HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Economic and Community Development - 06/13/2022 (2)
Unless otherwise noted, the Economic and Community Development Committee meets at 4
p.m. on the second Monday of each month in the Kent City Hall , Council Chambers, 220
Fourth Avenue South, Kent, WA 98032.
For additional information please contact Rhonda Bylin at 253-856-5457 or
Rbylin@kentwa.gov.
Any person requiring a disability accommodation should contact the City Clerk’s Office at
253-856-5725 in advance. For TDD relay service call Washington Telecommunications Relay
Service at 7-1-1.
Economic and Community
Development Committee
Monday, June 13, 2022
4:00 PM
Chambers
To listen to this meeting,
call 1-888-475-4499 or 1-877-853-5257
and enter Meeting ID 863 1581 9764
Chair Toni Troutner
Councilmember Marli Larimer Councilmember Zandria Michaud
**************************************************************
Item Description Action Speaker Time
1. Call to Order Chair
2. Roll Call Chair
3. Agenda Approval Chair
4. Business Chair
A. Approval of Minutes
Approval of May 9, 2022
Minutes
YES Chair 01 MIN.
B. INFO ONLY: The Bridges NO Matt Gilbert
Tammy White
10 MIN.
C. 2022-2027 Parks and Open
Space Plan Update Adoption
Ordinance
YES Terry Jungman, Parks
Planning &
Development Manager
10 MIN.
D. Dulay Property
Comprehensive Plan Map
Amendment Request
YES Kaelene Nobis, AICP,
Senior Long Range
Planner
30 MIN.
5. Adjournment Chair
Page 1 of 3
Pending Approval
Economic and Community
Development Committee
CC ECDC Regular Meeting
Minutes
May 9, 2022
Date: May 9, 2022
Time: 4:01 p.m.
Place: Chambers
Members: Toni Troutner, Committee Chair
Marli Larimer, Councilmember
Zandria Michaud, Councilmember
Agenda:
1. Call to Order 4:01 p.m.
2. Roll Call
Attendee Name Title Status Arrived
Toni Troutner Committee Chair Present
Marli Larimer Councilmember Remote
Zandria Michaud Councilmember Present
3. Agenda Approval
4. Business
A. Approval of Munutes
1. Approval of Minutes dated March 14, 2022
MOTION: Move to approve the Minutes dated March 14, 2022
RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Zandria Michaud, Councilmember
SECONDER: Marli Larimer, Councilmember
AYES: Troutner, Larimer, Michaud
B. Information Only
1. Update to Kent Surface Water Design Manual
Changes at the state and county levels prompted this most recent update of
the Kent Surface Water Design Manual. These updates fix errors and
omissions, provide clarity and consistency with Kent Standards, and
implement new WA Department of Ecology requirements.
Western Washington cities are mandated by Federal and State Clean Water
Act regulations (NPDES) to develop local stormwater management
regulations that are consistent with the State stormwater standards. Kent
Packet Pg. 2 Minutes Acceptance: Minutes of May 9, 2022 4:00 PM (Approval of Minutes)
Economic and Community Development
Committee CC ECDC Regular Meeting
Minutes
May 9, 2022
Kent, Washington
Page 2 of 3
achieves compliance by adopting the King County Surface Water Design
Manual. The adoption of the King County standards is accomplished through
the Kent Surface Water Design Manual, but does include city-specific
standards as well as deviations from some King County standards due to
geographic and procedural differences between Kent and King County
operations.
The updates to this manual have been reviewed by technical staff from the
Economic and Community Development and Public Works departments.
Some of the changes are a result of this internal review.
The draft Kent Surface Water Design Manual update has also been submitted
for review and public comment under SEPA and by the WA Department of
Commerce. It also is scheduled for presentation and hearing at the Land Use
and Planning Board as well as the Public Works Committee as an action item.
C. Action Items
1. Lodging Tax Grant Applications & Funding Levels as Recommended
by the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee
The March 2022 funding cycle is to support events occurring in 2022 and
2023. Lodging tax revenues returned to the City which generated them are
to be utilized to promote business and leisure travel. Special to Fiscal Year
2022, The Kent City Council approved the allocation of federal ARPA funds to
restore city revenues lost due to pandemic related impacts. This has provided
funding capacity comparable to pre-pandemic years with normal lodging tax
revenue receipts.
Individual grant applications and funding levels were discussed last month by
the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC). Michelle Wilmot provides some
background on each application received and the LTAC's process for arriving
at their recommendations. With one exception, each applicant recommended
to receive a grant received less than was requested. The exception was the
request from the Kent International Festival, a long standing annual event
which celebrates Kent's diversity and offers a free day of cultural
programming and entertainment for all to attend. They were recommended
to receive their full ask of $10,000 which will enable to them offer stipends to
performing groups, rather than relying solely on artists to volunteer. Of two
applications received from the Kent Downtown Partnership, the application
for the Cajun festival scheduled for this summer was declined because it
technically had already received a grant prior to the pandemic. This event is
set for August 19th in beautiful downtown Kent at Burlington Green and
Railroad Park. The other was to fund a 2nd iteration of the Meeker Street
Nerd Party a happening planned for well into 2023, so they will resubmit that
application for the Fall 2022 funding cycle.
Packet Pg. 3 Minutes Acceptance: Minutes of May 9, 2022 4:00 PM (Approval of Minutes)
Economic and Community Development
Committee CC ECDC Regular Meeting
Minutes
May 9, 2022
Kent, Washington
Page 3 of 3
6 other applications were recommended to receive awards and these
represent a broad mix of events including sports seasons and tournaments,
education and networking events highlighting industries and groups
important to Kent Valley commerce and support for the Kent Chamber of
Commerce and their efforts to reach visitors and distribute timely information
about the many fun and unique things to do around Kent, while also
supporting local businesses.
Grants recommended to Council by this committee will be considered by the
Kent City Council May 17th. Those awarded will receive 50% of the funds up
front, with the remainder provided at the project conclusion and upon
submission of their results report in either 2022 or 2023.
MOTION: I move to authorize the Council award a total of $200,000 to the
2022 Lodging Tax Advisory Grant Applicants at funding levels identified by
the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee.
RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL [UNANIMOUS] Next: 5/17/2022
7:00 PM
MOVER: Zandria Michaud, Councilmember
SECONDER: Toni Troutner, Committee Chair
AYES: Troutner, Larimer, Michaud
5. Adjournment 4:33 p.m.
Rhonda Bylin
Committee Secretary
Packet Pg. 4 Minutes Acceptance: Minutes of May 9, 2022 4:00 PM (Approval of Minutes)
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Kurt Hanson, AICP, EDFP
220 Fourth Avenue South
Kent, WA 98032
253-856-5454
DATE: June 13, 2022
TO: Economic and Community Development Committee
SUBJECT: INFO ONLY: The Bridges
SUMMARY: As contemplated in Resolution No. 2038, staff from Kent and Auburn
have been working closely together on matters related to transitioning the Bridges
neighborhood into Auburn via annexation/de-annexation. Staff have continued to
explore infrastructure issues, identified the administrative steps required to
effectuate the transition and have formulated a public outreach plan. An update on
this work will be presented at the June 13th meeting.
SUPPORTS STRATEGIC PLAN GOAL:
Innovative Government - Delivering outstanding customer service, developing leaders, and
fostering innovation.
Thriving City - Creating safe neighborhoods, healthy people, vibrant commercial districts, and
inviting parks and recreation.
Inclusive Community - Embracing our diversity and advancing equity through genuine community
engagement.
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LAND USE AND PLANNING BOARD
220 Fourth Avenue South
Kent, WA 98032
DATE: June 13, 2022
TO: Economic and Community Development Committee
FROM: Parks Department
SUBJECT: 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan Update Adoption
Ordinance
MOTION: Recommend City Council adopt an ordinance amending the
Comprehensive Plan’s Parks and Recreation Element to incorporate the 2022 Parks
and Open Space Plan.
SUMMARY: This ordinance is to amend the current Comprehensive Plan’s Parks
and Recreation Element to incorporate the 2022 Parks and Open Space Plan (PSOP).
The 2022-2027 POSP document serves as a roadmap for the prioritization of
capital funds and a decision-making tool for city staff to carry out day-to-day
operations. The purpose of the 2022 POSP is to develop a long-range vision to
guide the continued planning and development of the overall park system, to
better and more equitably serve current and future residents of Kent.
The 2016 POSP created a new way to measure the quality of the park system and
made clear the need for sustainable funding to retain a high-quality system. With
dedicated and sustainable capital funds now in place, the 2022 POSP update seeks
to build upon the work and accomplishments from prior years by focusing on
development of level of service metrics for land acquisition, updates to
recreational value scores, racial and social equity planning and engagement, GIS
data and analysis, sustainable funding plan, and an update to project priorities.
The City is required to update the POSP every six years to be eligible for grant
funding through the state Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO), which is a
significant source of funding for city-funded capital projects. Adoption of this
updated plan in June 2022 will allow the city to apply for grants in the upcoming
grant cycle.
BUDGET IMPACT: None
SUPPORTS STRATEGIC PLAN GOAL:
Innovative Government - Delivering outstanding customer service, developing leaders, and
fostering innovation.
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Evolving Infrastructure - Connecting people and places through strategic investments in physical
and technological infrastructure.
Thriving City - Creating safe neighborhoods, healthy people, vibrant commercial districts, and
inviting parks and recreation.
Sustainable Services - Providing quality services through responsible financial management,
economic growth, and partnerships.
Inclusive Community - Embracing our diversity and advancing equity through genuine community
engagement.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. CompPlanAmend_2022ParkOpenSpacePlan_5.18.22 LAW REVIEW (PDF)
2. City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (PDF)
3. PPD - POSP Final 052722 (PDF)
05/23/22 Land Use and Planning Board RECOMMENDED TO
COUNCIL
4.C
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1 Comprehensive Plan Amendment
Park and Open Space Plan
CPA-2021-8
ORDINANCE NO.________
AN ORDINANCE of the City Council of the
City of Kent, Washington, amending the Parks and
Recreation Element of the City’s Comprehensive
Plan related to the adoption of the 2022 Park and
Open Space Plan. (CPA-2021-8).
RECITALS
A. Pursuant to the Growth Management Act (GMA), the city’s
comprehensive plan provides for planning activities and capital budget
decisions that are consistent with the comprehensive plan. RCW
36.70A.120. The Parks and Recreation Element provides the foundation and
guidance for the park system within the City. The Parks and Recreation
Element includes an inventory of existing parks and open spaces, level of
service standards, a summary of public participation, goals and policies, and
opportunities for regional coordination.
B. The city council’s strategic goals include the creation of
neighborhood urban centers, connections for people and places, fostering
inclusiveness, and beautifying Kent.
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2 Comprehensive Plan Amendment
Park and Open Space Plan
CPA-2021-8
C. The purpose of the 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan is
to develop a long-range vision to guide the continued planning and
development of the overall park system to better, and more equitably, serve
current and future residents of Kent. The document serves as a roadmap
for the prioritization of capital funds and a decision-making tool for city staff
to carry out day-to-day operations.
D. This update focuses on development of level of service metrics
for land acquisition, updates to recreational value scores, racial and social
equity planning and engagement, GIS data and analysis, sustainable
funding plan, and an update to project priorities. When the Park and Open
Space Plan is integrated into the Parks and Recreation Element of the city’s
comprehensive plan, it will direct future development, acquisition and
renovation of parks and open spaces for the short and long-term future.
E. The City is required to update the Park and Open Space Plan
every six years to be eligible for grant funding through the state Recreation
and Conservation Office (RCO), which is a significant source of funding for
city-funded capital projects. Adoption of this updated plan in July 2022 will
allow the city to apply for grants in the upcoming grant cycle.
F. The Park and Open Space Plan has undergone an extensive
public process. In 2021, Kent Parks put together a city-wide engagement
plan by sending 65,000 postcards, placing 100 signs in parks and along
trails, held 6 on-site events, conducted a social media campaign, and posted
in city newsletters and on reader boards. Community members were asked
to participate in a statically valid or/and a general survey, between these
surveys there were 817 responses. During the entire engagement process
there were 2,993 touch points made throughout the community.
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3 Comprehensive Plan Amendment
Park and Open Space Plan
CPA-2021-8
G. On April 25, 2022, the city provided the State of Washington
the required 60-day notification under RCW 36.70A.106 of the City’s
proposed amendments. No comments were received.
H. On May 21, 2022, the city’s State Environmental Policy Act
(SEPA) Responsible Official issued an Addendum to the City of Kent
Comprehensive Plan Review and Midway Subarea Planned Action
Environmental Impact Statement and City of Kent Downtown Subarea
Action Plan Planned Action Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.
The Addendum did not identify any additional significant adverse
environmental impacts associated with the proposed comprehensive plan
amendment.
I. On April 25th, 2022, the Land Use and Planning Board (“LUPB”)
held a workshop to discuss the update to the Park and Open Space Plan as
well as the associated amendment to the Parks and Recreation Element of
the Kent Comprehensive Plan. On May 23rd, 2022, the LUPB held a public
hearing to consider the matter. At the close of the public hearing, the LUPB
voted to recommend adoption of the comprehensive plan amendment and
2022 Park and Open Space Plan.
J. The City Council’s Economic and Community Development
Committee considered the LUPB’s recommendation at its regularly
scheduled meeting on June 13th, 2022, and forwarded its own
recommendation to the full City Council. The Park and Open Space Plan
update was also considered by the City Council’s Parks and Human Services
Committee on June 2nd, 2022.
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4 Comprehensive Plan Amendment
Park and Open Space Plan
CPA-2021-8
NOW THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENT,
WASHINGTON, DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
ORDINANCE
SECTION 1. – Incorporation of Recitals. The preceding recitals are
incorporated herein.
SECTION 2. – Amendment. The 2022 Park and Open Space Plan,
attached as Exhibit “A,” is hereby incorporated into the Parks and
Recreation Element of the Kent Comprehensive Plan.
SECTION 3. – Severability. If any one or more sections, sub-
sections, or sentences of this ordinance are held to be unconstitutional or
invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portion of
this ordinance and the same shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 4. – Corrections by City Clerk or Code Reviser. Upon
approval of the City Attorney, the City Clerk and the code reviser are
authorized to make necessary corrections to this ordinance, including the
correction of clerical errors; references to other local, state or federal laws,
codes, rules, or regulations; or ordinance numbering and section/subsection
numbering.
SECTION 5. - Effective Date. This ordinance shall take effect and be
in force 30 days from and after the date of passage as provided by law.
DANA RALPH, MAYOR
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5 Comprehensive Plan Amendment
Park and Open Space Plan
CPA-2021-8
ATTEST:
KIM KOMOTO, CITY CLERK
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
TAMMY WHITE, CITY ATTORNEY
PASSED: ______ day of June, 2022.
APPROVED: ______ day of June, 2022.
PUBLISHED: ______ day of June, 2022.
I hereby certify that this is a true copy of Ordinance No. _______, passed
by the City Council of the City of Kent, Washington, and approved by the
Mayor of the City of Kent as hereon indicated.
(SEAL)
KIM KOMOTO, CITY CLERK
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Packet Pg. 12 Attachment: CompPlanAmend_2022ParkOpenSpacePlan_5.18.22 LAW REVIEW (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan Update)
Parks & Open Space Plan 2022
City of Kent
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Packet Pg. 13 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
Contents
Parks and Open Space Plan | City of Kent 2022
What Is a Parks and Open Space Plan?
Acknowledgments
Executive Summary
Glossary of Terms01The Role of Parks and Open Space in the City
The Role of Parks Planning in the City
A Brief History of the Park System
Why Do We Need a Plan?
11
12
15
16
3
5
7
Our Community02Role of a Parks Department
The City of Kent
Demographics of Kent
National Recreational Trends
Parks Plan Engagement
How Do Parks Respond
19
21
23
28
29
34
Where We Are03Benchmarking
Level of Service
Park Classifications
Geospatial Data and Heat Mapping
Nature Score
Athletic Capacity Study
Studying The System
37
38
45
47
53
55
62
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How We Will Get There
Conclusion
05
06
Funding
O&M Versus Capital Funding
The Problem with Reactive Maintenance
Funding Status
Our Funding Bucket
Partnerships with Alternate Providers
Goals and Policies
Focus Group Interview Summaries
Kent PRCS Community Interest & Opinion Survey Report
Statistically Valid Survey Priority Investment Rating by Race
Statistically Valid Survey by Planning Region
General Survey Tabular Results
Website Input
Similar Providers
Technical Memo: Heat Mapping Methods
Kent Parks Property Inventory
Major Asset Inventory
Athletic Field Capacity Study
Expanded RV Methodology Explanation
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
65
66
67
68
69
71
73
90
123
95
96
96
97
101
114
115
AppendicesWhere We Are Going04Vision and Goals
Project Outcomes
Strategic Projects
Systemwide Initiatives
Systemwide Operational and Maintenance Needs
Citywide Connections
Projects by Region
Strategic Projects Summary
Cover Photo Credits
1: View along the Kent
Valley Loop Trail,
credit Tom Gray
2: Lake Meridian Park
3: Arbor Heights 360
climbing pinnacle
4: Lake Meridian Park
5: Wilson Playfields
6: Clark Lake Park
7: Earthworks Park
8: Wilson Playfields
1
7
3
4 5 6
2
8
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Packet Pg. 15 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
“Sweet Suite” Elizabeth Conner sculpture, Town Square Plaza
3
This plan is the end result of many community conversations, stakeholder interviews, and
input gathered from a broad representation of residents in Kent. The City of Kent Parks,
Recreation and Community Services Department wishes to acknowledge and thank the
many individuals who participated in the surveys and various engagement opportunities that
helped shape this plan. Truly, it is this collaboration that gives this plan validity as we seek to
preserve and protect public land in Kent.
In this process, we want to acknowledge that the City of Kent and all its parks sit on the lands
of the Duwamish, Muckleshoot, and Coast Salish peoples, whose ancestors have lived here
since time immemorial. We are grateful to their stewardship of this land, and we give respect
to the many indigenous people who continue to flourish here.
We also wish to thank the Parks and Recreation Commission for their commitment to
understanding the complex issues and challenges associated with addressing the parks and
recreational priorities and needs of the residents of Kent. Their involvement and support of
the plan continues to profoundly influence the direction of the department.
Additional thanks go to the numerous staff in multiple departments who reviewed and
commented on the document in its various drafts, and who collaborated in building a
common understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion, and key metrics for promoting social
equity. Their input was indispensable in this effort.
The department extends our gratitude to the firms of Berger Partnership, PROS Consulting,
and Herrera Environmental Consultants, whose professional collaboration was crucial to the
development of the document and the continued evolution of a performance-based Level of
Service.
Our recognition and thanks are also extended to the Mayor and City Council for their interest
and support in this important effort.
Acknowledgments
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Kent Mayor
Dana Ralph
Kent City Council
Bill Boyce
Brenda Fincher
Satwinder Kaur
Marli Larimer
Zandria Michaud
Les Thomas
Toni Troutner
City Staff
Derek Matheson
Pat Fitzpatrick
Julie Parascondola
Brian Levenhagen
Garin Lee
Lori Hogan
Phung Huynh
Terry Jungman
Kerry O’Connor
Lynn Osborn
Bryan Higgins
Michael Espenan
Cassidy Sawyer
Uriel Varela
Kaelene Nobis
Rob Brown
April Delchamps
David Paine
HB Harper
Lori Guilfoyle
Maria Tizoc
Dinah Wilson
Council President
Councilmember
Councilmember
Councilmember
Councilmember
Councilmember
Councilmember
Chief Administrative Officer
Interim Chief Administrative Officer
Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director
Deputy Director
Park Operations Superintendent
Recreation and Cultural Services Superintendent
Accounting Manager
Parks Planning and Development Manager
Parks Planner
Parks Planning and Development Specialist
Parks Capital Project Manager
Parks Capital Project Manager
GIS Analyst
Race and Equity Manager
Senior Long Range Planner
Transportation Engineering Manager
City Transportation Manager
City Transportation Planner
Long Range Planning Manager
Human Services Coordinator
Neighborhood Program Coordinator
Senior CDBG Coordinator
Kent Parks and Recreation Commission
Jennifer Ritchie Chair
Kristie Duggan Vice Chair
Edith Gonzalez
Elizabeth Carter
Kathleen Meehan
Matthew Morgan
Michael J. Javelli
Richard Minutoli
Roberto Arellano, Jr.
Sarah Veele
Scott R. Taylor
Stuart Chapman
Taek Kim
Berger Partnership, Consultants
Greg Brower
Andy Mitton
Stephanie Woirol
Christine Abbott
Ann Salerno
Laura Laney
Christine Gannon
Pros Consulting
Leon Younger
Scott Vollmer
Austin Hochstetler
Herrera Environmental Consultants
Jennifer Schmidt
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Wilson Playfields
5
Parks are part of what makes a place special. Kent is fortunate to have a rich diversity of
both people and parks, making our city an attractive place to live, work, and play. Kent is
growing both in terms of population and diversity, creating increased demand for parks and
open space and changes in how residents use the park system. The 2022 Parks and Open
Space Plan (2022 Plan) establishes goals and identifies strategic projects to meet the needs
of our community through earnest community engagement and tracks outcomes with
performance-based metrics.
