprehensive Plan.
It should be noted that while it remains a goal to have a Neighborhood Park one-half to one-mile of all residences, this does not mean that the service area of Neighborhood Parks is limited to this radius. Since each Neighborhood Park has unique amenities, residents travel throughout the City to experience a variety of them. This was confirmed by a telephone survey of randomly selected residents conducted by Elway Research in 2015 which found that 50% of respondents said they were “definitely” or “probably” willing to travel across town to a Neighborhood Park6. The service area for Neighborhood Parks is thus the entire City and its Urban Growth Area.
Neighborhood Park Level of Service Standard
Currently 41% of the land area of the City and its Urban Growth Area is within walking distance to a neighborhood park (see Map 6.1). In order to provide a neighborhood park walking distance to most residences, 10 remaining neighborhood park sites need to be acquired. Three are located in Northwest Olympia, two in Southwest Olympia, three in Northeast Olympia, and two in Southeast Olympia (one of which will be a 2-acre portion of LBA Woods).
The plan does not anticipate developing all neighborhood parks in its 20-year planning horizon; it proposes fully developing five Neighborhood Parks by 2035. At some point in the future when all neighborhood parks are developed, however, Olympia will have 92 acres of developed neighborhood parks (See Figure 6.2). (This assumes the new neighborhood parks are two acres in size). With a projected population of 84,400 in 2035, the Level of Service Standard for neighborhood parks is therefore 1.09 acres per 1000 population. (Note that this is an increase from the Level of Service Standard of 0.75 acres per 1000 population expressed in the 2010 Parks, Arts and Recreation Plan. This increase is due to the increased accuracy of utilizing GIS analysis to determine neighborhood park need.)
Measuring Progress towards Meeting the Neighborhood Park Level of Service Standard
This plan calls for the acquisition of ten new combination neighborhood parks/open spaces. This will result in Olympia having a neighborhood park within walking distance to approximately 90 percent of all residents. Once all of these parks are developed, Olympia will have reached the desired Neighborhood Park Level of Service Standard. While the plan calls for the development of five neighborhood parks during its 20-year planning horizon, this will still leave 17 neighborhood parks either partially or fully undeveloped. As a result, the ratio of developed neighborhood parks to population in 2035 will be slightly lower than it is today (Figure 6.3).
View Figure 6.2 Neighborhood Park Acres
Community Parks
Community Park Existing Ratio
There are currently 16 city-owned Community Parks in Olympia totaling 120 acres and an additional eight sites and 51 acres owned by other jurisdictions that share “Community Park” recreational qualities and are included in the Level of Service calculations (See Figure 6.7). Of this acreage, there are 144 developed acres of existing Community Parks. The 2015 population of Olympia and its Urban Growth Area is estimated at 62,9407. The existing ratio in 2015 of developed Community Parks per 1000 population is 2.30 acres per 1000 population.
|
Park Name |
Total Acres |
% Dev (2015) |
Dev. Acres (2015) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Olympia |
|
|
|
|
Artesian Commons |
0.20 |
100% |
0.20 |
|
Chambers Lake (CP Portion) |
7.29 |
0% |
0.00 |
|
East Bay Waterfront |
1.86 |
100% |
1.86 |
|
Harrison Ave Parcel (CP Portion) |
6.00 |
0% |
0.00 |
|
Heritage Park Fountain |
1.18 |
100% |
1.18 |
|
Isthmus Parcels |
2.34 |
0% |
0.00 |
|
LBA (CP Portion) |
20.61 |
100% |
20.61 |
|
Madison Scenic |
2.21 |
100% |
2.21 |
|
The Olympia Center |
1.30 |
100% |
1.30 |
|
Percival Landing |
3.38 |
100% |
3.38 |
|
Priest Point (CP Portion) |
25.00 |
100% |
25.00 |
|
Stevens Field (CP Portion |
5.84 |
100% |
5.84 |
|
Ward Lake (CP Portion) |
7.14 |
0% |
0.00 |
|
West Bay (CP Portion) |
6.42 |
53% |
3.38 |
|
Yashiro Japanese Garden |
0.74 |
100% |
0.74 |
|
Yauger (CP Portion) |
28.17 |
100% |
28.17 |
|
|
119.68 |
|
93.87 |
|
Other Jurisdictions |
|
|
|
|
Capitol Campus |
20.00 |
100% |
20.00 |
|
Centennial Park |
0.80 |
100% |
0.80 |
|
East Bay Plaza |
0.72 |
100% |
0.72 |
|
Heritage Park |
24.00 |
100% |
24.00 |
|
Marathon Park |
2.10 |
100% |
2.10 |
|
Port Plaza |
1.20 |
100% |
1.20 |
|
Sylvester Park |
1.30 |
100% |
1.30 |
|
Ward Lake Fishing Access |
0.46 |
100% |
0.46 |
|
|
50.58 |
|
50.58 |
|
|
170.26 |
|
144.45 |
OPARD also coordinates community recreational use of school district fields. Since school district activities take priority on these fields they are not included in OPARD’s Level of Service calculations. They do, however, play an important role in meeting the community’s recreational needs.
