- Home
- Front Page
- Soccer fields and aquatic center next step for Selah Parks and Recreation plan
Soccer fields and aquatic center next step for Selah Parks and Recreation plan
- By Chris Thorn
- Published 07/2/2009
- Front Page
- Unrated
There’s always room for improvement in a city and back in 2006 Selah Parks and Recreation had a plan developed to address many different aspects of the community that needed those improvements.
The plan was created based on input received from citizens, advisory boards, staff, numerous surveys and public meetings. It was designed to provide a six-year direction to the Selah community for maintaining, developing and providing parks and recreation.
Just past the halfway point of the six-year plan, a handful of the priorities have been accomplished including: building the fastpitch complex at Carlon Park, the construction of the skate park and the new Youth Center. However, many of the priorities remain unfulfilled.
“Two of the biggest things we need are for the soccer fields and an updated aquatic center,” said Selah Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Hagler.
Those two items are in the plan but haven’t been completed yet. Hagler said those are the two biggest priorities right now and added that he’s working on a document to address the city council about the direction to take with regard to the aquatic center.
He said there was a big push in 2005 with the community to build an indoor pool which would have helped the aquatic situation in Selah but he said “it just didn’t take off.”
Other priorities of the Parks and Rec plan include: creating a bicycle friendly community, developing multi-use trails and enhancing existing parks through a bond measure.
In the plan there is an action plan which has many of those priorities being addressed over the course of the past three years but Hagler said Selah didn’t get many of the grants where the funds were to come from, or any bonds or levies passed.
“The council is still talking about a bond,” he said.
One of the goals of the plan was to get a bond passed back in May of 2006 but Hagler said it didn’t come to fruition.
He also said when it comes to applying for grants the community would have to match the funds awarded which can be difficult.
He said the funding obstacles have made it tough to get all the projects off the ground but remains optimistic about the plan as a whole.
The Parks and Recreation department is currently looking over the 149-page plan and mapping out the course for the future.
“In general this is a really good document to look at and plan from,” Hagler said. “Right now we’re in the process of updating.”
He said the next step is to bring a current action plan to the Selah Parks and Recreation Board and then to the city council.
The plan was created based on input received from citizens, advisory boards, staff, numerous surveys and public meetings. It was designed to provide a six-year direction to the Selah community for maintaining, developing and providing parks and recreation.
Just past the halfway point of the six-year plan, a handful of the priorities have been accomplished including: building the fastpitch complex at Carlon Park, the construction of the skate park and the new Youth Center. However, many of the priorities remain unfulfilled.
“Two of the biggest things we need are for the soccer fields and an updated aquatic center,” said Selah Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Hagler.
Those two items are in the plan but haven’t been completed yet. Hagler said those are the two biggest priorities right now and added that he’s working on a document to address the city council about the direction to take with regard to the aquatic center.
He said there was a big push in 2005 with the community to build an indoor pool which would have helped the aquatic situation in Selah but he said “it just didn’t take off.”
Other priorities of the Parks and Rec plan include: creating a bicycle friendly community, developing multi-use trails and enhancing existing parks through a bond measure.
In the plan there is an action plan which has many of those priorities being addressed over the course of the past three years but Hagler said Selah didn’t get many of the grants where the funds were to come from, or any bonds or levies passed.
“The council is still talking about a bond,” he said.
One of the goals of the plan was to get a bond passed back in May of 2006 but Hagler said it didn’t come to fruition.
He also said when it comes to applying for grants the community would have to match the funds awarded which can be difficult.
He said the funding obstacles have made it tough to get all the projects off the ground but remains optimistic about the plan as a whole.
The Parks and Recreation department is currently looking over the 149-page plan and mapping out the course for the future.
“In general this is a really good document to look at and plan from,” Hagler said. “Right now we’re in the process of updating.”
He said the next step is to bring a current action plan to the Selah Parks and Recreation Board and then to the city council.