First and foremost, the 2022 Plan centers diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as core principles
that guide all other components of the plan. Kent Parks is committed to providing a high-
quality recreational experience for all residents and visitors. Understanding what this means
for a growing and changing population can only be achieved through authentic community
engagement and transparent decision-making. With thousands of community touchpoints
through our engagement efforts and focused conversations with community-based
organizations, we feel that this is truly a shared vision formed by Kent residents and reflective
of the rich diversity that makes Kent unique.
The 2022 Plan furthers concepts established in the 2016 Parks and Open Space Plan (2016
Plan) with updates to the performance-based Level of Service (LOS). After a full six-year cycle
of implementing work under this methodology, there is clear and project-based evidence of
how focusing on both the quality and quantity of recreational amenities in each park results
in high-performing parks. With performance-based LOS concepts well established, this plan
also layers in more traditional LOS metrics, which focus on quantity of parkland to identify
areas of the city that are parkland deficient and inform a land acquisition strategy.
The LOS analysis gains a degree of precision in the 2022 Plan with the introduction of
geospatial mapping and analysis. Layering data related to park access, walkability, transit,
population density, and racial and social equity provides a clear view of park needs across the
city, proving certain recommendations that were previously known but also revealing and
informing new recommendations. Making this data publicly available and easy to interpret
serves the need for transparency, one of the primary goals of this plan.
Executive Summary
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The 2016 Plan told the story of a park system laden with failing assets without the resources
to replace them. This powerful story led to new funding sources and reinvestment into the
system. Kent parks are more resilient today than they were in 2016, but there is more work to
be done. As Kent continues to grow and with the global pandemic shining a renewed light
on the importance of easy access to quality parks, trails, and open spaces in urban settings,
continued investment is more important than ever. This increased demand for parks can
only be met with increased funding for: 1) capital development to meet the demand for new
and expanded facilities and 2) operations and maintenance (O&M) to keep our parks system
performing at a high level. Funding one without a proportionate increase in the other knocks
the park system out of balance, leading to either a backlog of capital redevelopment or a park
system that is less inviting and less safe, with assets with reduced lifecycles due to reactive
maintenance.
The findings and recommendations of the 2022 Plan are summarized under four goals. These
four goals inform nine project outcomes, which are the basis for prioritization of individual
strategic projects:
While the 2022 plan is both ambitious and
achievable, the results of the 2016 plan prove
that the City of Kent will benefit from finding
a way to meet these objectives. This plan lays
out a clear framework for how to reach the
high bar that it sets, and the Kent community
deserves nothing less. The result will be a park
system that helps define the character of our
city and makes our residents proud to call
Kent home.
TRANSPARENCY &
COMMUNICATION
OUTCOMESGOALSPHYSICAL ACCESS
FOR ALL
DIVERSITY OF HIGH-
QUALITY AMENITY
SYSTEM
RESILIENCY
Trails
Athletics Operations &
MaintenanceAccess
Equity PartnershipsStrategic
Amenities
Programming Natural
Resources
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Packet Pg. 19 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
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Access Point
A place where a park user can enter a park by
walking, biking, rolling, or driving.
Acquisition
Purchase of new property, increasing overall
park acreage. The goal of most acquisitions is
to provide open space and Recreational Value
in areas of the city that are deficient.
Amenity
See ‘Recreational Amenity.’
Asset
Any built component in the park system
valued at over $10,000.
Asset Grade
A number assigned to each asset that
reflects the asset’s physical condition. The
scale ranges from 1 to 5, with a grade of 1
reflecting an asset that is near or at the end
of its useful life. A grade of 5 reflects an asset
that is new or like new.
Capacity or Carrying Capacity
The maximum use an asset, park, or system
can handle before it is either too full of
people or the use causes difficult-to-repair
damage.
Capital Development
Construction projects that develop previously
undeveloped parkland into a new formal park
space or expand the use of an existing park
space, including the addition of major new
amenities.
Capital Repair/Redevelopment
Construction projects that repair or replace
failing infrastructure or otherwise aging
amenities in kind. Examples are repaving a
parking lot, replacing worn-out athletic field
synthetic turf, or improving drainage of an
existing grass field.
Community Park
A useful traditional classification of parks.
Community parks serve the city with unique
activities and are generally expected to have
a high enough level of Recreational Value to
draw users from around the city. People are
anticipated to access these parks by foot, car,
bike, and transit.
Equality
Equality means providing everyone with
the same amount of resources regardless
of whether everyone needs them. In other
words, each person receives an equal share of
resources despite what they already have or
don’t have.
Equity
Equity is when resources are shared based
on what each person needs in order to
adequately level the playing field.
Heat Map
A tool that overlays various metrics onto
a map. Metrics can include a wide variety
of information; for this effort the metrics
included access points, equity, Recreational
Value, a 10-minute walk, and a 10-minute
drive. The metrics add together to create an
understanding of where highest needs for
new parks or new amenities exist in the park
system.
Level of Service (LOS)
A measure of how well a public agency is
providing for (or serving) the public. The
traditional measure of LOS for park systems
in the U.S.A. has been acres per thousand of
population. The 2016 Kent Parks and Open
Space Plan introduced a new approach to
LOS that evaluates the quality of amenities
and how they are distributed within the
city. The 2022 Plan continues refining the
approach introduced in 2016; refinements
include assessments of physical access and
demographic equity.
Glossary of Terms
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Neighborhood Park
A useful traditional classification of parks.
Neighborhood parks provide convenient
access to active and passive recreational
opportunities for a neighborhood. Most
users are anticipated to walk or bike to these
parks. Recreational Value is generally lower
than community parks.
Overall Park Condition
A grade calculated for each park that reflects
the park’s physical condition. It is derived
by averaging the Park Property Grade and
average Asset Grade of that park. This score
is converted to the Park Condition Multiplier.
Park Asset Inventory
An inventory of every capital asset in the
Kent park system valued at over $10,000.
This is a planning tool that tracks year built,
condition, size, life-cycle, and replacement
cost of park assets. This tool is used to
understand the yearly capital costs and
maintenance costs that will be needed to
preserve the system.
Park Condition Multiplier
A number determined by the overall
park condition. The resulting number is
multiplied by number of amenities in a park
to determine the park’s Recreational Value.
Park Performance Tier
Implemented in the 2016 Plan, tiers are used
to categorize parks by their Recreational
Value. The lowest tier for a functional park is
Tier 1; parks assessed below 1 are considered
to not provide significant Recreational
Value. The highest performing park is a Tier
6, but higher tiers are possible. Tiers have
loose associations with more traditional
parks categories such as community and
neighborhood parks.
Park Property Grade
A grade given to each park capturing its
general condition. This is independent of the
condition of its inventoried assets. The grades
range from 1 (failing) to 5 (functionally new).
Recreational Amenity
Any feature in a park that provides
opportunities to recreate or that makes
recreation more comfortable, attractive, or
accessible. It may be a built feature, such as
a restroom, or a naturally occurring amenity,
such as a view of Mount Rainier. The number
of recreational amenities in a given park is
used in the Recreational Value formula to
assess the park’s current Recreational Value.
A conceptual level estimate of possible
complementary recreational amenities
is used to assess the park’s potential
Recreational Value.
Recreational Value (RV)
A type of Level of Service calculation that
measures the performance of an individual
park or an entire park system. The formula
takes into account how age and condition
of a park and its assets impact the quality
and quantity of recreational opportunities
provided. Newer parks and assets function at
a higher level (and provide a higher RV) than
deteriorated parks and assets.
Current Recreational Value (CRV)
An assessment of a park system’s or park’s
individual performance. A park’s CRV is
found by counting the park’s existing
recreational amenities and multiplying by
the Park Condition Multiplier.
Potential Recreational Value (PRV)
An assessment of how much Recreational
Value a park or property can provide at its
ultimate build-out, assuming the overall
park condition is a 5 (functionally new).
The assessment is done park by park by
determining how each park or property
would be developed/renovated, given
reasonable constraints and funding. That
expected development is then assessed
by adding up the number of recreational
amenities for each park or property.
Sustainable Funding
Perpetual and reliable sources of money.
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Chestnut Ridge Park
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01
KENTP&OSPLAN2022
chapter
The Role of Parks and Open Space in the City 11
The Role of Parks Planning in the City 12
A Brief History of the Park System 15
Why Do We Need a Plan? 16
What is a Parks and
Open Space Plan?
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01 11
Parks make cities livable by infusing play, nature,
and gathering into publicly accessible space. A
Parks and Open Space (P&OS) Plan maintains
the health of a park system. It presents a
coherent plan for implementing the next phase
of acquisition, development, and maintenance
for a park system, incorporating research, public
input, and financial and logistical factors.
Every six years Kent Parks, Recreation and
Community Services (PRCS), or Kent Parks,
updates their Parks and Open Space Plan,
evaluating how the park system is serving
the public and identifying strategic projects,
partnerships, and funding needed to better
serve the public. The 2016 P&OS Plan created
a new way to measure the quality of the park
system and made clear the need for sustainable
funding to maintain high quality. Using the
2016 Plan as a tool, the city has dedicated a
sustainable source of capital funding. This 2022
P&OS Plan seeks to build on the work and
accomplishments of the 2016 Plan to reassess
the quality of the system and continue building
it to respond to the diversity and population
growth of Kent today and in the future.
The focus of the 2022 P&OS Plan is to create a
resilient system that provides physical access
and a diversity of high-quality amenities
prioritized by need and using a transparent
process to identify strategic projects,
partnerships, and funding.
People value parks and open spaces for
so many reasons: the opportunity to walk
a dog, learn to ride a bike, play organized
sports, explore a trail, or engage in a wide
variety of other recreational activities.
These activities lead to health benefits
by providing contact with nature,
opportunities for physical activity, and social
interaction. Well-designed and maintained
parks also contribute to the economic
development of a community by
providing popular amenities that people look
for when deciding where they want to live
and work. Healthy open spaces offer habitat
for urban wildlife, clean the air, and
absorb stormwater runoff. Parks and
open spaces contribute to a community’s
aesthetics and serve as landmarks that
people associate with a community’s identity.
The Role of Parks and Open Space in the City
What is a Parks and
Open Space Plan?
The city is not the only provider of
recreational opportunities in Kent. School
playgrounds and sports fields, private gyms,
and other recreational sites owned by other
organizations also provide space to play. All
these facilities are valued components of
Kent’s recreational “menu,” and they all play
important roles in the community. They’re
largely not discussed here because the city
has no authority to plan, manage, or improve
private, outside agency, and school-owned
facilities. Kent Parks has initiated partnership
conversations with other recreation providers
in the city to find mutually beneficial
opportunities to provide high-quality
recreation. These partnerships are discussed
throughout the report and include enhanced
athletic field partnerships with the Kent School
District.
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Wilson Playfields
0112
Many city planning efforts are complementary
to park planning and together build the
blueprint for an evolving Kent. A Parks and
Open Space Plan fits into requirements and
guidance from the state of Washington’s
Growth Management Act (GMA). The GMA
requires the city to complete and regularly
update a Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan).
Last updated in 2015, Kent’s Comp Plan
provides a vision through 2035. It creates a
framework for how the city will accommodate
growth through land-use regulations and
infrastructure planning, including parks and
recreation, and guides future legally binding
regulations.
The P&OS Plan is a complementary document
that feeds into the Parks Strategic Framework,
which then feeds into the Comp Plan.
The Parks Strategic Framework outlines a
clear, accessible path for implementing the
foundation laid in the Comp Plan.
There are many city programs and plans that
look at various aspects of the city and inform
each other, working together to create a
vibrant and equitable Kent.
The Role of Parks
Planning in the City Transportation Master Plan provides a
20-year vision for the city’s holistic bike/
ped/vehicular/transit experience.
Why It’s Important: Multimodal (bike/ped/
transit/other) corridors create ease of access
for high numbers of residents and other park
users. Understanding how people access
parks and trails and providing transportation
options is an important consideration when
planning park projects.
Community Development Block Grant
Consolidated Plan for Housing and
Community Development is updated
every five years and provides objectives
and outcomes for investment in the
development of urban communities.
Why It’s Important: The plan and grants
focus on providing decent housing, living
environment, and economic opportunities
to create a healthy, thriving, and inclusive
community for all Kent residents.
Rally the Valley Subarea Plan provides
a 20-year vision for the industrial valley
including amenities and trail connections.
Why It’s Important: The industrial valley
is where many people spend their days
working, and it has an interconnected
network of parks and trails for them to
enjoy during daytime hours. The majority of
land in the valley is already developed and
unavailable to the park system, so privately
owned amenities and connections to parks
and trails are to be celebrated and built upon.
City of Kent Downtown Subarea Action Plan
pursues a dense, mixed-use urban center that
complements transit.
Why It’s important: The DSAP emphasizes
pedestrian and bicycle connections,
particularly to parks and transit, as part
of an integrated transportation system.
Developing, maintaining, and operating
high-quality parks in downtown is a key
action within the plan.
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O&M Plan is continuously updated and
focuses on preventative maintenance,
urban forestry, natural resources, fleet
management, and asset management.
Why It’s Important: This work supports
the health of the park system and ensures
high-quality recreation for Kent’s residents.
Golf Business Plan is updated every
six years and provides a plan for the golf
complex.
Why It’s Important: The plan provides a
golf experience for all levels of play ability
and aligns core, essential, and discretionary
services.
Human Services Strategic Plan is
updated every five years and creates a vision
for high-quality service for all residents.
Why It’s Important: This plan creates a
healthy, thriving, and inclusive community
by ensuring access to opportunity and
services that respect each person’s unique
experiences.
Kent Valley Loop Trails Plan looks at
linking together various parks and trail
segments (Green River, Interurban, Frager Rd.)
in the Downtown, Green River, and West Hill
regions.
Why It’s Important:
Parks and links between them already
existed but not in formal or intuitive ways.
Some connections only needed signage;
others needed infrastructure improvements.
Together the improvements create a
system of short and long trails for users of
all abilities and comfort levels connecting
workers, residents, and visitors to a large
urban and natural area.
Green Kent Plan looks at vegetation
management in Kent’s green spaces.
Why It’s Important:
Kent Parks has a unique opportunity to
protect and enhance habitat areas and
provide education about nature. Removing
invasive plant species and supporting native
species is a key part of this mission.
Comprehensive Recreation Program
Plan provides an eight-year vision for
programming of interior and outdoor
facilities in the park system.
Why It’s Important: Planning a system
includes looking at the spread of recreation
across a city. While interior facilities tend to
provide different sorts of amenities than
exterior parks, interior and exterior amenities
can complement and balance each other.
Facilities Master Plan provides a
condition assessment and 20-year vision for
city-owned interior facilities and strategic
projects for those facilities.
Why It’s Important: This assessment is
closely tied to the Recreation Program Plan
and the system of amenities and services
the city can provide residents, visitors, and
employees. Many park properties have
facilities within or adjacent to them that are
important considerations in identifying parks
amenities.
Kent Housing Options Plan provides a
20-year vision for housing in Kent.
Why It’s Important: Kent has a growing
demand for housing. The Housing Options
Plan establishes policy for how Kent can
meet this demand, influencing areas of
housing and business density. This in turn
influences the number of people in an area
of the city, which is a key factor in locating
and allocating funding to parks.
Parks Strategic Framework is updated every five years and consolidates the individual plans
that provide visions for the various divisions of the Parks, Recreation and Community Services
(PRCS) department, links to city strategic planning, and overall vision for the department.
Why It’s Important: This is the guiding light of values, framework, and goals for the PRCS
department, driving work plans for each division of the department and connecting actions
to community outcomes.
14 01
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01 15
Completed over decades, Kent’s park system
was forged through thoughtful planning
and community commitment. This planning
has been acknowledged in various venues,
including being the 1988 NRPA Gold Medal
Grand Award Winner for Parks and Recreation
and the recipient of the 1991 NRPA Gold
Medal for Adaptive Recreation. The Gold
Medal Award honors communities throughout
the United States that demonstrate
excellence in long-range planning, resource
management, and innovative approaches to
delivering superb park and recreation services
with fiscally sound business practices.
The late 90’s and early 2000’s saw a number
of significant parks built or annexed into the
city, including Lake Meridian Park (annexed
from King County), Wilson Playfields, Arbor
Heights 360, Town Square Plaza and Service
Club Ballfields. These gains were paired with
the loss of 2 soccer fields at Hogan Park, 3
youth ballfields at Borden Playfields and
a combination of soccer/baseball fields at
Commons Playfields. These tradeoffs shifted
parks from downtown to the new population
center on East Hill, but additional plans to add
parks to meet demand from Kent’s growing
population were put on hold due to reduced
capital and operating budgets. This ultimately
resulted in a net loss of 3 ballfields, 6 soccer
fields and a number of needed new parks not
getting built.
A Brief History of the Park System
Leading up to the 2016 plan, the lack of funding, going back a decade, had allowed many
park amenities to fall into disrepair and failure. Around that time, Kent was emerging from
a period of economic recovery and the Parks Department where the parks department had
to use its already limited operating budget to supplement its capital budget resulting in a
series of small playground renovations but did not keep up with bigger system needs for
reinvestment. Park amenities were deteriorating faster than they could be replaced and a
growing maintenance backlog resulted in a parks system that was falling further behind each
year. The 2016 Plan called for sustainable funding to allow reinvestment into and renovation
of the existing park system to begin to catch-up on this deficit.
In response to that plan, sustainable capital funding (business and occupation taxes) have
been allocated to parks, allowing for significant and sustainable progress in replacing failing
amenities and developing new amenities. That funding supported recently completed and
ongoing projects, some of which are reflected in the below list.
Recently Completed and Ongoing Projects
[Hogan Park at Russell Road Field 1 Turf Conversion
[Lake Meridian Restroom Renovation/Restoration
[Lake Fenwick Floating Walkway Replacement
[Mill Creek Canyon Cleanup and Trail Repair
[Service Club Ballfields Drainage Improvements
[WiffCo Field/New Playground at Kent Memorial Park
[Parkland Acquisition:
[Clark Lake
[Upper Mill Creek
[Morrill Meadows
[Kherson Park Playground and Green Space (construction in 2022)
[Morrill Meadows Phase 2 Improvements (construction in 2022)
[Springwood Park Renovation (design in 2022)
[Van Doren’s Landing Park Replacement (construction in 2022)
[Salt Air Vista Renovation (construction in 2022)
[Chestnut Ridge Renovation (construction in 2022)
[4th and Willis Greenways Trail and Landscape (construction in 2022)
[Lake Meridian Dock Replacement
[West Fenwick Park Renovation
[Riverbend Driving Range Improvements
[Kiwanis Tot Lot 3 Renovation
[Meridian Glen Park Renovation
[Wilson Playfields Shelter Installation
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The sustainable capital funding achieved
since the 2016 Plan is a major step forward for
the park system, and when combined with a
recent surge in real estate excise tax revenues
it has allowed for a significant first wave of
reinvestment that has saved park amenities
from having to be closed or removed due to
failure. The park department also passed the
city’s first ever park impact fee to ensure that
growth in the city helps pay for the increased
demand it will put on the park system.
These additional capital funding sources
are only the first step toward addressing
the needs of Kent’s growing and diverse
population. As discussed in later chapters,
existing funding only partially addresses
the repair and renovation need of existing
amenities, leaving very little for the
acquisition, expansion and development
needed to equitably provide for Kent’s
growing population. Additionally, increased
daily operations and maintenance budget is
needed to responsibly ensure each old and
new asset is maintained consistently and at a
high quality to keep it performing for a long
lifespan.
The 2022 Plan looks to continue the
momentum of reinvestment of the 2016 Plan,
with the additional focus of providing a more
equitable spread of amenities, developing
new parks, and ensuring funding for
adequate maintenance.
Why Do We Need a Plan?
Creating a P&OS Plan and keeping it current
ensures the city is managing parks responsibly
and that they qualify for key funding. For
example, a city is only eligible for certain
state-funded capital grants if they maintain a
current Parks and Open Space Plan. The plan
ensures that the city can receive grant funding
through the Washington State Recreation and
Conservation Office (RCO), a program that has
provided millions of dollars to Kent over the
years to acquire, develop, and redevelop parks.
Arguably more important is the vital need for
the city to regularly take a critical look at its
services and ask hard questions about how it is
performing those services. Are they still relevant?
Are they meeting the needs and priorities of the
community? Is the city investing an appropriate
level of resources into them? Addressing these
questions is part of the city’s responsibility to its
residents to do a prudent and responsible job of
stewarding the resources entrusted to it.
Kent is an evolving city, with an increasingly
dense and diverse population of people from
different backgrounds and countries. As density
increases, use demands increase on the park
system, and options to meet that demand
decrease. The 2022 Plan looks to determine if the
system adequately provides for Kent’s diversity
and density and to identify how to equitably
and thoughtfully apply its resources to provide
quality park access for the most residents
possible.
How can an existing park system adequately
respond to the recreational needs of
an increasingly diverse and urbanizing
community? This plan will attempt to answer
the question by focusing on four key goals
and nine project outcomes:
Goals
[Physical Access for All
[Diversity of High-Quality Amenity
[System Resiliency
[Transparency and Communication
Project Outcomes
[Access
[Strategic Amenities
[Partnerships
[Equity
[Trails
[Athletics
[Programming
[Operations and Maintenance
[Natural Resources
With these goals and outcomes, the city can
help ensure that this park system—more than
100 years old—can provide vibrant, relevant,
safe, and attractive recreational opportunities
for residents today and into the future.