Community Park Demand Analysis
Rectangular Fields (Soccer, Football, Rugby, Lacrosse, etc)
OPARD programs field use for youth and adult sports in Olympia on its own fields and on school district fields. Current fields utilized for these sports range from full size dedicated soccer/football fields at middle and high schools to outfields of baseball fields. There are no dedicated soccer/football fields in any Olympia parks (See Figure 6.5). Currently practice field space is difficult to come by. In the spring, youth soccer practices begin while the youth baseball season is active. Some full-size soccer fields share field space with baseball fields which make those soccer fields unavailable until after the baseball season. In the fall, soccer and football are competing for the same play space. Youth soccer is the fastest-growing sport in the area, primarily due to interest in playing longer than what used to be the traditional “summer season.” There is limited field space remaining on which to program emerging sports like ultimate Frisbee, lacrosse, rugby, or other similar sports.
In addition to lack of space, the quality of the experience for these sports is somewhat diminished due to field conditions from winter play by school programs. Not only is the amount of use detrimental, but the timing of use as well. Because of the lack of field availability, rest and renovation periods are inadequate for turf to heal and become strong. This has resulted in a steady degradation in field conditions. This heavy use is compounded by the inability to renovate the fields at the end of the season due to weather conditions.
In order to meet today’s existing demand for rectangular fields and provide for a quality playing experience, four dedicated rectangular fields would need to be added to the existing inventory. Ideally these four fields would be clustered together which would allow for small tournaments, easier maintenance and more efficient lighting. If clustering cannot be achieved, it would still be important to add these new fields to the inventory. In either case, this would require approximately 25 additional community park acres.
Softball/Baseball Diamonds
Considering both parks and school district fields managed by OPARD, Olympia has 30 youth baseball fields, two full-sized baseball fields, and eight adult softball fields. The peak use of Olympia’s softball/baseball fields occurred in 2001 when 1,972 games were scheduled. The addition of 3 baseball/softball fields at Lacey’s Rainier Vista Park in 2004 and 4 lit, synthetic-infield diamonds at the Regional Athletic Complex in 2008 created a reduction in use of Olympia’s fields as some use migrated to those facilities. Olympia saw a low of 900 scheduled games in 2012. This trend appears to have reversed as the last three years have shown a trend of returning or new leagues at Olympia’s three athletic field complexes, LBA Park, Stevens Field and Yauger Park. In 2015, 1,550 league games and 12 weekend tournaments were hosted on City of Olympia fields.
The current inventory of softball/baseball fields appears to be adequate for the next twenty years. The popularity of these sports is expected to remain steady and neighboring jurisdictions have increased the overall capacity available in the region. Despite projected population growth, no new softball/baseball fields are likely to be needed during this planning period. In order to remain in good condition and meet modern user expectations there will need to be significant upgrades made to these parks. Examples include installing synthetic turf infields, replacing lighting, and improving accessibility.
Other Community Park Amenity Demand
In addition to athletic fields, Community Parks can provide special, community-wide amenities such as disc golf, off-leash dog areas, off-road cycling, freshwater swim beaches, waterfront access, community gardens, etc. Many community parks offer a combination of athletic fields and other amenities. Yauger Park is a good example of this, with a skate court, bicycle pump track, community garden, jogging trail, and Dirt Works in addition to the athletic fields. It is becoming increasingly difficult to fit additional recreational amenities into Yauger Park or any of the other community parks due to lack of space. Many of the amenities most requested by the public are features that best fit into a community park. Lack of space at existing community parks prevents these projects from being realized.
Based on community needs as expressed during the public input for this plan, an additional 15 acres would be needed at a future Community Park site to locate a an off-leash dog area, disc golf course, and additional skate court, and an additional community garden.
Community Park Site Suitability Assessment
In November, 2014, OPARD commissioned an Athletic Complex Community Park Suitability Assessment for five potential community park sites. Rating criteria approved by the Olympia City Council was used to evaluate and rate each of the Candidate Sites. All five of the Candidate Sites were found to be suitable to accommodate an Athletic Complex Community Park. See Parks Plans and Studies for a link to the complete study for more information.
Community Park Level of Service Standard
The Community Park Level of Service standard was determined in the 2010 Parks, Arts and Recreation Plan to be 3.00 acres of developed Community Parks per 1000 population. This remains the proposed Community Park Level of Service Standard for this plan.