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Wilson Playfields
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Role of a Parks Department 19
The City of Kent 21
Demographics of Kent 23
National Recreational Trends 28
Parks Plan Engagement 29
How Do Parks Respond 34
Our Community 02
KENTP&OSPLAN2022
chapter
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Role of a Parks Department
The job of Kent’s Parks, Recreation, and
Community Services, or Kent Parks, is to
enhance community health by providing a
range of services to the people who live in,
work in, and visit Kent. Kent Park’s mission,
“Dedicated to Enriching Lives,” commits
to providing safe and inviting parks and
facilities, meaningful, inclusive, and diverse
recreational programs, cultural activities, and
human services.
Kent’s park system includes 55 parks that
cover more than 1,070 acres, 54.7 miles
of trails, and programs and events that
serve over 1.4 million people annually. The
importance of public services and green
space has become starkly apparent during
the recent COVID-19 Pandemic and social
justice movements as people search for
physically and emotionally safe places to
recreate and connect.
To continue growing and enhancing
the system and community, Kent Parks
approaches decision making in a way that
emphasizes social, environmental, and
economic benefits with ten areas of focus:
[Social Equity and Inclusion
[Basic Needs and Self-Reliance
[Health and Community Wellness
[Economic Development
[Youth Development/Out-of-School Time
[Healthy Aging
[Land and Facilities Stewardship
[Arts and Culture
[Environmental Sustainability
[Active Transportation
In support of those ten areas, Kent Parks:
[Designs, builds, and maintains parks and
trails with guidance from the Parks and
Recreation Commission.
[Provides recreational programs.
[Oversees cultural arts programs with
guidance from the Arts Commission.
[Maintains city recreational facilities,
athletic facilities, and golf.
[Funds human services programs with
direction from the Human Services
Commission.
Informed decisions that build this mission
are based on an understanding of the city,
community, and national and local trends.
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0220
Kiwanis Tot Lot #3
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3 miles
02 21
The City of Kent is in a prime economic
location within Washington State’s most
populous county, King County. Within
20 miles of Kent City Hall there are two
interstate freeways, three highways, two
national railroad lines, three regional transit
commuter rail stations, one light rail station,
an international airport, and two international
deep-water seaports. These connections have
made Kent the fourth largest manufacturing
and distribution center in the country,
home to companies like Amazon, Boeing,
Blue Origin, and many other businesses
that populate the industrial valley. Kent’s
vibrant and diverse economy is the economic
barometer for the region; home to 10,000
businesses and 63,000 jobs, Kent is the
eighth most ethnically diverse city in the
United States with a diverse population of
approximately 137,000 people who speak 138
different languages.
The City of Kent
Situated as a suburb directly between Seattle and Tacoma, the City of Kent’s position in the
regional landscape lends itself to many connections with metropolitan and environmental
opportunities.
Regional Proximity
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3 miles
0222
Natural and man-made edges create functional regions of Kent. Region edges are defined by
busy streets or highways, steep topography, rivers, and transitions between industrial and
residential development. These regions are useful for thinking about how people use and
move through the city, and they create a way of understanding where a certain type of park
development might be needed.
City Regions
In many ways, Kent is defined by the
diversity of its community and the rich mix of
industrial, residential, and natural areas within
its borders. The city is roughly bisected by
the Green River and its associated flat valley
bordered by steep steps up to the West Hill
and East Hill. The valley is further bisected
by Highway 167 and zoning boundaries,
creating areas thought of as Downtown
and the industrial valley. Creeks that feed
into the Green River cut through East Hill,
creating ravines and natural areas that restrict
movement. East Hill is a large area, mostly
residential with some retail, that is further
crisscrossed by major streets like Highway
515 and E James Street. West Hill is separated
from the rest of the city by the Green River,
Highway 516, and is bisected by I-5.
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2021
$
Total Population
136,766
46% White 24% Asian
12% Black or African3% American Indian, Alaska Native, or Pacific Islander
47,650
Total Households
35.8
Median Age
$73,691
Median Household Income
Race
16% Hispanic or Latino
Ethnicity
02 23
Any discussion about system planning must be based on an understanding of the community
that the system serves. This section describes the current and future population of Kent,
including key characteristics such as age segment, race, ethnicity, and income levels. Future
projections and trends are based on historical patterns. Note that unforeseen circumstances
that diverge from these patterns may have significant impacts on these figures. All data were
acquired in July 2021 and reflect numbers as reported by the 2020 Census as well as estimates
for 2026, 2031, and 2036 as obtained by Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI).
Demographics of Kent
Lake Meridian
Greenview Park
Wilson Playfields
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0-17 18-34 35-54 55-74 75+
2010
Census
4%
26%
26%
29%
15%
2021
Estimate
2026
Projection
2036
Projection
2031
Projection
5%
24%
25%26%
20%
6%
23%
24%
26%
20%
6%
23%
24%
25%
22%
7%
22%
24%
24%
23%
118,589
2010 2021 2026 2031 2036
136,766 144,658 152,935 161,101
42,626 47,650 49,975 52,257 54,551
0224
The city’s population has grown 1.30% per
year from 2010 to 2021, with a similar increase
in households. In 2021, the population
was estimated at 136,766 individuals living
within 47,650 households. Projecting ahead,
the total population and total number of
households are both expected to continue
growing at an above-average rate over the
next 15 years. Based on 2033 predictions, the
city is expected to have 161,101 residents
living within 54,551 households.
Nearly half the population of Kent is below
the age of 35, with a median age of 35.8
years old. In the coming years, Kent’s senior
population is anticipated to grow, and the
youth and child segments decline.
Population
Age
Population & Households
Population by Age Segment
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$73,691
Median Household Income
City of Kent
2021
State of Washington United States of America
$35,753
Per Capita Income
$78,697
Median Household Income
$41,523
Per Capita Income
$65,712
Median Household Income
$35,672
Per Capita Income
$73,691
2021
Estimate
2026
Projection
2031
Projection
2036
Projection
$35,753
$88,783
$103,875
$118,967
$41,359 $46,965 $52,571
02 25
The city’s median household income ($73,691) is moderately lower than the state medium
income ($78,697) and considerable higher than the national average ($65,712). The average
per person (also known as per capita) income of Kent ($35,753) is lower than the state of
Washington ($41,523), and is nearly the same as the national average ($35,672).
This report uses race and ethnicity to
understand and address inequity. Our
working understanding of race is similar to
what is defined in the 2010 and 2020 Census:
“Racial categories generally reflect a social
definition of race recognized in this country
and not an attempt to define race biologically,
anthropologically, or genetically. In addition,
it is recognized that the categories of the
race item include racial and national origin or
sociocultural groups. People may choose to
report more than one race to indicate their
racial mixture, such as ‘American Indian’ and
‘White’” (https://www.census.gov/topics/
population/race/about.html).
The 2020 Census defined race as a person’s
self-identification with one or more of the
following social groups: White, Black or
African American, Asian, American Indian
and Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and
Other Pacific Islander, some other race, or
a combination of these. Identification as
Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity was viewed
independently from race. Ethnicity is not
directly tied to race but rather is about
cultural expression and origin. For example,
people who identify as Hispanic, Latino, or
Spanish may be of any race. Hispanic and
Latino are understood here to be ethnic
categories and not racial ones.
Household Income
INCOME CHARACTERISTICS
Median Household Income & Per Capita Income
Race and Ethnicity
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0226
The 2020 Census data on race are not directly
comparable with data from the 2000 and
earlier censuses, so caution must be used
when interpreting changes in the racial
composition of the U.S. population over time.
The 2010 Census and 2020 Census definitions
and nomenclature are used in this plan.
American Indian: This includes a person
having origins in any of the original peoples
of North and South America (including
Central America), and who maintains tribal
affiliation or community attachment.
Asian: This includes a person having origins
in any of the original peoples of the Far East,
Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent
including, for example, Cambodia, China,
India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the
Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Black or African American: This includes
a person having origins in any of the black
racial groups of Africa.
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander:
This includes a person having origins in any of
the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa,
or other Pacific Islands.
White: This includes a person having origins
in any of the original peoples of Europe, the
Middle East, or North Africa.
Hispanic or Latino: This is an ethnic
distinction, a subset of a race as defined by the
Federal Government; this includes a person of
Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, South or Central
American, or other Spanish culture or origin,
regardless of race.
ShoWare Center Event
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02 27
Kent is a racially diverse city. The 2026
population estimate shows the largest
percentage is the White Alone category at
43% of the population, and the Asian Alone
category is the second largest percentage
at 27%. The racial diversification of the city
is much more than the national population,
which is approximately 70% White Alone,
13% Black Alone, and 7% Some Other Race.
The predictions for 2036 expect the city’s
population to continue a slow diversification.
The city’s population was also assessed
based on Hispanic/Latino ethnicity, which
by the Census Bureau definition is viewed
independently from race. Individuals who are
Hispanic/Latino in ethnicity can also identify
with any of the racial categories. Based on the
2010 Census, those of Hispanic/Latino origin
represented 15% of the service area’s current
population, which is slightly lower than the
national average (18% Hispanic/Latino). The
Hispanic/Latino population is expected to
grow marginally over the next 15 years.
Race
Ethnicity
85%
15%
84%
16%
83%
17%
82%
18%
82%
18%
2010
Census
2021
Estimate
2024
Projection
2029
Projection
2036
Projection
Population by Race
Hispanic Population
Hispanic / Latino Origin (any race)All Others
White Alone
Black or African American Alone
American Indian and Alaska Native Alone
Asian Alone
Native American and Other Pacific Islander Alone
Some Other Race
Two or More Races
2010
Census
6%
55%
11 %
1%
2%
17%
8%
2021
Estimate
2026
Projection
2036
Projection
2031
Projection
7%
46%
12%
24%
8%
7%
43%
12%
27%
9%
7%
40%
12%
27%
9%
8%
37%
13%
31%
9%
2%
2.5%
1.5%
1.5%
1%0.5%
0.5%0.5%
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0228
The Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s
(SFIA) 2021 Sports, Fitness, and Leisure
Activities Topline Participation Report
provides a reference for national recreational
trends. One important influence on trends
has been the impact of COVID-19. Active
lifestyles and participation in socially
distanced sports and activities such as tennis,
pickleball, golf, trail running, skateboarding,
surfing, day hiking, and recreational kayaking
has increased. Generally team sports have
shown consistent drops in participation, with
the exception of basketball and soccer, which
can be attributed to informal play.
National Recreational Trends
The top five sports with most participation
were basketball (27.9 million), golf (24.8
million), tennis (21.6 million), baseball (15.7
million), and outdoor soccer (12.4 million).
Between 2015 and 2021, the five sports with
largest growth in participation were golf
entertainment venues (72.3%), pickleball
(67.6%), tennis (20.5%), flag football (20.1%),
and basketball (18.6%). The five sports with
most rapid decline in participation were
Ultimate Frisbee (-47.3%), squash (-32%),
fast-pitch softball (-26.4%), touch football
(-25.3%), and roller hockey (-21.3%).
The top outdoor recreation activities with
most participation were walking (114.0
million), day hiking (57.8 million), running/
jogging (50.7 million), road bicycling (44.5
million), and freshwater fishing (42.6 million).
From 2015-2020, day hiking (55.3%), trail
running (45.6%), BMX bicycling (44.2%),
skateboarding (37.8%), and fly fishing (27.3%)
have undergone the largest increases in
participation.
Top water activities with most participation
were swimming (25.7 million), recreational
kayaking (13.0 million), and canoeing (9.6
million). Over the last five years, of activities
applicable to Kent, recreational kayaking
(36.9%) and stand-up paddling (21.7%) were
the fastest growing water activities.
114.0 million
57.8 million
50.7 million
44.5 million
42.6 million
27.9
24.8
21.6
15.7
25.7
13.0
9.6
12.4
Participation by the Numbers
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02 29
Parks Plan Engagement
Engagement is an ongoing effort rooted in
authentic communication. The engagement
process in Kent’s park projects emphasizes
the importance of feedback representative
of all segments of Kent’s population: all
ages, genders, ethnicities, first and second
generations of immigrants, all economic
statuses, home renters and owners, workers,
and people who don’t generally have time
or interest in responding to requests for
participation in government projects and
activities.
To ensure that high-quality engagement
from the entire population is being received,
Kent Parks is using DEI (Diversity, Equity,
and Inclusion) principles. This practice
acknowledges all the ways people differ: race,
sex, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical
ability, socioeconomic status, religious beliefs,
and more (Diversity). The intent is that all
feel welcomed, supported, respected, and
valued including those who have historically
had less access or limited voice in the process
(Inclusion). To ensure that all voices are heard,
Kent Parks strives to provide fair treatment,
access, and opportunity for all by identifying
and eliminating barriers that have prevented
full participation of some groups in the past
(Equity).
Traditional outreach methods do not
reach enough people generally, but more
importantly, they typically do not reach
a wide diversity of people. Traditional
outreach methods result in responses from
white, middle-income homeowners. As
demonstrated in the demographics section
of this report, this is not representative
of the average Kent resident. Traditional
outreach consists of in-person town hall style
meetings held after working hours in a single
location. This limits the opportunities for the
community to participate. To build equity
into this engagement process, non-traditional
methods were used to ensure more of the
population was given the opportunity to
participate.
These non-traditional engagement
methods included working with internal city
committees and commissions and external
community-based organizations (CBOs) to
build community relationships and provide
more opportunities for a wider array of
residents to participate in the engagement
process. The COVID-19 pandemic made
non-traditional and in-person engagement
techniques more challenging to facilitate,
although some events were able to occur
between waves of the virus.
Engagement Process
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The project page on Kent Park’s engagement
platform EngageKentParks.com provided
a central point for information access and
input. Concurrent efforts to reach and engage
as many communities as possible included:
[Stakeholder Interviews
[Internal City Personnel and
Committees/Commissions
[Community-Based Organization
(CBO) Interviews
[EngageKentParks.com Online Activities
[Map and Stories
[Pop-Up Events
[After-school Student Engagement
[Surveys
[Statistically Valid Survey
[General Survey
Information and awareness about the
planning process was spread through:
[65,000 postcards mailed to Kent residents
[100 signs in parks and along trails
[Peachjar Flyer to all 42 schools
[Recreation and Mayor’s Newsletters
[Recreation Program Guide
[City readerboards at the Commons and
4th and Willis Street
[Facebook events and social media posts
The emphasis on authentic engagement and the strategies employed to that end allowed Kent Parks
to successfully engage a large part of Kent’s population. 2,992 total touchpoints were made during
this project. 72 people individually or in CBO groups were interviewed; website interactions included
1,799 visits making 275 contributions/stories; in-person pop-up events engaged 304 people with
input documented on the online platform; and 817 people took the survey. These numbers prove
that, given the opportunity, Kent residents want to engage.
WRITE
SURVEY
WRITE
ATHLETIC
SURVEY
STATISTICALLY
VALID SURVEY LIVE
GENERAL
SURVEY LIVE
ATHLETIC
SURVEY LIVE
CREATE
WEBSITE
FLIERS
MAILERS
SIGNS
SOCIAL MEDIA DATA
CRUNCHING
REPORTING
WEBSITE LIVE: MAPPING AND INPUTSTAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWSCBO
INTERVIEWS
817
PEOPLE
2,992 TOUCHPOINTS
304
PEOPLE
SURVEYS POP-UPS
GENERAL
383 PEOPLE
STATISTICALLY VALID
434 PEOPLE
YMCA 131
KENT COMMONS 69
WEST FENWICK PARK 27
TEEN CENTER 19
LIGHT FESTIVAL 58
POP-UP EVENTS
PREP
GATHER
LESSONS,
CONTACTSJUNE 2021JULYAUGSEPTOCTNOVDECJAN 2022FEBINTERVIEWS
72
PEOPLE
STAKEHOLDERS
20 PEOPLE
COMMUNITY-BASED
ORGANIZATIONS
53 PEOPLE
WEBSITE
1,799
VISITS
69 CONTRIBUTIONS
206 STORIES
1,593 AWARE
777 INFORMED
70+ ENGAGED
4.C.b
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02 31
Information gathered during the engagement
process will help Kent Parks take a resident
driven approach to making decisions that
will guide the future of the system and better
serve all segments of the population.
Stakeholder interviews informed emerging
trends and guided the community survey
that was distributed in the fall of 2021. Two
methods of surveying were conducted:
[The Statistically Valid Survey and the
outreach surrounding it was structured to
reflect the demographic makeup of Kent.
The goal of this survey is to understand
how the park system can better serve all
segments of the population including
people who do not currently use it.
Segments of the population that
historically do not respond to surveys
were oversampled to achieve a response
that matches the demographics of Kent.
[The General Survey, asking identical
questions, provided all residents of Kent
with another opportunity to give input
online. The General Survey was largely
taken by people who use Kent’s parks and
trails multiple times per month.
Both surveys combined represent around
2% of Kent’s population and provide distinct
insights into how people perceive the current
and future park system.
Engagement Results
White
Asian
Black
Pacific Islander
Hispanic, Latino,
or Spanish
American Indian
or Alaska Native
2%
2%
1%
1%
2%
1%
16%
15%
7%
13%
12%
8%
47%
2020 Census Breakdown:
Population of 136,766
Statistically Valid Survey:
434 Respondants
General Survey Breakdown:
383 Respondants
49%
68%
21%
20%
15%
Survey Respondents by Race/Ethnicity
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53%10%2%32%4%
54%6%2%30%8%
5%
7%
9%
10%
15%
15%Maintenance of Parks
Number & Variety
of Parks Offered
Qualtiy of Outdoor
Athletic Fields
Adequacy of
Parking at Parks
Feeling of Safety in Parks
Adequacy of
Lighting at Parks
Quality of Youth
Recreation Programs
Ease of Registering for
Park Programs/Rentals
Quality of Adult
Recreation Programs
Very Satisfied
43%16%3%34%
34%19%7%33%
32%15%3%42%
38%7%2%43%
29%11 %
3%42%
23%8%3%52%
58%4%2%30%6%
Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
75.9%
56.5%
37.5%
28.0%
24.3%
15.1%14.9%11.8%
5.8%20%40%60%80%0%First Choice
Second Choice
Third Choice
0232
The results of the Statistically Valid Survey
showed that, overall, the level of satisfaction
with city parks is high, with more respondents
‘very satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’ than ‘dissatisfied’
or ‘very dissatisfied.’ Current maintenance of
parks had the highest level of satisfaction,
with 67% of respondents ‘very satisfied’ or
‘satisfied,’ an encouraging response. While
generally satisfied with current maintenance,
respondents emphasized that maintenance
should continue to be a priority over the next
five-year period. These sentiments about park
maintenance were reflected by those who
responded to the General Survey as well,
indicating that park maintenance now and in
the future is important to all Kent residents.
1. Feeling of Safety in Parks
2. Maintenance of Parks
3. Adequacy of Lighting at Parks
4. Adequacy of Parking at Parks
5. Number and Variety of Parks Offered
6. Quality of Youth Recreation Programs
7. Quality of Adult Recreation Programs
8. Quality of Outdoor Athletic Fields
9. Ease of Registering for Park Programs/Rentals
Level of Satisfaction with City of Kent Parks
Items That Respondents Think Should Receive the Most Emphasis Over the Next Five Years
by percentage of respondents using a 5-point scale, where 5 means very satisfied and 1 means very dissatisfied (excluding don’t know responses)
by the sum percentage of respondents who chose the item as one of their top three choices
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02 33
In addition to park maintenance, the
Statistically Valid Survey and General Survey
respondents indicated many overlaps in
priorities, needs, and amenities. Investment
priorities were studied acknowledging that
certain city areas or demographic groups may
have a higher need for particular amenities.
Priorities were studied by city region where
respondents lived, race or ethnicity, and
owner/renter to inform appropriate locations
and equitable amenities for implementation.
Top priorities across all regions and
demographics focused on maintenance and
safety of parks. Additional priorities included
provision of a variety of amenities including
restrooms, nature trails, preservation of and
access to natural areas and habitat, farmer’s
market event spaces, local and regional paved
trails, gardens, shelters and gathering spaces,
off-leash dog areas, amenities for all ages and
abilities, access to water, and playgrounds.
Specialized sports and active-use facilities
were indicated to be a lower priority. This is
likely due to these amenities serving a more
specific segment of the population than, say,
a playground or shelter which have a broader
user base. Specialized sports amenities are
still considered important offerings in the
park system, supporting active lifestyles in
the city; some may be offered as one-offs in
the system while some may be deprioritized
for the next six-year cycle.
Amenity Top Priority Investments
Each category represents a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
‘Black’ includes those who identify as Black or African American.
‘Asian’ includes those who identify as Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean,
Vietnamese, or as part of other Asian or Southeast Asian cultures.
‘Latino or Hispanic’ includes those who identify as Latino, Hispanic, or of Spanish origin.
‘White’ includes those who identify as white, traditionally understood as those descending
from Caucasian communities.
‘Other’ includes those who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native or Pacific Islander
including Native Hawaiian, Guamanian or Chamorro, Samoan, or other Pacific Islander.
0 50 100 150 200
0 50 100
PRIORITY INVESTMENT RATING LARGE COMMUNITY PARKS
All Respondents
Overall Priority Score
out of 200
Respondents’ Identified Race:
Key:
Asian
White
Latino or Hispanic
Black
Other87.2RESTROOMS
NATURE TRAILS
FARMER’S MARKET
EVENTS
PAVED WALKING &
BIKING TRAILS
NATURAL AREAS /
WILDLIFE HABITAT
BOTANICAL
GARDENS
PARK SHELTERS &
GATHERING AREAS
OFFLEASH
DOG AREA
AMENITIES FOR ALL
AGES & ABILITIES
ACCESS TO WATER
(RIVERS & LAKES)
REGIONAL TRAILS &
CONNECTIONS
PLAYGROUNDS
LARGE OPEN LAWN
AREAS
NATURAL PLAY AREAS
(BOULDERS & LOGS)
COMMUNITY GARDENS 200136.3134.6123.7114 .9109.3100.19490.488.579.877.471.660.158.90 50 100 150 200
0 50 100
PRIORITY INVESTMENT RATING LARGE COMMUNITY PARKS
All Respondents
Overall Priority Score
out of 200
Respondents’ Identified Race:
Key:
Asian
White
Latino or Hispanic
Black
Other87.2RESTROOMS
NATURE TRAILS
FARMER’S MARKET
EVENTS
PAVED WALKING &
BIKING TRAILS
NATURAL AREAS /
WILDLIFE HABITAT
BOTANICAL
GARDENS
PARK SHELTERS &
GATHERING AREAS
OFFLEASH
DOG AREA
AMENITIES FOR ALL
AGES & ABILITIES
ACCESS TO WATER
(RIVERS & LAKES)
REGIONAL TRAILS &
CONNECTIONS
PLAYGROUNDS
LARGE OPEN LAWN
AREAS
NATURAL PLAY AREAS
(BOULDERS & LOGS)
COMMUNITY GARDENS 200136.3134.6123.7114 .9109.3100.19490.488.579.877.471.660.158.90 50 100 150 200
0 50 100
PRIORITY INVESTMENT RATING LARGE COMMUNITY PARKS
All Respondents
Overall Priority Score
out of 200
Respondents’ Identified Race:
Key:
Asian
White
Latino or Hispanic
Black
Other87.2RESTROOMS
NATURE TRAILS
FARMER’S MARKET
EVENTS
PAVED WALKING &
BIKING TRAILS
NATURAL AREAS /
WILDLIFE HABITAT
BOTANICAL
GARDENS
PARK SHELTERS &
GATHERING AREAS
OFFLEASH
DOG AREA
AMENITIES FOR ALL
AGES & ABILITIES
ACCESS TO WATER
(RIVERS & LAKES)
REGIONAL TRAILS &
CONNECTIONS
PLAYGROUNDS
LARGE OPEN LAWN
AREAS
NATURAL PLAY AREAS
(BOULDERS & LOGS)
COMMUNITY GARDENS 200136.3134.6123.7114 .9109.3100.19490.488.579.877.471.660.158.94.C.b
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Lake Fenwick Park
0234
How Do Parks Respond
The challenges and expectations for a park system are wide ranging. Demographic trends
have shown a growing and diversifying Kent community, and COVID-19 has impacted
priorities, with national and engagement-indicated trends of decreased close contact team
sports and increased socially distanced activities. Major priorities noted through this planning
process include the need for increased access to nature and trails, access to safe and clean
parks, access to information, and continued involvement in planning. The engagement effort
of this plan has shown that people want to shape their park system, and they want their park
system to work for them. Kent Parks commits to continuing and growing the conversation
with the community and making information as transparent and readily available as possible
for this and future park projects.
Careful study and investment into the system must be done to prioritize projects with
acknowledgment of capital, maintenance, and operations budget constraints. Guided by
public engagement and observed trends, four goals are identified to meet the demands on
the park system, built around nine project outcomes (see Chapter 4 for more information):
TRANSPARENCY &
COMMUNICATION
OUTCOMESGOALSPHYSICAL ACCESS
FOR ALL
DIVERSITY OF HIGH-
QUALITY AMENITY
SYSTEM
RESILIENCY
Trails
Athletics Operations &
MaintenanceAccess
Equity PartnershipsStrategic
Amenities
Programming Natural
Resources
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Clark Lake Park
Clark Lake Park
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Benchmarking 37
Level of Service 38
Park Classifications 45
Geospatial Data and Heat Mapping 47
Nature Score 53
Athletic Capacity Study 55
Studying The System 62
Where We Are 03
KENTP&OSPLAN2022
chapter
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Acres of Park Land
Trail Miles
Soccer Fields
Baseball Fields
Softball Fields
Cricket Field
City of Kent NRPA (2021) Recommendations for Kent
7 Fields (1 Field / 20,000 Residents)
4 Fields (1 Field / 38,889 Residents)
5 Fields (1 Field / 28,081 Residents)
1 Field (1 Field / 10,936 Residents)
3 Fields (1 Field / 45,900 Residents)
2 Fields (1 Field / 68,850 Residents)
6 Fields (1 Field / 22,950 Residents)
0.4 Miles / 1000 Residents
7.81 Acres / 1000 Residents
0 Fields
.08 Miles / 1000 Residents
15.9 Acres / 1000 Residents
Metric
03 37
The purpose of the park system is to serve
the residents of Kent with high quality
amenities and access to outdoor recreation.
To meet this purpose, this plan strives to
make informed and transparent decisions by
creating and utilizing a variety of metrics and
tools, including:
[Benchmarking comparisons
to comparably sized cities
[Traditional and Performance-Based
Level of Service
[Park Classifications
[Heat Mapping
[Citywide Connections Mapping
[Nature Score
[Athletic Capacity Study
While each park system is unique with individual challenges, it is useful to compare the Kent
system to peer cities. This data is a useful metric when considering the optimal size of Kent’s
park system. The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) collects data on cities of
various sizes. Data reflects 500 to 600 unique park and recreation agencies across the United
States, as reported between 2018 and 2020, and includes information on amenities and
budgets.
Kent’s population is around 137,000 which matches the NRPA’s 2021 National Agency
Performance Review upper quartile population of cities (populations of 100,000–250,000).
Evaluating Kent parks against NRPA data for amenities in similarly sized cities, Kent is largely
matched for softball fields and is exceeding expectations for miles of trails, but is underserved
in terms of parkland, soccer fields, baseball fields, and cricket fields. This information is a
useful starting point and can be weighed with engagement, Level of Service calculations,
heat mapping, and capacity studies to inform strategic projects for the system. NRPA data also
provides critical funding comparisons which are further discussed in chapter 5.
Benchmarking
Benchmark Comparisons
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0338
Two important tasks of a parks and open space
plan include measuring a city’s Level of Service
(LOS) for their park system and providing
recommendations for maintaining or adjusting
that LOS. Level of Service is a measure meant
to describe to a community how much of a
particular service residents are getting for their
tax dollars. For example, the LOS for emergency
services usually tells people how many minutes
they can typically expect to wait for emergency
responses to a 911 call, or how long they will
usually wait to get through a given intersection
during rush hour. Cities strive to set LOS goals
that reflect the overall priorities and resources of
the community.
Measuring LOS for a park system can be trickier
than doing so for other municipal services
because the benefits of parks, while numerous,
are difficult to quantify. It has been widely shown
that parks and recreational facilities provide
immense value to a community. Organizations
like the American Planning Association, the Trust
for Public Land, and the Urban Land Institute
tell us that well-used and well-maintained parks
tend to spur economic development in their
neighborhoods. The Centers for Disease Control
and the National Center for Biotechnology have
produced research demonstrating that parks
have positive impacts on physical and mental
health. Surveys consistently show that people
consider local parks an important public amenity.
Level of Service
Wiffco Field at Kent Memorial Park
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Traditional Level of Service for a park system is
entirely quantity based, calculated by taking
the acreage of parks and open spaces divided
by the population of the city. This metric
focuses on quantity and does not consider
quality, location, or distribution of the parks
or trails. Despite its shortcomings, it is easy to
understand why park systems would rely on
this method, as quantity is generally easier to
measure than quality. When applied to the five
functionally distinct regions of Kent it provides
an estimate of how easily people can access
park space.
The 2016 Plan provided a new performance
based Level of Service that took into account
the current and potential quality of parks or
trails. Quality was calculated by identifying the
Recreational Value of each asset, the overall
condition of a park or trail, and then the total
Recreational Value provided by each park or
trail. This new metric provided a quality grade.
When applied to the five functionally distinct
regions of the city it identified the quality of
the park space serving each region.
Comparing and mapping the traditional LOS,
Current Recreational Value, and Potential
Recreational Value of current and yet-to-be
developed parks demonstrates the city’s
potential for improving the performance of
its park system for both current and projected
populations.
Meridian Glen Park
TRADITIONAL
LOS
DEFINITIONTYPE OF LOS RESULTING EMPHASIS
=
=
PERFORMANCE
BASED LOS
=
= the RECREATIONAL VALUE of a parkthe QUALITY
of the
# OF AMENITIES
AKA
reinvestmaintain
developacquire
This is synonymous with condition.
This is inherently tied to the size of a park. Examples of amenities: a grass field, playground equipment, a paved path.
reinvestmaintaindevelop
aquire
divided by the POPULATION
the # of ACRES
divided by the
POPULATION
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0340
Citywide By Region
East Hill
North
West Hill East Hill
South
Down-
town
Green
River
Traditional LOS:
Acres per 1,000
7.84 2.52 11.61 6.13 16.58 16.35
Current Performance-Based LOS:
CRV per 1,000
2.06 0.60 1.71 1.99 4.23 7.98
Potential Performance-Based LOS:
PRV per 1,000
4.91 2.16 4.68 3.92 11.02 13.42
Acres of Parkland 1,072.76 99.90 252.41 274.90 370.65 74.90
CRV 281.28 23.58 37.15 89.40 94.58 36.58
PRV 671.25 85.50 101.75 176.00 246.50 61.50
Residential Population 136,766 39,604 21,737 44,841 22,359 4,582
* Note that city region populations depicted in this chart are roughly based on Census Tract data and
do not total to the citywide population number.
LOS by City Region
This comparison shows that East Hill North
has both the lowest performance-based and
traditional LOS, which indicates an area of the
city that needs both capital reinvestment and
acquisition of additional parkland.
East Hill South and West Hill are the next
lowest-served regions, both in need of
reinvestment to serve their relatively large
populations. West Hill has a high traditional
LOS, or high acres per resident, but due to
freeways and highways bisecting the region, it
lacks easily accessible parks.
Downtown is relatively well served. Its existing
parks are largely older and in need of renewal,
as can be seen in the difference between the
current and potential performance-based
LOS, an area of focus that will be important as
the region continues to densify.
The Green River region is the highest performing region in the city, being
home to a significant trail system, a few large parks, and relatively few
residents. This region serves the entire city with trails and community parks, as
well as serving those who work in the region, population numbers that are not
accounted for in these LOS metrics.
These metrics are a good starting point to identify areas of the city in need of
growth and reinvestment, and they are useful for tracking how LOS has changed
over time. The adjacent chart shows that while traditional LOS has gone down
since 2016 due to population growth with minimal system expansion, the
performance-based LOS has gone up due primarily to capital reinvestment
in the system. It should be acknowledged that some of the increase to
performance-based LOS can be attributed to fine-tuning the Recreational Value
calculation. Heat mapping, discussed later in this chapter, uses these LOS metrics
to further hone areas in the city that can address access and equity.
Citywide
2016 2021 2026 2031 2036
Residential
Population
122,900 136,766 144,658 152,935 161,101
RV **259.50 281.28 306.28 331.28 356.28
Acres *1,095.04 1,072.76 1,072.76 1,072.76 1,072.76
Traditional LOS:
acres per 1,000
Residents
8.91 7.84 7.42 7.01 6.66
Performance-
Based LOS:
RV per 1,000
Residents
1.62 2.06 2.12 2.17 2.21
* Assumes no property acquisition or sales** Assumes steady system reinvestment leading to RV increase of 25 points
every 5 years
LOS over Time
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Current recreational amenities in the system
were counted and assessed for condition, then
each amenity in the system was inventoried in
a geospatial database. Amenities inventoried
included opportunities to play (both
organized sports and unstructured play),
individual support amenities (park shelter,
parking lots or restrooms), opportunities for
walking or biking, significant views, access to
natural landscapes, art, and other more varied
recreational opportunities (off-leash dog
areas, skate parks, climbing pinnacles, etc.).
Each asset was assessed and given an Asset
Grade that reflected its condition. A grade of 5
represented a new or like-new condition, and
a grade of 1 represented an asset at or very
near the end of its useful life. Each park was
given a Park Property Grade based on a set of
criteria to account for the property’s overall
condition, separate from the condition of its
amenities. The Asset Grades for every asset
in a park were averaged, and the resulting
grade averaged with the Park Property Grade
determined the Overall Park Condition grade.
The Overall Park Condition was converted to
a Park Condition Multiplier that was applied
to the park’s number of amenities. The result
of this calculation became the park’s Current
Recreational Value. Dividing the Current
Recreational Value per 1,000 residents
provides a current LOS for Kent’s park system.
Calculating the Performance-Based LOS
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
STEP 4
=
=
=
x
x
1000
divided by
KENT’S POPULATION
AVERAGE ASSET GRADE +
PARK PROPERTY GRADE
OVERALL
PARK CONDITION
PARK CONDITION
MULTIPLIER
CURRENT
RECREATIONAL
VALUE
LEVEL OF
SERVICE
RECREATIONAL
AMENITIES
divided by 2
CONVERSION TABLECONVERSION TABLE5 1
4 0.9
3 0.8
2 0.7
1 0.6
Overall
Park Condition Multiplier
West Fenwick Park
Arbor Heights 360
Lake Meridian
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A measurement of Current Recreational Value
(CRV) was determined for each park and
property in the city’s inventory. The resulting
list of 81 parks, trails, and properties can be
sorted and ranked to show the CRV each
contributes to the park system. The CRV of
a park can now be compared to the current
recreational amenities to show how much
Recreational Value (RV) has been lost due
to aging and failing assets and poor park
condition.
The CRV of Kent’s park system does not
include the potential of undeveloped
properties, planned park concepts, under-
developed parks, or renovations that
could be made to existing but tired parks.
In developing Kent’s new approach to
measuring LOS, planners understood
that the approach needed to be able to
compare the Recreational Value of Kent’s
existing park system with its Potential
Recreational Value. Such a comparison could
demonstrate the degree to which existing
parks could be restored or redeveloped to
provide additional Recreational Value to
accommodate population growth. In this
way, LOS measurements could reflect the
potential value to the system of proposed
improvements to existing properties.
A Potential Recreational Value (PRV)
measurement was created to evaluate
potential amenities that could be built at a
park or property, the natural opportunities
of a park, the feasibility of developing park
amenities, and the potential character of each
park site. It was determined that the best
way to measure PRV was to look at each park
or property and assess typical recreational
amenities that could reasonably be built
there, using the same point system used to
calculate current recreational amenities. This
method factors in size, critical areas, location,
and natural features, while also allowing
reasonably accurate comparisons of CRV and
PRV for each park, property, or concept. Kent
Parks staff assessed each park, property, and
concept and determined potential recreational
amenities. The resulting list ranked the
city’s parks, trails, properties, and concepts
according to their recreational potential.
The comparison of CRV to PRV provides an
indication of the degree to which current
parks are performing to their potential.
Looking at the PRV of undeveloped properties
shows how much the development of these
properties will add to the park system’s LOS.
Dividing the CRV per 1,000 residents provides
a current LOS measurement for the park
system, while dividing the PRV per 1,000
residents illustrates its potential LOS.
Current Recreational Value (CRV) and
Potential Recreational Value (PRV)
West Fenwick Park 2016 and 2022 RV
2016 RV
7.40 2022 CRV
17.55 2022 PRV
22.50
Clark Lake Park 2016 and 2022 RV
2022 PRV
26.00
2016 RV
2.3
2022 CRV
3.40
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About Recreational Value
Understanding what the Recreational Value (RV) score is and how the concept is used is
critical to understanding the performance-based LOS. This discussion centers around the
basis for the formula.
To understand the concept of Recreational Value, it is helpful to understand the boundaries
of its use. The most significant boundary is that RV does not attempt to define the complete
value of any given park property or the park system. In addition to a property’s Recreational
Value, park and open space properties provide a wide range of benefits, including
economic value, health value, habitat value, and aesthetic value, as well as a location-based
opportunity to serve populations with highest need.
Recreational Value focuses on recreation. From a recreational perspective, how well a
park serves the community is strongly related to the number and quality of recreational
opportunities it offers.
In determining Potential Recreational Value, it is implied although not calculated that there
is a recreational “carrying capacity” for every park that should not be exceeded. For this
planning effort, the appropriate carrying capacity for a park is bound to traditional park
classifications (see discussion later in this chapter) and known limitations to development
such as park size or presence of steep slopes, wetlands, or floodplains. As Kent’s parks reach
their development limits and Kent’s population increases demands on the system, a formula
to estimate Recreational Carrying Capacity may be needed to inform acquisition strategies.
The inherent carrying capacity or potential score for a large community park is higher
than for a small neighborhood park or open space just because large community parks
have more space to contain more amenities. This diversity in sizes and types of spaces has
been identified as an important aspect of the system by the public. To reflect this priority, a
park tier system was created. If a small neighborhood park or open space property scores
from the mid to high range of its tier, this indicates it is performing its role in an acceptable
fashion. Using this scoring system, small parks or open space properties don’t need to
compete with large parks to demonstrate their value to the community.
The formulas presented here are tools to help with resource allocation decisions. The
goal of RV is to help the city make reliable, data-driven decisions when prioritizing capital
investments and other resource allocations.
West Fenwick Park
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Park Orchard Park
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Traditional Classifications
Community Parks: Serves the needs of
the city with unique activities and free or
fee-based programming. These parks have
infrastructure to support all-day use and can
support large gatherings. While these parks
might be walked, biked, or bused to, most
users drive to these parks. These parks draw
people from around the city and beyond and
are typically 10 acres or larger.
Neighborhood Parks: Provides convenient
access to active and passive recreation
opportunities for a neighborhood. These parks
are not intended for all-day use or for large
gatherings. Most users walk or bike to these
parks. These parks are 5-10 acres in size.
Special Use: Parks, usually smaller, that don’t
fit neatly into other categories. Examples
include urban parks, pocket parks, skate parks,
and tot lots.
Outdoor Recreational Facility: Provides
programmed recreational opportunities,
including athletic facilities. Most users drive to
these parks.
Natural Resource/Open Space: Largely
undeveloped properties that include open
space, environmentally sensitive areas, and/or
wildlife habitat.
Indoor Recreational Facility: Provides social,
cultural and programmed indoor recreation for
the city.
Undeveloped: Properties acquired for park
purposes that have not yet been developed.
The system of park classifications is an
important tool park planners and designers
use to help plan, design, and evaluate parks.
Parks are classified based on their size, their
recreational opportunities, and their carrying
capacity. Evaluating a park system by looking
at the number, location, and categories of its
parks helps planners analyze how the system
is serving its community. For example, few
would want a park system made up entirely
of athletic fields or pocket parks. One of the
challenges in parks planning comes from
trying to determine the mix of amenities,
locations, and park sizes to best serve a
community. Using park classifications helps
in the planning process. The traditional
approach to classifying parks utilizes eight
primary categories.
Park Performance Tier Classifications
Traditional park classifications provide
effective shorthand for describing each park’s
basic job. To reflect how well they perform
their job, an additional categorization tool
called “Park Performance Tiers” is used. These
tiers group parks based on ranges of Current
and Potential Recreational Value scores.
Park Performance Tiers acknowledge that not
all parks in the system are expected to provide
the same level of Recreational Value. A high-
functioning neighborhood park, even though it
plays a valued role in the park system, will never
have and is not expected to have the RV of
even a moderately well-functioning community
park. To evaluate how well a given park is
functioning, one must consider its Recreational
Value in the context of its designated tier.
The tier system does not include a
performance cap. Currently Kent’s highest
performing parks rank as Tier 6. Depending on
long-range assemblage and redevelopment
opportunities, some of Kent’s parks could
eventually achieve even higher rankings.
Trails, undeveloped properties, indoor facilities,
and properties not owned by the city are not
included in the park tier classifications. Each of
these categories can add value to the system
and are considered when analyzing system
connectivity.
Park Classifications
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Recognizing that Kent Parks has limited access to geospatial data historically, the Park Planning
and Development (PPD) team made a concerted effort over the last two years to map all park
properties, recreational amenities, and access points into a geodatabase to be utilized during
the current system planning process. Having this data available in GIS has allowed for a deeper
understanding of our system of assets and how they work together as a system.
Geospatial mapping is a tool used by many planners to visualize and analyze geographical
data through Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This includes data such as population
density, demographics, topography, transit service, and so on. When combined with metrics
like the performance-based Level of Service, geospatial mapping becomes a powerful tool for
park system planning.