Measuring Progress towards Meeting the Community Park Level of Service Standard
This plan calls for 84 acres of community park acquisition and 57 acres of community park development during its 20-year planning horizon. This will result in a ratio of developed community parks to population of 2.63 acres/1000, slightly higher than the current ratio of 2.30 acres/1000 (Figure 6.7)
View Figure 6.6 Community Park Acres
Open Space
Open Space Existing Ratio
There are currently 19 city-owned Open Spaces in Olympia totaling 819 acres and an additional five sites and 52 acres owned by other jurisdictions that share “Open Space” qualities and are thus included in the Level of Service Standard calculation (See Figure 6.9). This represents a total of 872 acres. 723 of these acres are considered “developed.” (Note that since one of the main functions of Open Space is for its habitat, visual and environmental values, Open Spaces even without trail development are given a 50% "developed" credit for these functions. Open Space is considered 100% “developed” if the Open Space was acquired solely for these functions.) The 2015 population of Olympia and its Urban Growth Area is estimated at 62,940. The existing ratio in 2015 of developed Open Space is thus 11.49 acres per 1000 population.
|
Park Name |
Total Acres |
% Dev. (2015) |
Dev. Acres (2015) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Existing Open Space |
|
|
|
|
City of Olympia |
|
|
|
|
Bigelow Springs |
1.30 |
100% |
1.30 |
|
Chambers Lake (OS Portion) |
37.80 |
50% |
18.90 |
|
Cooper Crest |
13.37 |
100% |
13.37 |
|
Edison St. Parcel (OS Portion) |
3.02 |
50% |
1.51 |
|
Friendly Grove (OS Portion) |
9.69 |
100% |
9.69 |
|
Garfield Nature Trail |
7.41 |
100% |
7.41 |
|
Grass Lake (OS Portion) |
192.87 |
50% |
96.44 |
|
Harrison Ave Parcel (OS Portion) |
18.00 |
0% |
0.00 |
|
McRostie Parcel |
0.23 |
100% |
0.23 |
|
Mission Creek (OS Portion) |
34.83 |
100% |
34.83 |
|
OWT Eastside St. to CWT |
32.38 |
100% |
32.38 |
|
Priest Point (OS Portion) |
286.50 |
100% |
286.50 |
|
South Capitol Lots |
0.92 |
100% |
0.92 |
|
Springwood Parcel (Zabels) |
3.19 |
50% |
1.60 |
|
Trillium |
4.53 |
100% |
4.53 |
|
Watershed |
153.03 |
100% |
153.03 |
|
West Bay (OS Portion) |
8.62 |
28% |
2.40 |
|
Wildwood Glen Parcel |
2.38 |
50% |
1.19 |
|
Yauger (OS Portion) |
9.60 |
50% |
4.80 |
|
|
819.67 |
|
671.02 |
|
Other Jurisdictions |
|
|
|
|
Chambers Lake Access |
1.71 |
100% |
1.71 |
|
Chehalis Western ROW |
44.99 |
100% |
44.99 |
|
I-5 Trail Corridor |
4.21 |
100% |
4.21 |
|
Port of Olympia Trail |
1.22 |
100% |
1.22 |
|
|
51.85 |
|
51.85 |
|
|
871.80 |
|
723.15 |
Open Space Demand Analysis
There is a strong demand for natural open space areas among Olympia residents. In a random sample survey conducted for this plan, when asked what type of new recreational facility was the highest priority, “Trails” was the number one response followed closely by “Natural open space.” (See p. 15) The study also showed that water quality, wildlife habitat, public access and scenic value were each rated by more than 90% as important reasons to preserve open space. In the neighborhood meetings conducted for the plan, the acquisition of LBA Woods for natural open space was by far the most frequently requested project, followed by “Buy land while it’s still available” and “Buy open space/natural areas.”
There appears to be strong interest for at least three types of open space acquisition:
1. Large open space tracts such as “LBA Woods” or “Kaiser Woods”
2. Trail corridors such as Percival Canyon or West Bay Trail
3. Small open spaces walking distance from all residences
Open Space Level of Service Standard
The Open Space Level of Service standard was determined in the 2010 Parks, Arts and Recreation Plan to be 11.19 acres of developed Open Space per 1000 population. This remains the proposed Open Space Level of Service Standard for this plan and will allow for all three of the desired types of Open Space to be achieved.
Measuring Progress towards Meeting the Open Space Level of Service Standard
The existing ratio of open space currently exceeds the desired Level of Service Standard of 11.19 acres/1000 population. Substantial population growth is projected during the plans 20-year horizon. In order to not fall below the desired Level of Service Standard, the open space inventory needs to be substantially increased. The plan calls for 313 acres of open space to be added to the inventory. This will result in a ratio of developed open space to population of 11.61 acres/1000 in 2035, which is slightly above today’s ratio of 11.49 and exceeds the Level of Service Standard.
View Figure 6.9 Open Space Parks Acres
Future Refinement of Level of Service Standards
During the public review for this plan, it was suggested that the plan’s Level of Service Standards could be further refined by adopting separate standards for downtown and Olympia’s two urban corridors. It was also suggested that there be a Level of Service Standard for ballfields separate from the more generic “Community Park” standard. These concepts will be analyzed during this planning horizon.