One powerful geospatial mapping tool is called heat mapping. Heat mapping is a way of
layering information on a map to reveal patterns that can guide planning and priorities. The
resulting data is called a “heat map” because a gradient of color indicates priorities which are
often interpreted as “hot” to “cold.”
The goal of heat maps is to identify high-priority areas for future investments. For this
planning effort there are four heat maps that guide project investments: All Existing Park
Access*, Existing Community Park Access, Equity, and Park Need maps. Each map is created
using two sets of information: Current Recreational Value (CRV) and Potential Recreational
Value (PRV). The CRV maps show how the current system is working. The PRV maps show how
the system could work if each park meets its full potential for recreation and access, showing
the system functioning at a higher level for the community. The PRV maps also highlight
where access and need cannot be met using only current parkland and where additional
acquisition might be necessary.
Layers of Information
Various layers of information were used to
create these maps. The collaboration and
input of many city departments was critically
important in building these datasets, and the
datasets are intended to be a living, evolving
resource for all city planning departments
to use in the future. Detailed information on
each dataset used to create the heat maps
can be found in the appendix. An online
resource further explaining and mapping as
data updates are available will be on the Kent
Parks website: mykentparks.com.
Geospatial Data and Heat Mapping
* Park Access includes all Kent Park properties and trails and the Soos Creek Trail and Green River Natural Resource
Area. These parks were included because they represent significant recreation within the Kent City limits.
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Layers of Information:
Population
Areas zoned with multifamily residential land were given the highest
scores, and commercial/industrial were given the lowest scores.
Zoning is as indicated on the City of Kent Zoning Map. It is anticipated
that the city population will continue to grow, and zoning is a way of
anticipating where densification will occur. Assigning different scores
to areas based on zoning places helps to show more “heat” where the
most people live.
Racial and Social Equity
One of the four primary functions of parks that make them essential
services to the city and community is that they help to create social
equity and connection. Equity mapping identifies areas of the city
with vulnerable or traditionally underserved populations. This map
includes:
[Race and ethnicity characteristics
[Socioeconomic characteristics
[Health factors
These datasets were added together to create an overall Racial and
Social Equity Index map. Areas with higher scores and brighter colors
indicate areas of higher vulnerability and potential opportunities for
equitable investments.
Other
Manufacturing or Industrial
Commercial/Urban Center
Single Family Residential
Multifamily Residential
Low
Low-Moderate
Moderate
Moderate-High
High
Parks
Water
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Transit Service
Public transit routes and service frequency along those routes
were mapped, acknowledging that frequent transit allows a higher
number of people to easily access parks along transit routes.
Metro Transit Routes
Non-Frequent Service Areas
Frequent Service Areas
Parks
Water
Walksheds
Park “service areas” were created by mapping the areas that can be
reached within both a 10-minute and 15-minute distance of each park.
Walksheds were created based on the street grid, pedestrian access
points to each park, topography, and other physical barriers that a
person might encounter while walking to their park.
10-minute walk
15-minute walk
Parks
Water
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Park Access Maps
Park Access Maps study existing walking and transit access to
all parks and trails, and the quality of the recreation provided
by those parks and trails. These maps help identify if each
household or worker is within easy access of a park or trail and
within easy access of high-quality amenities. This map includes:
[Park Access: service area defined by a 15-minute walkshed to
pedestrian access points and frequency of transit service
[Park Recreation Value
Park Access
Current Recreational Value
Park Access
Potential Recreational Value
Reading the Park Access Maps:
If an area is dark purple in color, the access to
high-quality amenity is low.
If an area is yellow in color, the access to high-
quality amenity is very high.
Land that does not need to be served by parks
(like city-owned property, wetlands, and streams)
is shown in gray.
Parks
Water
Low
Low-Moderate
Moderate
Moderate-High
High
Very High
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Reading the Park Need Maps:
If an area is yellow in color, the area has lower existing park
access, higher population density, and/or serves populations
with higher vulnerability. These areas provide the greatest
opportunity for equitable investments.
If the area is dark purple in color, the area has higher existing
park access, lower population density, and/or serves
populations with lower vulnerability.
Park Need Maps
Park Need mapping was done to study which areas of the city
need park investments the most based on existing park access,
equity, and population density. This map is useful for identifying
if high-need households are within easy access of a park or trail
These maps included:
[Park Access: Service area defined by a 15-minute walkshed to
pedestrian access points and frequency of transit service
[Park Recreation Value
[Population Density (estimated using Comprehensive Plan data)
[Racial and Social Equity Index
Park Need
Current Recreational Value
Park Need
Potential Recreational Value
1 mileParks
Water
Low
Low-Moderate
Moderate
Moderate-High
High
Very High
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East Hill South
West Hill
Heat Mapping Conclusions
The data in these maps was used to inform
a ranked list of existing park properties that
have the highest potential impact on access
and equity. These projects are integrated
into the strategic project list. In addition to
helping identify areas of the city with the
highest need for investments in existing
parks, the Park Access, Park Need, and Racial
and Social Equity heat maps can also be used
to help identify potential areas for property
acquisitions. For example, areas that are
completely outside of the existing walksheds
for a park can be overlaid with the Racial and
Social Equity mapping to identify areas where
acquisition investments might have the
most benefit.
The adjacent diagram shows four areas
in the city that have been identified as
potentials for acquisition investment.
East Hill North
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Natural Resources and Sustainability
As leaders in building community resilience, Kent Parks connects community members
to environmental programming, ensures healthy ecosystems, advocates for the benefits
of nature, and implements sustainability practices. These priorities have been confirmed
consistently in public engagement, as seen in both the 2020 Comprehensive Recreation
Program Plan and this 2022 Park & Open Space Plan. All departmental strategic planning
efforts look to incorporate environmental sustainability goals wherever possible and
practical; these practices are inherent and intuitive for a parks department and can be further
strengthened through comprehensive planning. In the next 6-year cycle, Kent Parks will be
creating a departmental sustainability plan to address accreditation expectations and aims
to further reduce our collective impacts on the environment. The plan will establish realistic
goals and metrics for sustainability and resiliency and setup proper systems for tracking
progress and alignment with City and County goals.
Below is a list of major initiatives (not comprehensive) and best practices that Kent Parks is
currently implementing and will continue to grow into the future:
[Natural Resource Management
[Urban Forestry Plan
[Water conservation
[Integrated Pest Management
[Sustainable Building/Facility Management
[Composting and recycling at facilities
[LED lighting conversions
[Energy consumption audits
[Centralized HVAC controls
[Renewable Energy Sources for O&M
Equipment and Vehicles
[System Resiliency in Planning, Design and
Construction
[Reduce stormwater runoff through
Green Infrastructure
[Natural Resource Preservation
[Reducing overall O&M demand using
high-quality materials
[Promote non-motorized
transportation options through trails
[Public Education and Engagement
Huse Property
West Fenwick Park
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Nature Score next steps:
Secure funding: High-quality natural areas can provide opportunities for people to
experience all of the natural benefits of spending time in nature. The ability for people to
spend time in our natural areas depends on two factors:
[Funding for a Natural Resource group in Park Operations to ensure that our natural areas
are safe, free of garbage, and ecologically high functioning. Critical O&M work includes
removing invasive species of plants, planting natives, and maintaining a safe, inviting
network of trails. This funding may allow reinstitution of the volunteer stewards program
and more hands-on community engagement.
[Capital funding to add amenities that add Recreational Value and protect our natural areas.
Boardwalks and bridges are needed to keep trail users from negatively impacting water
quality where a trail crosses a stream. Trailheads need to have adequate supporting amenities
like parking, restrooms, and shelters to make nature more easily accessible and inviting. Small
outdoor classroom spaces are needed for groups to gather and learn about nature.
Update scoring and tie to mapping: The Green Kent Plan is 12 years old. While it provides
a good jumping-off point for Nature Score metrics, reassessment of each site is needed.
Similar to the ongoing asset inventory for park amenities, natural area amenities need to
be inventoried. This will allow for easier management, as well as allow for heat mapping to
ensure equitable access to natural areas is being provided.Nature Score Tiers1These parks have the highest natural resource and habitat potential with
large contiguous natural areas. These parks tend to include ponds, lakes,
streams, or rivers, have the potential for salmon or bird habitat, and be
contiguous to green corridors. Some city properties in Tier 1 include Clark
Lake Park, Lake Fenwick Park, Mill Creek Canyon, and the GRNRA.2These parks have smaller natural areas, tend to have some
potential for habitat, and tend to connect to green corridors.3These parks have some to little natural areas and lower potential for habitat. These parks
tend to not be contiguous to green corridors. These sites still have value and maintenance
needs for our Urban Forest. Kent Parks is finalizing a Parks Urban Forest Management
Plan to factor this into workload planning for the proposed Natural Resource group.
Nature Score
Much like the active areas of our parks, our
natural areas require maintenance to ensure
they provide opportunities to connect
people to nature, provide quality habitat
for wildlife, keep our water clean, and fight
climate change. Nature Score is the natural
area equivalent of the performance-based
Level of Service for Recreational Value. Using
qualitative data from the 2010 Green Kent
plan such as acreage, habitat potential, and
presence of sensitive areas like lakes, streams,
or rivers, each of our natural areas was given
a score. Those scores showed that our natural
areas fall into three tiers.
Clark Lake Park
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Kent has long been known as a destination
for sports and athletic programming in the
region and even across the nation, with sports
organizations traveling from every state and
even Canada to use facilities. Historically,
Kent’s history of park development focused
on athletic programming, causing some
parks to be limited to this singular use. The
late 90’s and early 2000’s saw a number
of significant parks built including Wilson
Playfields and Service Club Ballfields. These
gains were paired with the loss of 2 soccer
fields at Hogan Park, 3 youth ballfields at
Borden Playfields and a combination of
soccer/baseball fields at Commons Playfields.
Additional plans to add parks to meet
demand from Kent’s growing population
were put on hold due to reduced capital and
operating budgets. This ultimately resulted in
a net loss of 3 ballfields and 6 soccer fields.
Although the statistically valid survey results generally show a deemphasis on specialized sports
facilities, Kent Parks also recognizes that Athletics are an important amenity in the system and are
a critical part of having a rich diversity of assets, providing revenue to the budget, and drawing
people from the region to spend time in Kent. Rather than disinvestment in athletics, the survey
suggests a strategic approach to how the department manages these facilities and improved
efficiency with current assets. In an effort to better match athletic field demand with supply, an
Athletic Field Capacity Study was done as part of the 2022 Kent P&OS Plan. The primary purpose of
this study was to analyze service demands for athletic programming and compare it to the existing
inventory of use hours within the system to determine what strategic improvements can be made
to the existing system and/or if new developments are necessary.
Methodology
The Athletic Field Capacity Study includes a detailed analysis of existing reserved athletic field
use over a five-year period. The analysis presents use hours by field, park, and activity/sport.
This provides a comprehensive understanding of existing reserved (known) athletic field use.
To understand potential unmet needs and demand, an athletic field user survey was deployed
to gather feedback from existing athletic field user groups. Respondents provided insight for
existing demand, typical use patterns, ideas for improvements, and where they travel outside
of Kent to use facilities (if applicable).
Athletic Capacity Study
Wilson Playfields
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Inventory
Before examining unmet needs, a more complete understanding of the Kent athletic field
landscape is necessary. Kent PRCS is not the only provider for these services as the school
district manages a large inventory of athletic fields.
Kent Parks
Kent Parks primarily utilizes seven park locations that offer athletic fields. Fields include large
and small soccer fields, football fields, softball fields, and baseball fields. Additionally, some
fields are natural turf whereas others are synthetic turf; however, synthetic turf fields tend to
be lined/designed for multiple purposes, but multiple activities occurring at once at the same
location may be limited due to field layout. Kent Parks also has some lit fields while others
are unlit. The turf type (natural or synthetic), playability (the ability to play multiple sports at
the same time), and field lighting all have a profound effect on Kent Parks’ ability to provide
athletic field programming.
Kent School District
The Kent School District (KSD) comprises 29 elementary schools, six middle schools, and four
high schools. The majority offer some type of athletic field facility(s). Moving forward, KSD will
be offering synthetic fields at high schools, and is examining that same feasibility at middle
schools. There is an upcoming KSD bond (2023/24) that may focus on enhancing all high
school facilities to minimum standards of play which should assist with this direction.Wilson Playfields Wilson Playfields
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General Trends
From 2015–2019, the greatest number
of reservations are attributed to Wilson
Playfields (43%). The second most are
attributed to Hogan Park (28%), followed
by Service Club (12%), and Kent Memorial
Park (10%). Interestingly, Hogan Park has
almost the same number of reserved hours
on average as Wilson Playfields, mostly
attributed to a longer average number of
hours per reservation (5.4 vs. 3.6). Wilson
Playfields, Kent Memorial Park, and Hogan
Park have all experienced positive trends in
reservations and hours used from 2015–2019.
Glenn Nelson Park has received the strongest
decline over the same time period.
The individual fields within the park system
receiving the greatest number of reservations
and hours used on average are Rectangular
Field #1 and #2 located at Wilson Playfields.
Field #1 at Hogan Park ranked third in
reservations and hours used on average.
These three fields are synthetic turf.
Hogan Park
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Use Trends by Sport
With the Kent Parks field reservation
nomenclature used between 2015–2019,
adult soccer (17%), parks adult softball (16%),
youth soccer (10%), and parks youth baseball
(10%) represent a little over half of all athletic
field reservations on average each year.
Positively trending sports field reservations
from 2015–2019 include Kent School District
sports (baseball, soccer, and softball), Kent
Parks sports (youth flag football, youth soccer,
and youth baseball), youth soccer, and adult
baseball. Negatively trending sports field
reservations over the same time period
include parks adult softball, parks youth
baseball, youth baseball, and youth softball
tournaments.
When combining all like sport activities
together (regardless of organization), adult
softball has the most reserved hours from
2015–2019 with 13,490. The least number
of hours are attributed to lacrosse (561) and
rugby (83). When looking at the field use by
hours, prime time (weekdays 5–11 p.m. and
weekends 9 a.m.–9 p.m.) is utilized the most
by all sports. Adult softball, youth baseball,
and youth soccer have the most prime time
use in general.
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Summary and Conclusions
Studying athletic capacity in the park system
is a balance of four things:
[Initial and cyclical redevelopment
costs of fields/amenities
[Ongoing costs of operations
and maintenance
[Amount of use
[Revenue from reservations +
community economic benefits
Examples of this balance include:
[If the amount of use on a site is too high, operations and maintenance will not be able to
keep pace to sustain the site. The site may become too damaged and need to shut down
to renovate, interrupting the schedule of athletic programming and losing revenue costs
and community economic benefits.
[Time and money invested into a site needs to be reflected by the number of reservation
hours. For example, the number of hours spent preparing a natural turf and skinned
infield for a game are more than the number of hours to prepare a synthetic turf field for
a game. The amount of operational time devoted to a field is only justified by optimal use
and revenue.
[This is a system-wide balance. Not all sites bring in revenue, but these sites can be
important for drop-in use. The costs of these sites need to be factored into this balance.
West Fenwick Park Multi-Use Court
North Meridian Park
Service Club Ballfields
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A high-level look at balancing cyclical
development and operations and
maintenance costs indicates a rough similarity
in 16-year costs between natural turf and
synthetic fields that can be further balanced
by the six month per year increase of use and
revenue that a synthetic field would bring in
Kent’s rainy climate.
An in-depth look at the amount of reservation
use each site receives can be deceiving since
the system currently does not provide an
equal number of playfields for all sports,
some of which are overlays of diamond and
rectangular. Including overlapping fields, the
park system provides six full-sized softball
fields, three full-sized soccer fields, and two
full-sized baseball fields. In general, rectangular
fields are underrepresented in the system.
The user group survey indicates that more
rectangular field users have been turned away
due to lack of playing fields than diamond
field users. The user group survey identified
youth soccer with a high representation,
which can be accommodated on a variety of
fields, and adult soccer represents the highest
percentage of reservations in the system, but
is accommodated on only three fields. This
rectangular field trend is also supported by
benchmarking against NRPA for similarly sized
cities, which recommends seven full-sized
soccer fields, five full-sized softball fields, and
four full-sized baseball fields for a city the size
of Kent.
Cricket is currently not represented in the
system and is a challengingly large field
to accommodate that does not fit into the
rectangular and diamond field categories. It
is recommended to launch a practice pitch
trial run on existing lawn spaces that can
accommodate use with minor improvements;
if use demand proves to exist, sites have
been identified that can be used for formal
improvements.
Athletic Field Survey:
Sport/Activity Represented by Respondent
n=90
Athletic Field Survey:
Primary Field Type Utilized by Respondent
n=86
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There are a few ways of adding lacking amenities while supporting important existing
reservation use and emphasizing operations and maintenance:
[Convert natural grass fields to synthetic where possible to increase reservations and
decrease O&M burden
[Alter existing field layouts and use:
[Strategically schedule youth sports (soccer, baseball, etc.) on smaller fields to free up
larger fields.
[Change fields from one use type to multi-use with field overlay to accommodate shifts
in sports trends (example: baseball and soccer overlay)
[Conduct pilot projects to test demand for emerging athletic trends like cricket, rugby
and lacrosse.
[Explore marketing drop-in use and pick-up games to attract users who may have
barriers that prevent them from participating in league play.
[Extend daily and year-round use time on existing fields:
[Add or upgrade lighting, including automated timers to reduce O&M costs
[Upgrade natural turf to synthetic turf
[Add fields to the system:
[Partner with school district for use hours, maintenance efficiency, and joint-
development of new facilities, especially at locations that can accommodate weekend
tournament use
Strategic projects include adding year-round use to already popular sites, shifting use
away from sites that are not cost feasible to develop, continuing to actively pursue school
partnerships for field use in non-school hours and joint-developed facilities, and transitioning
fields to more universal uses. There are projects that should be tackled in the near term, and
larger projects that should be assessed in the next six-year cycle dependent on usage trends
and partnerships.
Art Wright Field at Kent Memorial Park
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Studying the System
Viewing the park system through a variety of
metrics creates a picture of how the system
is functioning and where improvements are
needed:
[National standards provide a high-level
understanding of trends in the country;
engagement and the Athletic Capacity
Study balance the national metrics with
city-specific information to verify and
identify amenities for investment.
[Performance-based Level of Service
measurements indicate how well
existing parks are serving their area of
the city, while traditional Level of Service
shows where access to parkland may
be deficient. Heat mapping adds a level
of precision to both of these metrics,
targeting areas of the city where new
projects and access are most needed.
[Implementing Park Classifications and
Nature Scoring ensures a diverse system
that provides a variety of space types.
Each metric is a data-driven tool for viewing
different aspects of the system, helping
planners measure and more accurately
describe the current performance of the
city’s park system and provide a reference
point for decision making. These tools inform
a list of strategic projects that respond to a
diversifying and densifying Kent. Lake Meridian Park
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Green River Trail
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Vision and Goals 65
Project Outcomes 66
Strategic Projects 67
Systemwide Initiatives 68
Systemwide Operational and Maintenance Needs 69
Citywide Connections 71
Downtown 73
West Hill 77
Green River 81
East Hill South 83
East Hill North 87
Strategic Projects Summary 90
Where We Are Going 04
KENTP&OSPLAN2022
chapter
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The vision of the 2022 P&OS Plan is to create a system that responds to the needs of the diverse population
of Kent today and in the future, building community trust and ownership in the process. To achieve that
vision, the plan is built around four goals, which inform nine project outcomes.
We aim to create a system that
has easy access to parks from
home and work. To do this,
studies of street infrastructure,
density, racial and social indices,
park access points, and transit
routes were incorporated into
data-based mapping.
Strategies:
[Provide access to parks
throughout the city using
both existing parks and new
facilities
[Promote access to parks
by non-motorized means
looking toward citywide
infrastructure planning
[Integrate density and social
indices into data-based
mapping and analysis
Physical Access
for All
We aim to create a resilient,
sustainable park system.
Funding, partnerships,
operations, and maintenance
are key components to ensuring
the system provides high-
functioning amenities within a
budget that can be sustained.
Strategies:
[Add Recreational Value to
transform existing low-
performing parks and
existing parks where high-
quality amenities are lacking
[Transition Recreational
Value data into an asset
management system for
long-term management
[Focus on sustainable O&M
funding for new and existing
park development
[Partner with external
organizations to provide
high-quality amenities
System
Resiliency
We aim to create easily
accessible information about the
park system, build constituent
trust, and be transparent in our
decision-making process to share
how projects are identified.
Strategies:
[Enhance access to
information about the
park and trail system and
individual properties
using virtual and physical
platforms
[Build upon the 2016
performance-based
approach
[Use mapped data and
analysis to identify projects
[Engage the public and
partner with community-
based organizations
Transparency and
Communication
We aim to create a system that
provides high-quality amenities
that reflect the diversity of Kent.
Public engagement identified
which amenities are needed and
not needed in the system, and
provided guidance on where
these amenities are needed.
Strategies:
[Provide an equitable spread
of high-quality amenities,
including natural resources
and athletics throughout the
city using existing parks, new
facilities, and partnerships
[Create a park system that
reflects Kent’s diversity
with parks that are special,
unique, and authentic
Diversity of High-
Quality Amenity
Goals
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The 2022 P&OS Plan is organized around nine project outcomes that together achieve the vision for Kent’s park
system. These outcomes were identified through public engagement and park system evaluation, support the four
goals, and provide a structure to prioritize strategic projects as funding becomes available.
Project Outcomes
Access
A project that
increases the service
area of the park
system. Projects might
include improving
access to an existing
park or adding an
entirely new park.
Equity
A project identified
as important through
heat mapping that has
opportunity to serve
priority populations.
Programming
A project that brings more
activation to a space.
Projects incorporate arts,
culture, and outdoor
programming and
may include spaces for
movies, music, or mobile
furnishings.
Strategic
Amenities
A project that adds
diversity of amenity
to Kent and amenities
identified as important
through engagement.
Trails
A project that
increases or enhances
trails and connectivity.
Operations &
Maintenance
A project that makes
maintaining or operating
the park system more
efficient. Projects might
include replacing
infrastructure that needs
constant upkeep.
Partnerships
A project that
leverages agreements
with other city
departments, projects,
or entities outside of
Kent Parks to mutual
benefit.
Athletics
A project that
addresses capacity
needs for various
sports, including
organized,
programmed, and
drop-in use.
Natural
Resources
A project that
increases access to
nature and enhances
environmental
sustainability.
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04 67
This plan proposes a list of strategic
projects to achieve Kent’s Parks and Open
Space vision. Projects are guided by public
engagement, data-based system studies,
and realistic system opportunities for
partnerships, maintenance, and funding.
In this report, projects are organized by city
region and categorized by outcome. Studying
projects by outcome shows how projects
work together to create a cohesive, diverse
system; studying projects by region shows
how to create a city-wide balance of high-
quality amenity.
Citywide, projects are sorted into three
priority buckets: near term, mid term, and
long term. Projects are scored for priority
based on potential of the project to enhance
the system and ease of implementation.
Scoring includes the number of outcomes
the project achieves, the LOS of the region
they reside in, and ease of implementation
or associated costs. These priority buckets
establish a guide for implementation and
are not intended to be a rigid schedule or
order for projects to be completed. Project
prioritization will be revisited annually
through the capital budgeting process and is
subject to change based on available funding,
asset deterioration, leveraging opportunities,
and staff resources.
Strategic Projects
near: Near-term projects are either currently
underway or targets for the next six year
budget cycle.
mid: Mid-term projects are not currently
funded but are good candidates for future
funding.
long: Long-term projects are not currently
funded and have barriers to implementation
such as O&M funding and property acquisition.
Mid and long-term projects may become
more feasible as appropriate funding becomes
available and partnerships progress, or may
have aspects that can be accomplished in the
near term.
$-$$$: Level of complexity and effort
associated with a particular scope of work is
tied to anticipated project costs, indicated for
each project as a range from $ to $$$.
Prioritization and Complexity
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Some strategic projects have been identified that do not yet have a site or are systemwide projects.
These might include specific amenities, partnerships, or signage projects that would help achieve
the vision of the Parks and Open Space Plan.
Systemwide Initiatives
Update Partnership with
Kent School District
Update formal agreement with Kent School
District for use and management of facilities.
Develop after-hours partnerships with
schools for athletic facility use, playgrounds,
and other amenities. Partnership
opportunities might include: North Meridian
Park/Meridian Middle School, Campus Park/
Kent-Meridian High School, and Kentridge
High School.
Mountain Bike Park/Pump Track
Provide a high-quality bike park/pump track
in the park system, potentially partnering
with Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance.
Off-leash Dog Areas
Test various locations for off-leash dog areas
that are separated from active or residential
use and have natural features that do not need
long runs of fence. Public input will identify
the best long-term location for this use. Sites
to explore include Briscoe, Riverview, Russell
Woods, and Foster Parks.
Enhance Access to Information
Provide park and trail maps at strategic
locations throughout the city to spread
understanding of nearby available amenities
and connections, and continue enhancements
of online updates and interactive mapping.
Cricket Pitch
Designate a location for a practice pitch and
identify if there is a need for a permanent
formal pitch. Sites to explore for a practice
pitch include city-owned sites such as
Riverview Park and North Meridian Park,
and non-city-owned sites such as Pea Patch
Playfields and Kentridge High School. Sites to
explore for a formal pitch include Valley Floor
Community Park and new land acquisitions.
Nature Trail Access & Maintenance Plan
Develop and implement a plan to enhance
trail experience for users, with emphasis on
maintenance, safety, and access to nature.
Pickleball
Add pickleball court lines to existing tennis
courts, and install new pickleball-specific courts.
Install a Splashpad
Identify a favorable operating location for
above-ground water play in the park system,
a unique amenity in the system.
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Capital reinvestment into Kent’s park system as outlined in this plan will require a consistent increase in park’s operating budget to meet
systemwide O&M needs. Additional staff will be needed to keep up with an increase in park use, operational need and preventative maintenance.
A number of operational and maintenance needs have never been funded at the necessary level. Others are emerging needs due to added
complexities of managing a park system that did not exist in the past, and opportunities to leverage partnerships, volunteers or modernization.
Systemwide Operational and Maintenance Needs
Sustainable Replacement
for Seasonal Staff
Seasonal staff have long been a cornerstone
of responding to the increase in park use
and expanding service and support during
the spring and summer. These positions are
increasingly harder to hire, train and retain
as park use continues to increase demand
for evening and weekend staff presence. A
sustainable change in strategy is necessary.
This requires either additional resources
or a reduction in park operating hours,
locking/unlocking of parking lot gates, and
the number of restrooms that are opened
and closed daily. Other park amenities or
programs with high operating costs should
be considered for reduction to preserve core
park operations.
Natural Resource Management
Fund a natural resource group in Park
Operations to manage public use of open
space, nature trails and support environmental
community engagement/education. Initial
focus on Kent’s urban forest and natural areas
prioritizing tier 1 natural areas including
natural areas along the Green River, Lake
Fenwick, Clark Lake and Mill Creek Canyon.
Modernize Parks Waste Management
Waste management is a crucial part of
providing inviting, attractive public spaces
and as the amount of garbage in our public
spaces continues to increase sustaining
service levels is challenging. Currently the
Parks Department is responsible for emptying
almost 400 garbage cans across the 34 square
miles of Kent every week. Some of these cans
must be emptied multiple times a day while
some require emptying only every week or
two. A variety of strategic investments are
available to manage the amount of staff time
required to collect garbage in our parks.
These could include a direct-to-dump pickup,
higher volume receptacles, smart cans, on-
site dumpsters at high volume parks, at-grade
dumpsters at East/West Shops and carry-
in/carry-out litter policies and marketing
campaigns.
Volunteer Program Coordinator
Hire volunteer program coordinator to
leverage volunteers and partnerships to help
maintain Kent’s publicly accessible natural
areas. Restart Adopt-A-Park program that
was canceled due to budget cuts several
years ago. Hold regular cleanup events
to help keep Kent clean and build a sense
of community pride in our public spaces.
Update Green Kent Management Plan and
explore restarting the park steward program
if resources allow.
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Business Development/Grant Writer
Hire business development/grant writer
to increase the department’s leveraging of
existing funding. Consolidate department
grant writing and responsibility tracking. Reach
out to city businesses to encourage investment
in attracting people to work/live in Kent.
Increased Public Access to School
Grounds
In collaboration with local school districts, find
ways to increase access to school grounds for
recreation and recreational programming in
high need areas of Kent. Joint use agreement
could look at adding staff to manage after school
hours/school year access to school grounds,
address garbage or provide programming.
Could expedite increasing recreational value in
underserved areas of the city.
Park Rangers
Create Park Ranger program to improve park
code enforcement, reduce enforcement
burden on Police Department, improve
public understanding of park rules and
increase public perception of park safety.
A ranger program would improve the
department’s ability to react to park use
issues outside of regular working hours and
reduce reliance on seasonal staff.
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Citywide Connections Map
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04 71
On- and off-street trails or multimodal routes
create important connections between people
and their destinations, including parks. Often
the combined value of an interconnected set
of trails, parks, and amenities creates synergies
for a corridor that is greater than the sum
of its parts. Understanding these strategic
connections, both on and off street, can be
an important consideration when identifying
projects that have multiple components—
parks, trails, transportation, stormwater
drainage, or utilities.
Kent has 50+ miles of trail ranging in character
and design type from paved regional trails to
soft-surface nature trails. When considered
individually, these trails have limited impact
in connecting people to places. But when
these trails are intertwined into an active
transportation system, they become an
important part of citywide connections. To
this end, a multi-departmental effort (Parks,
Public Works, Economic and Community
Development) was initiated during the recently
adopted Transportation Master Plan (TMP) and
resulted in the identification of many important
bicycle and pedestrian improvements. The
Citywide Connections map is intended to be
a continuation of the efforts started during
the TMP to leverage linkages between trails
and on-street infrastructure that can serve as
opportunities to serve multiple goals.
Citywide Connections
Key
On-Street Trails: These trails are part of the street
network and can be sidewalks, bike lanes, shared-
use paths, cycle track, or some other transportation
solution that centers on bicyclists and pedestrians.
Dashed lines are in progress or in planning; solid
lines are complete.
Park Trails: These trails can be paved or soft surface
(gravel or dirt) and typically move through a park setting
(neighborhood, community, or natural resource).
Regional Trails: These trails are typically paved,
12 feet wide, and are considered part of the King
County/Leafline regional trails network.
Looking toward next steps in this planning
effort, Kent Parks is proposing developing
an Urban Trails Master Plan that looks at
regional trails, park trails, and on-street
“trails” as part of an interconnected network
of urban trails that provide an expansion
of the non-motorized options for people
to navigate the city. This effort will be led
by Kent Parks but will follow the tone of
collaboration established during the TMP.
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Downtown and Green River: Meet Me on Meeker
Public Works, Economic and Community Development, and the Parks
Department are collaborating to implement a new vision for Meeker
Street. This project is transforming a key commercial corridor and
gateway to downtown into a multimodal, urban complete street with
a strong sense of place. Meeker Street will also serve as an east-west
bike/pedestrian connection between downtown, the Interurban Trail,
and the Green River Trail. In conjunction with the Central Park, Uplands,
Interurban, and Earthworks improvements, this connection will increase
Kent’s downtown as an area attraction.
Downtown and East Hill South:
Mill Creek Canyon Park Corridor and Downtown Connections
Nearly 40 years ago, Kent took a bold step by combining stormwater
infrastructure, a park, and art to create Earthworks Park at the base of Mill
Creek Canyon. This bold step was part of a vision to transform Mill Creek
Canyon into the jewel of Kent’s park system with trails, bridges, and other
recreational amenities throughout. It was an ambitious goal for what
was at that time a small city. After all these years, Kent has grown into
this vision and is ready for Mill Creek to meet its enormous recreational
potential. Doing so will make Mill Creek Canyon a top-tier park and form
a vital linkage between the East Hill and downtown.
East Hill: Lake Meridian Park, Huse Property, and Soos Creek Trail Corridor
Lake Meridian Park is currently Kent’s most popular park. The Huse
Property is in planning to become a top-tier community park in the
underserved Panther Lake region. These two parks are located along King
County’s Regional Soos Creek Trail. When improvements are completed,
Kent will have two top-tier parks connected by a comfortable bike ride on
the Soos Creek Trail.
West Hill and Downtown: Fenwick Park Corridor
Enhancing and providing formal connections between West Fenwick and
Lake Fenwick Parks will create a dynamic park corridor with numerous
passive and active recreational opportunities with trail access to the West
Hill, Green River, Kent Valley Loop Trails, Meeker Street, and downtown.
Downtown, Green River, and West Hill: Kent Valley Loop Trail
Decades ago, city leaders laid out a vision for a network of parks along
both sides of the Green River that were to be connected by separated bike/
pedestrian trails. Today this vision has been adapted into the Kent Valley
Loop Trail system, which is mostly complete and is a regional draw for park
users, bikers, runners, and walkers. Ensuring that the Green River Trail, Frager
Road, Interurban Trail, and the parks throughout the corridor are maintained
and updated is critical for a key component of Kent’s park system.
0472
Citywide Initiative: Neighborhood Greenways Program
There are many very low traffic neighborhood streets with no sidewalks
in Kent. This program looks at making those streets pedestrian-centric
experiences. Focus would be on streets that connect to parks or other
amenities for the surrounding neighborhood.
Federal Way Link Extension Trail: Sound Transit is currently under
construction on the Federal Way Link Extension, which will bring Light
Rail connections south of Angle Lake into Kent, Des Moines, Federal
Way, and eventually into Fife and Tacoma. The result will be major
improvements in access to transit for the West Hill and an expected shift
toward transit-oriented development and greater population density that
comes with it. To improve neighborhood access to these transit stations,
a trail that generally follows the light rail alignment is proposed.
Citywide: Bike/Ped. Corridors Around the city, there are segments
of sidewalk and bike lanes missing. These gaps and inconsistencies in
the system make it unattractive and difficult for users and can result
in unsafe conditions. As urbanization and traffic levels increase, street
improvements need to provide comfort and safety for pedestrians and
cyclists. Filling these gaps would provide pedestrian and bicyclist access
to transit and destinations such as schools, parks, and neighborhood
shopping. Corridors that have been identified for improvements include:
[East Hill: 116th Ave. SE, 132nd Ave. SE, 100th Ave. SE
[East Hill South and Downtown: SE 256th St., SE 248th St.
[West Hill: Reith Rd., Veterans Drive, Military Rd.
[Downtown: Central Ave.
[Green River: S 228th St., S 212th St., S 196th St.
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Downtown Strategic Projects
Downtown Map
Project Outcome Key
Access
Equity
Strategic Amenities
Programming
Natural Resources
Athletics
Operations & Maintenance
Trails
Partnerships
The Downtown Region is the commercial center of Kent.
Its current population is relatively small but is expected to
grow significantly over the next decade in the form of more
urban, multifamily housing. Downtown is an important
intersection between the Green River valley, East Hill, and
West Hill and is vital to Kent’s strategic vision for the future,
becoming a thriving mix of retail, business, and residential.
A destination itself, the center connects all Kent residents
and workers to transit (Sounder) and active transportation
(Interurban Trail). Woven through downtown are a number
of parks that were created to serve a small town and, later, a
suburban Kent. Most of the downtown parks are some of the
system’s oldest. Reinvestment is needed to replace failing
assets, provide quality recreational experiences, serve a high
weekday population, and play a key role in supporting the
development of a livable, urban downtown core.
F
D
CP
O
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C. Kherson Park
Construction is planned for 2022,
including installation of the lunar rover
replica in the space-themed playground
and improved urban green space.
near $$
A. 4th and Willis Greenway
Redevelop the two greenways along
SR 516 with enhanced landscape and
multimodal connection between the
Interurban Trail and downtown.
near $$
D. Earthworks
and Mill Creek Canyon
Celebrate this natural resource and gateway
between downtown and East Hill. Update
the master plan for Earthworks Park and Mill
Creek Canyon with a major emphasis on trail
and neighborhood connectivity, building
upon the recent work to cleanup and restore
existing nature trails within the canyon.
near $$$
B. Commons Neighborhood Park
Move the current Community Garden
program to this site. Update the
playground and improve the trail
experience in the park.
near $$
Earthworks and Mill Creek Canyon
Middle Mill Creek Park
[Create a new Tier 4 park, including resting point
at the halfway point of the canyon.
South Mill Creek Park
[Renovate to become a Tier 4 park. Improve gateway/trailhead to the
upper canyon utilizing recent property acquisition.
Mill Creek Canyon Trails
[Continue work on pedestrian connection between downtown and East
Hill on both sides of the canyon.
[Create crossings to connect Scenic Hill and East Hill. Crossings to include
bridges at strategic locations for connectivity and views of the canyon.
[Continue work on restoration of canyon and working with EarthCorps on
trail maintenance and improvement.
Mill Creek Canyon to 248th
[Create a safe off-street connection between 248th, Campus Park, and
Mill Creek Canyon.
Mill Creek Park to 277th Street Trail
[Implement the planned connection to 277th, eventually connecting Mill
Creek to the Green River Trail.
Earthworks Park
4.C.b
Packet Pg. 87 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
1 mile
04 75
E. Foster Park
Improve trailhead and trailside amenities.
Implement pilot off-leash dog area
program.
mid $
G. Old Fishing Hole
Improve trailheads and amenities at this
property along the loop system.
mid $$
F. Russell Woods Park
Improve trailheads and amenities at this
property along the loop system.
mid $
H. Uplands Playfield and
Uplands Extension Renovation
[Convert two natural grass baseball fields
into an active park space.
[Expand Lions Skate Park.
[Add a new Interurban Trailhead and trail
amenities.
mid $$
Complete and Continue Enhancements to
the Kent Valley Loop Trail (KVLT) System
Frager Rd Trail Resting Area aka BMX Park - West Hill
[Enhance the existing amenities and add new
at this resting point along the trail system.
64th Ave Trail Repair and Extension - Downtown
[Repair and extend this existing trail to enhance
the Kent Valley Loop Trail.
Interurban Trail Improvements - Downtown and Green River
[Enhance connection at Naden Avenue.
[Enhance lighting at all Downtown connections.
[Add art installations, improve crossings, and
coordinate repair work with King County.
Nealy/Soames - Downtown
[Develop amenities and enhance recreational
opportunities in this area along the loop trail
system.
Green River Trail South Missing Link to Auburn - Downtown
[Fill the missing link of the Green River Trail south
in partnership with King County. This trail will
eventually connect south to Auburn.
Frager Rd - West Hill and Downtown
[Improve this currently mixed-use roadway to be
welcoming to bicycle and pedestrian users. The
segment from Cottonwood Park to Washington
Avenue is an area of priority along this road.
Kent Valley Loop Trails:
Connecting the Downtown, Green
River, and West Hill regions, this
trail system utilizes on- and off-
street trails to connect parks and
create recreational loops.
4.C.b
Packet Pg. 88 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
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K. Signature Pointe
Finish this last segment of the Green River
Trail that needs improvement to be off-
street, separated trail.
mid $$$
P. Town Square Plaza
Renovate Town Square Plaza to provide
improved access to green space and
programmable space downtown.
long $$$
L. Scenic Hill Park
Renovate and expand children’s play area
and add additional features to improve
recreational value.
long $$
J. Riverview Park
Create a new Tier 5 park that serves as
downtown’s Green River trailhead and southern
anchor for the Green River corridor of parks.
mid $$$
N. Hogan Park at Russell Road
Add supporting recreational amenities that
will make the park a dawn-to-dusk, year-round
recreational destination. Convert Field #2 to
synthetic turf and assess trends to determine
if additional synthetic fields are needed. Add
automated lighting controls. Improve trail
connections from the park.
long $$$
O. Kent Memorial Park
Improve connections to neighborhoods
and embrace the bordering creek as an
amenity. Add automated lighting controls.
Reassess use after school partnerships and
other sports facility improvements have
been achieved and consider options for
general park use and open space in lieu of
athletic programming.
long $$$
M. Downtown Central Park
Development
Locate and create a high Recreation Value
downtown central park.
long $$$I. Downtown Park Improvements
Update downtown park amenities and
look for potentials to add recreational
value where appropriate. Potential parks
include Kaibara Park, Burlington Green,
Titus Railroad Park, Rosebed Park, and First
Ave Plaza.
mid $$$
4.C.b
Packet Pg. 89 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
04 77
West Hill is primarily residential with ribbons
of commercial development along Pacific
Highway and portions of Military Road. It is
bisected by Interstate 5. Development near
the in-progress Federal Way Link Extension
and future light rail station continues to
significantly increase the population and
development of this region with available
parkland becoming scarcer. Freeways,
highways, topography, and the Green River
create challenges for connectivity within this
region and to other areas of the city. The West
Hill of Kent has the fewest number of parks
but has more acres of parkland per person
than every region except downtown.
West Hill Strategic Projects
West Hill Map
Project Outcome Key
Access
Equity
Strategic Amenities
Programming
Natural Resources
Athletics
Operations & Maintenance
Trails
Partnerships
L
G
C
J
I
B F
D
K
A
1 mile
E
4.C.b
Packet Pg. 90 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
0478
Fenwick Community Park
West Fenwick Park and Lake Fenwick Park
Explore combining the contiguous Fenwick Properties into one
combined management area known as Fenwick Community Park.B. Salt Air Vista Park
Renovate and expand children’s play area and
add additional features to improve recreational
value. Add nature-play and nature trail
connections to multifamily housing.
near $$
A. Linda Heights Park
Improve Recreational Value by adding open lawn
area, loop trail, and multi-use sports court.
near $$
C. Connect West Fenwick and
Lake Fenwick Parks
Provide formal connections between these parks
to create a dynamic park corridor with numerous
active and passive recreational opportunities
with trail access to the West Hill, Green River, and
Downtown. Work with Evergreen Mountain Bike
Alliance to create Kent’s first mountain bike park.
mid $$
D. Connect West Fenwick Park
to the Green River Trail
Improve pedestrian connection from West
Hill to the Green River Trail and downtown.
Collaborate with Public Works to address
crossing SR 516, as identified in the
Transportation Master Plan, and update
signage to reinforce connection.
mid $$
1/4 mile
WEST FENWICK
PARK
LAKE FENWICKLAKE FENWICK
PARK
4.C.b
Packet Pg. 91 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
04 79
H. West Hill Land Acquisition
Land acquisition on the West Hill for replacement
of the Kronisch property sale.
mid $$
F. Glenn Nelson Park
Renovate the playground to add
nature play elements; improve the park
connections to the neighborhood. Explore
diversifying athletic programming.
mid $$
G. West Fenwick Park
Renovate the existing tennis courts,
including adding pickleball striping, and
renovate the trails on the west and north
edges of the park.
mid $$
I. Lake Fenwick Park
Improve the park to a Tier 6 Park. Improve
access, parking, gathering, seating, play,
and water access opportunities.
[Connect to Green River Trail via a trail
under SR 516 and through King County
Mullen Slough Natural Area.
[Update the disc golf course.
mid $$$
Lake Fenwick Park
E. Evergreen Middle School
Partnership
Explore opportunities for partnership with the
Federal Way School District to utilize newly
constructed fields at Evergreen Middle School for
general park use during non-school hours.
mid $$
4.C.b
Packet Pg. 92 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
1 mile
Midway Neighborhood Park
0480
L. West Hill Sports Facility
Development
Develop a new sports facility as land
opportunities arise. Facility will likely focus on
rectangular fields and overlays, with emphasis
on providing fields that can be used for
tournament play.
long $$$
L. Valley Floor Community Park
Develop a community park, including large-
scale community garden space, parking,
restroom, and play area. Explore additional
amenities that would be appropriate for a
site constricted by wetlands and floodplains.
Celebrate connections to the KVLT.
long $$$
J. West Hill Neighborhood Park
Create a new Tier 4 neighborhood park. Consider
installing a splash pad here or elsewhere in the
park system.
mid $$$
K. Midway Neighborhood Park
Acquire land to fulfill need for park, recreation,
and trail connection opportunities along the west
edge of West Hill, providing access to parks in an
underserved area that will likely continue growing
as Link Light Rail Stations are completed.
long $$$
4.C.b
Packet Pg. 93 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
04 81
This region is characterized by industry,
megablocks, few residences, and the Green
River, which is one of Kent’s most significant
recreational amenities. The Green River Trail,
Frager Road, and the parks along them serve
the 70,000 people who work in the valley, the
entire population of Kent, and all of South
King County. Over the past decades, the city
has acquired a significant amount of property
along the Green River to realize the vision of
riverside trails, open space, and recreational
opportunities on both sides of the river.
Reinvesting in these parks and trails will ensure
that the Green River corridor continues to be a
regional draw and recreational treasure.
Green River Strategic Projects
Green River Map
A
C
EB
D
Project Outcome Key
Access
Equity
Strategic Amenities
Programming
Natural Resources
Athletics
Operations & Maintenance
Trails
Partnerships 1 mile
4.C.b
Packet Pg. 94 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
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Kent Valley Loop Trail signage
E. Green River Natural
Resource Area
Partner with Public Works to enhance the
Recreational Value and access to this natural
resource.
long $$$
C. Briscoe Park
Activate the park along the Kent Valley Loop Trail
system with additional recreational amenities.
mid $$
B. Van Doren’s Landing Park
Construction of park relocation is scheduled
to be completed in 2022, including flood
protection, habitat improvements, and
Recreation Value enhancements.
near $$$
D. Three Friends Fishing Hole
Broaden the recreational opportunities at
this park along the Kent Valley Loop Trail.
mid $$
A. Boeing Rock
Develop amenities and enhance recreational
opportunities in this area along the Kent Valley
Loop Trail system.
near $$
Three Friends Fishing Hole
4.C.b
Packet Pg. 95 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
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F
A
C
B
H
L
I
J
E
K
1 mile
04 83
The East Hill South region includes the Lake
Meridian annexation area. This region is
largely residential with both single-family
and multifamily homes, and small pockets
of retail. The key parks in this region include
Lake Meridian Park, Morrill Meadows Park,
Wilson Playfields, Service Club Ballfields,
Clark Lake, and Arbor Heights 360. East Hill
South has a good distribution of parkland but
requires further reinvestment to reach the full
potential of this recreational offering.
East Hill South Strategic Projects
East Hill South Map
Project Outcome Key
Access
Equity
Strategic Amenities
Programming
Natural Resources
Athletics
Operations & Maintenance
Trails
Partnerships
4.C.b
Packet Pg. 96 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
0484
A. Campus Park
Design work is scheduled to begin in 2022,
emphasizing the following elements:
[Play area to serve multifamily residential
surrounding the park.
[Explore feasibility of developing a short
18-hole disc golf course.
[Explore partnership with Kent School District
on the development of a joint-use facility.
[Connect to 100th Ave for bikes/pedestrians.
near $$
B. Morrill Meadows Park
Construct phase 2 of park improvements,
including expansion of playground, stage for
summer concerts, and nature play area.
near $$
D. Lake Meridian Park and
Soos Creek Trail Connection
Continue coordination with Public Works on
enhanced bike/pedestrian connection.
mid $$
C. Springwood Park
Continue design and construction to
transform this neighborhood park from a
Tier 3 to a Tier 4, including an expanded
children’s play area, community gathering
space, and trail connectivity.
near $$$
Springwood Park, photo credit Paul Johnston
Lake Meridian Park
4.C.b
Packet Pg. 97 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
1 mile
04 85
F. Clark Lake Park
Enhance trail system, update master plan, and
develop amenities including restroom, park
shelter, nature play, and expanded parking.
Acquire land as available to complete park
assemblage. Explore addition of indoor
programmable space and unique system
amenities.
mid $$$
G. East Hill Southwest Park
Development
Explore providing access to a diversity of
amenity in this area. This might include a
combination of acquisition and developing
existing properties, such as 272nd Park and
Seven Oaks Park, to their maximum potentials.
mid $$$
E. Sun Meadows Park
Expand the recreational value by adding loop
trail, additional sport courts, and enhanced lawn
space.
mid $$
East Hill Southwest Park Development
Clark Lake Park
4.C.b
Packet Pg. 98 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
0486
L. Wilson Playfields
Acquire adjacent property as available and
expand field space. Transition to LED lighting
and implement automated lighting controls.
Expand recreational opportunities with
additional amenities.
long $$$
J. Eastridge Park
Renovate and expand children’s play area and
add additional features to improve Recreational
Value.
long $$
K. Service Club Ballfields
In the near term, add automated lighted controls,
explore potential scheduling partnerships
with the Auburn School District, and reach out
to organizations that currently schedule the
fields for input. In the long term, assess if trends
indicate need to convert to other use types.
long $$$
I. 272nd Park
Develop a new Tier 3 neighborhood park.
long $$$
Wilson Playfields Playground
H. 132nd Ave Park
Develop into a Tier 4 Neighborhood Park.
long $$$
Service Club Ballfields
4.C.b
Packet Pg. 99 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
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CB
GA
F
04 87
East Hill North largely includes the Panther
Lake Annexation Area and is the city’s most
underserved park region under both the
traditional Level of Service (LOS) and the new
performance-based LOS. There are fewer
existing parks in this region than in the rest
of Kent, and because of this, it is necessary to
add Recreational Value in this region both by
redeveloping existing parks and building new
ones. To fully meet the need of this growing
area of the city, new parkland shall consist of
at least one top-tier park and several smaller
neighborhood parks.
East Hill North Strategic Projects
East Hill North Map 1 mile
Project Outcome Key
Access
Equity
Strategic Amenities
Programming
Natural Resources
Athletics
Operations & Maintenance
Trails
Partnerships
4.C.b
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C. East Hill North Community
Park aka Huse Property
[Develop Huse Park into a Tier 6
community park. Include a trailhead for
Soos Creek Trail and improve connection
to Lake Meridian Park and Lake Youngs
Loop Trail.
[Scope of work to include parking, restroom,
children’s play area, loop nature trail, and
adaptive reuse of existing structure.
[Formalize north side access point along
216th.
[Explore possibility of easement with
current property owners to provide
formal trail access off 224th separate from
equestrian trail.
[Explore possibility of partnership with
utility corridor for trail easement.
near $$$
Garrison Creek Park
B. Garrison Creek Park
Continue renovation and replacement of
closed amenities. Priorities include:
[Replace the playground in 2022.
[Expand the use/play opportunities to
include amenities like soccer, pickleball, etc.
[Improve the trail connection down to
Garrison Creek to create a nature-play
experience.
[Consider restoring lighting.
near $$
A. Chestnut Ridge Park
Renovate and expand children’s play area and add
additional features to improve Recreational Value.
near $$
4.C.b
Packet Pg. 101 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
1 mile
04 89
G. East Hill North Neighborhood
Park aka Matinjussi Property
Develop the Matinjussi property into a Tier
3 or 4 neighborhood park that includes
public access to Panther Lake. Explore
west access to SE 203 Pl, south access to
SE 204th St, and north access to private
playground. Consider restoring lighting.
mid $$$
H. East Hill North Park
Development
Continue exploring access to parkland
in this area, particularly in the areas
surrounding the ravines that cut
diagonally across the region. This might
include a combination of acquisition
and securing partnerships with schools
for after-use hours of their sporting and
playground facilities.
long $$$
D. North Meridian Park
[Improve the park from Tier 2 to Tier 5.
[Add pedestrian access point to east side of
North Meridian Park off 125th Ave SE street
end; develop trail network.
[Explore creating space for informal cricket
pitch; develop further if well received.
[Explore potential partnership with local disc golf
advocates to activate forested area of park. This may
require a partnering agreement with King County
as they own some of the adjacent property.
[Explore partnership with the Kent School District.
near $$$
F. Turnkey Park
Renovate and expand children’s play area and add
additional features to improve recreational value.
mid $$
E. Park Orchard Park
Improve the park from Tier 1 to Tier 4. Explore
partnerships with Kent School District.
mid $
East Hill North Park Development
4.C.b
Packet Pg. 102 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
0490
Strategic projects are sorted into three priority buckets: near term, mid term, and long term. As discussed earlier in this chapter,
projects are scored for priority based on potential of the project to enhance the system and ease of implementation. These priority
buckets establish a guide for implementation and are not intended to be a rigid schedule or order for projects to be completed.
Near-term projects are currently underway or targets for the next capital
improvement cycle. Mid-term and long-term projects may become more
feasible as appropriate funding becomes available and partnerships progress,
or they have aspects that can be accomplished in the near term. Level of
complexity and effort associated with a particular scope of work is tied to
anticipated project costs, indicated for each project as a range from $ to $$$.
Strategic Projects Summary
Kherson Park $$
4th and Willis Greenway $$
Earthworks and Mill Creek Canyon $$$
Commons Neighborhood Park $$near termProject NamePriority
Downtown Region AccessEquityStrategic AmenitiesProgrammingNatural ResourcesAthleticsOperations & MaintenanceTrailsPartnershipsProject Complexitymid termSignature Pointe $$$
Riverview Park $$$
Downtown Park Improvements $$$
Foster Park $
Old Fishing Hole $$
Russell Woods Park $
Uplands Playfield and Uplands Extension Renovation $$long termTown Square Plaza $$$
Scenic Hill Park $$
Hogan Park at Russell Road $$$
Kent Memorial Park $$$
Downtown Central Park Development $$$
4.C.b
Packet Pg. 103 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
04 91mid termWest Hill Land Acquisition $$
Glenn Nelson Park $$
West Fenwick Park $$
West Hill Neighborhood Park $$$
Lake Fenwick Park $$$
Connect West Fenwick Park to the Green River Trail $$
Connect West Fenwick and Lake Fenwick Parks $$AccessEquityStrategic AmenitiesProgrammingNatural ResourcesAthleticsOperations & MaintenanceTrailsPartnershipsProject ComplexityProject NamePriority
West Hill Region
long termlongtermWest Hill Sports Facility Development $$$
Valley Floor Community Park $$$
Midway Neighborhood Park $$$
Green River Natural Resource Area $$$neartermSalt Air Vista Park $$
Linda Heights Park $$
Green River Region
near termVan Doren’s Landing Park $$$
Boeing Rock $$midtermThree Friends Fishing Hole $$
Briscoe Park $$
Evergreen Middle School Partnership $$
4.C.b
Packet Pg. 104 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
0492AccessEquityStrategic AmenitiesProgrammingNatural ResourcesAthleticsOperations & MaintenanceTrailsPartnershipsProject ComplexityProject NamePriority
East Hill South Region
long termlong termWilson Playfields $$$
Eastridge Park $$
Service Club Ballfields $$$
272nd Park $$$
132nd Ave Park $$$
East Hill North Park Development $$$
East Hill North Regionnear termCampus Park $$
Morrill Meadows Park $$
Springwood Park $$$mid termClark Lake Park $$$
East Hill Southwest Park Development $$$
Sun Meadows Park $$
Lake Meridian Park and Soos Creek Trail Connection $$near termEast Hill North Community Park aka Huse Property $$$
Garrison Creek Park $$
Chestnut Ridge Park $$
North Meridian Park $$$mid termEast Hill North Neighborhood Park aka
Matinjussi Property
$$$
Turnkey Park $$
Park Orchard Park $
4.C.b
Packet Pg. 105 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
West Fenwick Park
4.C.b
Packet Pg. 106 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
Funding 95
O&M Versus Capital Funding 96
The Problem with Reactive Maintenance 96
Funding Status 97
Our Funding Bucket 101
Current Funding Sources 103
Potential Funding Sources 109
Partnerships with Alternate Providers 114
Goals and Policies 115
How We Will
Get There 05
KENTP&OSPLAN2022
chapter
4.C.b
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05 95
This plan creates a vibrant, constituent-led
roadmap for Kent’s park and open space
system. To make this system a reality,
strategies are needed to build the proposed
strategic projects and then maintain them
at the level necessary to achieve the desired
positive outcomes for Kent.
Funding is the foundation of the solution; a
city’s priorities are found in its budget, not
in planning documents. Kent Parks must
continue to find creative ways to partner
with other agencies to leverage funding even
further. As available land becomes scarcer, use
and maintenance partnerships with alternate
providers of assets in the city is another key.
Used strategically, funding and partnerships
can work together to provide a sustained high
quality of service to the Kent community.
When deciding how resources are allocated,
tough decisions are needed. The strategic
projects in this plan provide a roadmap for
decisions, but other projects and opportunities
arise. When this happens, goals and policies
provide guidance for decision making.
Based on the data-centric and engagement-
led conclusions, goals and policies lay out
priorities for the continuing development and
stewardship of the city’s park and open space
system. The goals and policies outlined in this
report are a continuation of those presented in
the 2016 Plan, but they will continue to evolve
based on community engagement, analysis of
data, and the changing needs of Kent.
Kent Parks funding is divided into two
separate categories that cannot be
intermingled: capital funding for new
or replaced assets, and operations and
maintenance (O&M) funding for maintaining
and repairing assets. The 2016 P&OS Plan
provided a vision for a vibrant urban park
system and made the case for substantial
financial commitment to support that vision.
Kent Parks was facing a significant capital
maintenance backlog without a dedicated
capital funding source. New revenue options
were needed to support the capital needs of a
system organized, renovated, and maintained
according to performance standards and
expectations.
Funding
Since the 2016 Plan, sustainable capital
funding has been obtained, allowing Kent
Parks to replace many failing assets in the
system with new assets. Parallel funding
increases for O&M have not been obtained,
setting up the system for a similar situation
as the 2016 Plan discussed: a system again
filled with deferred reactive maintenance
and failing assets instead of proactive
investment into long-term repairs to keep
the system functioning at a consistently high
level. To obtain the positive benefits that a
park system provides, it is necessary to have
Capital Funding for Repair, Replacement, and
Development, and O&M Funding that keeps
up with the increased demand of a growing
and urbanizing city.
Morrill Meadows Park
4.C.b
Packet Pg. 108 Attachment: City of Kent Parks and Open Space Plan 2022 (3166 : 2022-2027 Parks and Open Space Plan
0596
Kent has a Park Operations division tasked with daily operations and maintenance of all
parks, trails, open space, athletic complexes, gateways, and facility grounds. These employees
are generally responsible for routine maintenance tasks such as mowing grass, cleaning
restrooms, and emptying trash cans. They also complete minor construction projects such as
repairing plumbing and roofs and filling in potholes in parking lots and along paths. This work
is considered routine maintenance and is funded through the city’s general fund.
Larger projects are contracted out to construction firms and paid for as part of the Parks
capital budget. These projects fall into two categories: capital repair, replacement, and
redevelopment and capital development. Projects such as constructing a new restroom
building to replace an old one, repaving a park’s parking lot, or replacing an athletic field’s
worn-out synthetic turf are considered capital repair and replacement projects. New
development and acquisition projects, which aim to add amenities in areas of the city that are
underserved, are considered capital development projects.
All new and existing assets need routine maintenance and eventual capital reinvestment.
Each category of park asset has a typical expected lifespan, along with its own typical
amount of routine maintenance and typical amount of capital repair. The expected lifespan
of a restroom building and the amount of maintenance required to keep it functioning
are entirely different from those of a playground, which are different from those of a grass
athletic field. What they all have in common are finite life expectancies, requiring continual
investment throughout the course of their lifespans. Not surprisingly, routine maintenance
and capital repair costs increase as assets age, with older assets requiring more frequent and
more extensive maintenance and repair than their newer counterparts. For example, at Kent
Memorial Park, the restroom building is in near-constant need of repair, be it from a new leak
in the aged roof or problems with the failing plumbing system.
O&M versus Capital Funding The Problem with Reactive Maintenance
A high level of routine O&M ensures assets do
not degrade before the end of their expected
lifespan. For example, if a natural turf field
is overprogrammed or undermaintained it
can take years for the field to regrow to a
healthy stand of turf. Those are years of play
lost, where that field is basically unusable.
The impact of not investing in appropriate
O&M is a vicious cycle that can reduce the
quantity and quality of recreational amenities
provided by a park system. The best-case
scenario is a funding system where O&M
funding is paired with capital funding,
ensuring that each old and new asset is
maintained consistently and at a high quality
to keep it highly functioning for a long
lifespan.
4.C.b
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Capital Repair and Replacement
For this 2022 Plan, the city updated its Park
Major Asset Inventory, which inventoried and
assessed the condition of every existing park
asset valued at over $10,000. The analysis
looked at 500 assets, a more comprehensive
review than previous planning efforts, and
identified that the major assets in the system
are worth $125 million in 2022 dollars. Based
on each asset’s assessment and expected
lifetime, the average yearly capital investment
for replacing or renovating assets in the
current system is identified as $7 million in
2022 dollars. The current capital maintenance
backlog, or items that need to be replaced
in the next two years, is about $21 million or
$10.5 million per year.
The yearly capital investment average of $7
million is calculated for the next 20 years and
includes the capital maintenance backlog and
large spending years, such as when a synthetic
turf field may need replacement. This average
does not account for addition of new assets to
the park system. This average also assumes a
reasonably high level of routine O&M, some of
which is likely not happening now because of
reduced O&M budgets.
Current spending for capital reinvestment
averages around $6 million per year, $500,000
of which comes from a fund dedicated to
major maintenance, and $5.5 million of which
is estimated based on standalone work and
addresses capital reinvestment as part of a
more holistic project (example: West Fenwick
Park Renovation replaced several failing assets
in addition to expanded recreational value). An
additional $1 million per year is needed to keep
pace with the rate of system deterioration and
accommodate for:
[Repair/replacement backlog
[Saving for large expenditure replacements
such as synthetic turf resurfacing, which
is not accommodated with the current
major maintenance budget.
[Conservative estimates of lifespan
dictated by current O&M funding. Longer
lifecycle estimates would be appropriate
if sustainable O&M funding were
available to extend longevity of assets via
preventative maintenance.
Many of the projects in the Strategic Project
list are capital repair and replacement projects,
revamping existing amenities. Recently
obtained park impact fees do not help with
capital repair and replacement as that funding
source is dedicated to new or expanded park
amenities. Recent capital gains through B&O
tax revenue has provided additional funding
for capital needs but is still not enough to
cover the existing repair and replacement
costs, much less costs of new capital
development.
Funding Status
City of Kent
Current spending Spending needed
as identified by
Asset Inventory
$6,000,000 / yr $6,500,000 to
$7,000,000 / yr
Capital Reinvestment Spending
to maintain what is already owned
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Capital Development
The Strategic Project list in this 2022 Plan also
includes targeted projects that add amenities
and acquiring properties not currently in
the system. Some of these projects take
undeveloped parcels and create brand new
Community or Neighborhood Parks in areas
that are underserved.
These project costs are additional to capital
repair and replacement costs and will increase
the capital repair/replacement and O&M
funding needed to keep the system operating
at a high level.
The new development costs outlined in this
plan are $60 million over 20 years, or around
$3 million per year.
O&M
Community engagement has stated loud and clear that maintenance is a top priority for the
future of Kent’s parks. Engagement indicated general satisfaction with the current level of
maintenance but emphasized the need for continued focus in the next five years. This is an
important statistic to recall as the city grapples with future budget cycles and the potential
for further budget reductions. As funding for O&M declines, recreational value and the level of
satisfaction will drop proportionally.
Community engagement has also shown an increase in people who don’t feel as safe using the
park system. As parks are increasingly pressured by widespread societal issues, it is placing more
burden on O&M staff. On top of this, the responsibility for enforcing park rules through city code
falls to the police department, which is also stretched thin by budget and societal issues. When
prioritizing police response, park rules enforcement is often a lower priority. However, much like
other code enforcement responsibilities in the city being a lower priority, this does not mean
that enforcing the park code isn’t vital to ensuring that the investment in park assets and annual
operating expense achieves the positive benefits of parks and recreation for the community.
Other cities of Kent’s size have turned to park rangers to enforce park rules, which removes some
pressure from the police department to help regulate park use, something that Kent should
consider.
Lake Meridian
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The 2016 P&OS Plan created an opportunity to align maintenance practices with the adopted
performance-based Level of Service. Typically maintenance levels of service are driven by
a traditional park classification system, but in Kent this failed to account for the significant
variance of Recreational Value between parks within the Community or Neighborhood Park
classifications. Since Recreational Value drives park use, RV is a useful determinant of LOS
standards and helps to inform where to expend maintenance resources.
Maintenance LOS Tiers
Seven Maintenance LOS Tiers were created based on park Recreational Value and park type.
Each Maintenance LOS Tier is associated with maintenance standards at peak and non-peak
times of year; this accommodates for higher maintenance needed at popular (high RV) parks
and the inherent maintenance of more complicated sites.
The majority of the operations budget is spent on Maintenance LOS Tiers A, B, C and Athletic
Complexes. Maintenance of Athletic Complexes is discussed in chapter 3, and associated costs
moving forward will be largely contingent on feasibility of partnerships with the school district.
Maintenance Level of Service Tiers:
LOS A: Tier 5 Parks, Urban Parks, and
Indoor Facilities
LOS B: Tier 3 and 4 Parks, Athletic
Complexes, and Citywide Gateways
LOS C: Tier 2 Parks and Minor Gateways
LOS D: Tier 1 Parks
LOS E: Open Space and Undeveloped
Park Properties
Trails: Regional Trails and Nature Trails
Maintenance Seasons:
Peak Season: April–September
[Resources are mainly focused on
routine services
[High dependency on availability of
seasonal labor
[Focus is keeping up with public
demand for use of park system
Non-Peak Season: October–March
[Less demand from public use and
seasonal vegetation growth
[Resources are focused on preventative
maintenance, larger projects,
inventory, inspections, and audits
Lake Meridian
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Maintenance
LOS
Average
O&M
cost/year
per park*
Average
O&M
hours/year
per park*
2019 Park System 2022 Strategic Projects
including development of
undeveloped parcels**
O&M increase/
year for 2022
Strategic Projects **
Number
of Parks
Cost Hours Number
of Parks
Cost Hours Cost Hours
A $182,596 1640 6 $1,095,576 9,838 23 $4,199,707 37,712 $3,104,132 27,874
B $70,850 776 21 $1,487,851 16,304 26 $1,842,101 20,185 $354,250 3,882
C $26,517 238 24 $636,398 5,720 10 $265,166 2,383 -$371,232 -3,337
* Based on 2019 data $3,087,150 28,419** Does not include proposed land acquisitions
Average costs and O&M hours spent at Maintenance LOS Tier A, B, and C parks during 2019
created a baseline of costs and hours spent at each park in a tier (the year 2019 was used to
represent pre-Covid “normal” use). As seen in the chart below, from these baseline metrics an
approximate O&M hours and cost per year is calculated for the strategic projects proposed in
this 2022 Plan.
Assuming the projects in this plan are anticipated to be completed over 20 to 30 years, the O&M
hours are approximately equivalent to a little more than one new staff member every two years.
This new staff member would account for increased demand for O&M due to increased use of
the park system as Kent’s population grows, the Recreational Value of the system grows to meet
the new demand, and preventative maintenance of assets to extend life of capital investments.
This does not take into account program areas like urban forestry and natural areas that
are underfunded already and not directly linked to the need to maintain the developed
park system. Nor does it take into account the need for a park ranger program to increase
perceptions of safety in our park system and enforce park code.
If the strategic projects are implemented but these associated additional O&M funds and
hours are not obtained, operations staff will be forced to take a more reactive approach to
maintenance, which will likely lead to an active maintenance backlog with assets stretched
beyond their lifespan. Potential solutions to these problems will need to come from available
funding options.
Garrison Creek
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Pebbles can range from moderate gifts (most
often from service clubs or corporations)
to sizable state grants. Pebbles can help fill
in large gaps, so it is smart to pursue them
aggressively. However, pebbles are also
unpredictable and sporadically available,
which makes it imprudent to rely on them
as a primary source for filling the funding
bucket.
Sand is primarily useful for filling in
remaining gaps not addressed by rocks and
pebbles. Since every source in this funding
bucket must be pursued, managed, and
administered individually, trying to fill an
entire bucket of any substantive size one
grain at a time would be futile. Sand, such as
volunteering, can still play a valuable role in
building community support and ownership
of the system.
The types of materials stand for the
categories of funding options to address
the prioritized need. Imagine you can fill
your bucket one piece at a time with rocks,
pebbles, and/or sand. You can mostly fill the
bucket quickly with a few rocks. However,
rocks alone leave many voids, and your goal
is to fill the bucket as completely as you can.
Those voids are best filled with a combination
of pebbles and sand.
You can also try to fill your buckets using only
pebbles, but this will take a greater effort, as
you have to gather a great number of pebbles
to fill the bucket. Trying to fill the bucket with
only sand, one grain at a time, amounts to a
monumental challenge.
Rocks are generally the largest and most
reliable funding sources. Without rocks, a
capital plan becomes more of an exercise in
wishful thinking. There are a few large sources
of municipal revenue that are allowed to be
used on parks capital projects.
Not all funding options are equal. Many
municipal revenues come with restrictions
that do not allow their use for capital or
operating programs. Other potential revenue
categories such as private grants and
donations tend to be smaller in scale and
provide one-off opportunities that do not
supply reliable funding for ongoing concerns
like public capital programs or consistent
maintenance.
Another consideration in seeking funding is
the comparison of the level of effort involved
in obtaining the resource with the size of the
resource obtained. For example, it generally
requires more staff time to plan, organize,
and hold a volunteer event to install a small
playground than it does to apply for and
administer a half-million-dollar state grant.
Staffing levels are a necessary consideration
when weighing resource options.
This chapter will organize revenue options
according to size, reliability, and efficiency of
effort to obtain. It will rely on the metaphor of
two buckets holding three types of materials:
rocks, pebbles, and sand.
Our Funding Bucket
an empty
Funding
Bucket big, reliable
sources
+ ROCKS + PEBBLES + SAND =less sustaining
sources
little
sources
a filled
Funding
Bucket!
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Our system has two buckets. One bucket represents capital funding and the other represents
operations and maintenance funding. The buckets are the size of the resource commitment,
and the size of the buckets is the first decision the community must make. If the parks capital
need or maintenance need is not addressed in its entirety, strategic decisions will be needed
to address how assets and, potentially, entire parks are allowed to fail. The community has
indicated that high levels of maintenance are top priority, which supports increased funding
in this area. The community has also provided guidance on priority assets in the system; if
capital need is not fully addressed, medium- and low-priority existing assets, which represent
significant historic investment, may need to be closed.
Capital Reinvestment and Operating Budget
that meets need and demand
Operating Budget
that fails to meet need and demand
Capital Reinvestment
that fails to meet need and demand
For a long-lived highly functioning system
that provides recreation for a growing
population, the capital funding bucket and
O&M funding bucket need to be balanced
and grow in tandem with population. If capital
investment matches population growth but
O&M investment does not, RV will increase in
the short term but eventually assets will fall
into disrepair and RV will plummet. If O&M
investment matches population growth but
capital investment does not, RV will follow
the capital investment trend and not meet
recreational need for the growing population.
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In Kent and the surrounding cities, one-time capital funding is outstripping ongoing O&M
funding and creating an imbalance in the system. Additional O&M funding is needed to keep
pace with the size and quality of park system that is needed to serve Kent.
ROCK: General Fund
Operations & Maintenance (O&M) is funded primarily by the City’s General Fund which is
the principal operating fund of the City. The primary expenditures in the General Fund are
for general City administration, public safety, economic development, planning services,
operations and maintenance, cultural programs, and recreation services. In 2022, the adopted
budget for the General Fund was $111,172,050; of which Operations and Maintenance
accounted for less than 7%.
The City’s General Fund is tax and general revenue supported which includes but is not
limited to property tax, sales tax, utility & other taxes, licenses and permits, state shared
revenues, and charges for services.
Ever since the Great Recession (2007-2009), the City has continued to face budgetary
challenges within the City’s General Fund because expenditures continue to outpace revenues
due to inflation, medical increases, legal mandates, increase demand in use of City services,
and Streamline Sales Tax implementation. Property taxes are one of the major revenue
sources in the general fund and accounts for 28% of the general fund funding source but only
grows at a rate of 1% plus new construction per year. Inflation has grown 36% since 2007.
O&M Funding BucketCurrent Funding Sources
General Fund Challenges:
Washington State Constitution limits the annual rate of property taxes that may be
imposed on an individual parcel of property to 1% of its true and fair value. Property
tax funding makes up 28% of the General Fund. A 1% annual increase does not cover
inflation (CPI) increases that have ranged from 0.29% to 4.28% between 2007-2021.
Inflation has and will continue to outpace property taxes.
The City has primarily funded its parks and
recreation services through the General
Fund and capital needs from grants, real
estate excise tax (REET) and starting in
2019 Business & Occupation Tax (B&O). For
the next biennial budget and beyond, the
City expects spending in the general fund
to outpace collected revenues which will
increase competition for resources and likely
reduce the amount of funding available for
parks capital along with maintenance and
operations. The City has already addressed
the City’s fiscal cliff and the first rounds of
COVID-19 impacts in the 2019/2020 budget
and the City is moving into the next biennial
budget planning cycle uncertain of the
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its
permanent fiscal outlook.
To continue investment in parks, the City
will need to identify and pursue additional
revenue enhancements. The following
list of rocks, pebbles, and sand is not an
exhaustive list but notes the primary types
of opportunities for filling Kent’s O&M and
capital funding buckets.
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Due to revenue limitation of growth in the general fund, the City has faced two major
budgetary reductions in the last biennial budget:
City Fiscal Cliff: The loss of state-shared Streamlined Sales Tax mitigation revenues beginning
in 2019, coupled with the expiration of the Panther Lake Annexation Sales tax credit in June
2020, resulted in a negative impact of over $10,000,000 or roughly 10% of the City’s General
Fund revenues. As part of the 2019/2020 adopted budget, the City reduced over $2,000,000
in ongoing expenditure by non-public safety General Fund departments. In addition,
$470,000 in sales tax collections from shifted from capital to fund ongoing operations in the
General Fund. The remainder of the gap was filled by over $1,000,000 annual increase in
permit and plans review revenues, increase in interest revenue as a result of new investment
strategy, new revenue from water and sewer franchise fees, and beginning in 2020 the budget
included an increase in City B&O tax rates which filled an additional $3,400,000 of this gap.
COVID-19 Reduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented disruption to
Washington’s economy. Governor Inslee on March 23, 2020 issued a “Stay Home, Stay
Healthy” order to help slow the spread of COVID-19 which allowed only essential businesses
to remain open to the public and restaurants were only allowed to offer take-out. In 2020,
prior to the 2019/2020 Mid-Biennium Budget Adjustment, the City proactively started to
determine what the impacts of the pandemic were to the General Fund. The estimated
shortfall of the General Fund was an estimated $14,200,000. To address this shortfall the City
reduced $3,200,000 in capital transfers (eliminated or reduced capital projects funded by the
General Fund), $5,000,000 ongoing department reductions, $1,500,000 one-time department
reductions, transfer of $1,000,000 fund balance from the City’s Wellness Fund and the use of
$5,000,000 General Fund fund balance.
The City’s General Fund will continue to have challenges as expenditures continue to outpace
revenues.
Kiwanis Tot Lot #3
General Fund Sources:
Since the Great Recession, the City has raised new revenues sources from water and
sewer franchise fees, increased utility taxes, implemented and increased busines and
occupation tax, and redirected capital sources to the general fund.
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The 2016 Plan made the case for consistent rock-based capital funding sources. Partially due to the argument made in that plan, the new rock
of B&O Tax has been implemented, which has hugely helped capital funding for the system, and the recent implementation of Park Impact
Fees is contributing toward a more sustainable capital budget for development projects. This plan builds on the work of the 2016 Plan and
continues the search for consistent funding sources to ensure an equitable park system today and in the future.
Capital Funding Bucket
ROCK: Real Estate Excise Tax (REET2), $0 - $4,500,000 per year
Any city or town that is fully planning under the Growth Management
Act (GMA) may impose an additional 0.25% excise tax (REET 2 or second
quarter percent) authorized under RCW 82.46.035 upon all real estate
sale, in addition to the tax imposed under REET1. REET2 revenues are
restricted and may only be used for financing “capital projects” specified
in the capital facilities plan element of the city’s comprehensive land use
plan. RCW 82.46.03(5) defines “capital project” as:
[Planning, acquisition, construction, reconstruction, repair,
replacement, rehabilitation, or improvement of streets, roads,
highways, sidewalks, street and road lighting systems, traffic signals,
bridges, domestic water systems, storm and sanitary sewer systems.
[Planning, construction, reconstruction, repair, rehabilitation, or
improvements of parks; and
[Until January 1, 2026, planning, acquisition, construction,
reconstruction, repair, replacement, rehabilitation, or improvements
of facilities of those experience homelessness and affordable housing
projects.
The City has further restricted the use of REET2 for park related capital
improvements.
REET Challenges:
Because REET is based on the total value of real estate
transactions each year, the amount of REET revenues
the City receives can vary substantially from year-to-year
based on the normal ebb and flow of the real estate
market. During the Great Recession (December 2017 –
June 2019), REET2 revenues available to fund parks capital/
lifecycle dipped below $0.
REET2 Funding Available for Capital / Lifecycle
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ROCK: Business & Occupation Tax (B&O), $0 to $3,000,000 per year
In 2013, the City of Kent implemented a business & occupation tax (B&O tax) which is
comprised of two components: gross receipts tax and square foot tax. Taxpayers with a
business location located within the City limits must report both components, while taxpayers
with a business location located entirely outside City limits is required to only report gross
receipts tax. For taxpayers reporting both gross receipts tax and square foot tax, the tax due is
based on the greater amount of the two.
Square foot tax was implemented in 2019 which applies to taxpayers that lease, own, occupy
or otherwise maintain business warehouse space, outdoor warehouse space, or other
business floor space in excess of the threshold amounts within the City.
Square footage revenues equivalent to 0.03 quarterly on business warehouse floor space and
0.01 quarterly on other business floor space are allocated to the city’s capital resource fund.
The City allocated a portion of the square foot tax revenues to Park’s capital starting in 2019.
B&O Challenges:
The City has seen a decrease in overall payment of square foot tax due to businesses
reporting higher gross revenues. The original estimates of $3.0M/year has decreased to
$2.5M/year in available capital funding.
Additionally, B&O tax allocated to the City’s Capital Resources Fund are reviewed each
year by Council during the City’s adopted budget process to determine how much
funding will be allocated to City projects. This is a competitive process and Park’s capital
may or may not receive business and occupation tax per Council’s directions.
2021 Kent Cornucopia Days 5k
Interurban Trail
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ROCK: King County Parks Levy, $0 - $400,000 per year
In 2007, King County voters approved two property tax levy lid lifts to support park
operations and open space and trails from 2008-2013. This levy was renewed in 2013 for
2014-2019 and then again in 2019 for 2020-2025. It’s important to note that the City of Kent
does not have any King County Parks within it’s geographic boundary, except a portion of the
Interurban Trail.
On August 6, 2019, King County voters approved a measure to renew the property tax levy
supporting parks, trails, and open space in King County. The measure replaced the levy that
expired at the end of 2019 and will generate an estimated $810 million over six years, costing
approximately $7.60 per month for the owner of a home with an assessed property value of
$500,000. King County will be going out for a renewal levy in 2025, which could impact any
voter initiatives the City of Kent may pursue.
The revenue generated by this levy is invested county-wide in parks, trails, recreation, and
open space protection for the benefit of all King County residents. King County allocates a
portion of their levy funds to cities.
King County Ordinance 18890, establishes a new formula for distributing each city’s levy
allocation:
[$25,000 shall be distributed annual to each town and city;
[an additional $75,000 shall be distributed annually to cities with a population greater than
four thousand; and
[of the remainder, 50% shall be distributed in proportion to each town or city’s population
and 50% shall be distributed in proportion to the assessed value of parcels within each
town or city.
ROCK/PEBBLE?: Park Impact Fees, $ varies
The City implemented park impact fees in 2021. This is a one-time fee paid at the time of new development
by the developers and it represents a share of the facilities needed for growth. The City’s consultant
estimated that the fee can raise up to $12,100,000 over the next six years for the city to help pay toward
a city parks project list that will cost $43,000,000. Due to COVID 19 pandemic, there was a lag in issuing
permits. Although this fee was implemented in 2021, the city has not yet seen a significant amount of park
impact fee revenue due to grandfathered permits that were applied prior to the implementation. Parks did
not start receiving park impact fees until early 2022. Through May 2022, Parks has received $124,500.
In 2021, King County Parks/Open Space
Levy generated $4.5M from the City of
Kent. The City received $377K.
King County transitioned Lake Meridian,
Springwood, Pine Tree, Turnkey, Meridian
Glen, Sun Meadows, Eastridge, North
Meridian, Park Orchard and Green Tree
Parks to the City between 1993-2010.
The City did not receive levy funding
until 2017.
King County Parks Levy
Challenges:
King County Parks Levy must be
renewed every six years; if this levy is
not renewed then these revenues will
no longer be available.
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PEBBLE: Motor Vehicle Fuel Tax (MVFT), $9,000 - $10,000 per year
The City is required by RCW 47.30.050 to spend a minimum of 0.42% of MVFT receipts on
paths and trails (unless that amount is $500 or less).
PEBBLE: Local/State/Federal Grants, $ varies
State and federal grant programs provide one-time capital funding. The City has utilized
these grant opportunities for capital reinvestments along with property acquisitions. The
City has a history of successfully pursuing grants from the Washington State Recreation
and Conservation Office along with King County Conservations Futures grants (funded by
Conservation Futures Tax).
SAND: Sponsorships/Naming Rights, $ varies
The City can seek additional revenues by pursuing corporate partnerships, naming rights, and
advertisement opportunities at City of Kent parks and facilities; however that would require
adding new staff to be able to pursue this funding source.
SAND: Other Funding Sources, $ varies
The department has looked at creative techniques to infuse additional capital dollars into the
system by way of the Parks Foundation (501 C3), use of volunteers, implementation of fee-in-
lieu of, and various other avenues.
Challenges with Grants:
Grants typically include restrictions on future use of the properties acquired or improved.
Grants for maintenance support are relatively few, as compared to capital grants. They
are typically awarded on a year-to-year basis, making it unsustainable to rely on their
availability over time.
Grant Funding:
Between 2007-2021, the Parks
Department acquired $9.7M in land, of
which over $6.0M was reimbursed by
public grants. In total, the City received
over $12.0M in public grant funding
during this period.
Challenges with Naming Rights:
The public could react negatively to the concept of advertising in, and naming rights
to, community facilities such as public parks. In addition, corporate partnerships could
cause potential conflicts with sponsorships of prospective special events, which is why a
strategic and intentional approach to this type of funding must occur.
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Potential Funding Sources
ROCK: Voter-Approved Levies
Voter-approved levies can be for short-term (6 years) or long-term (up to 12 years). Both levies
would count towards the City’s property tax levy cap. For short-term levies, revenue is not
limited to 1% annual growth rate and can keep up with inflation, but long-term levies can only
grow by 1% annual which may be less than the rate of inflation. Funds can be used for operating
and/or capital and can be bonded (borrowed) against as long as the levy is 9 years or less.
ROCK: Metropolitan Park District (MPD)
Metropolitan park districts (MPD) is authorized by RCW 35.61. MPDs are quasi-municipal
corporations and independent taxing districts. This means that MPDs have separate governing
boards, however a district wholly located with the City can define the City Council to be the ex
officio governing board.
Metropolitan park districts generally offer more fiscal capacity and flexibility than park and
recreation districts or park and recreation service areas. In particular, metropolitan park districts
only require approval by a simple majority of voters (50% + 1%), after which MPD’s legislative
body may impose permanent property taxes, whereas park and recreation district/service areas
may only impose property tax levies for six years at a time, subject to 60% voter approval.
Metropolitan park districts would provide long-term stable funding that would alleviate reliance
on the general fund for parks capital and additional operations and maintenance funding to
meet industry level of service standards. Revenue is not limited to 1% annual growth and can
keep pace with inflation.
State law limits Metropolitan Park District funds to parks and recreation purposes only.
Levy Challenges:
If the levies expire, the program it funded will no longer have a revenue source and must
be cut or funded in another way. This makes term-limited levies an uncertain source for
ongoing maintenance, operations, and programing, which need stable, secure funding.
If levies were used to fund one-time capital improvements or expansion, ongoing
maintenance/operations will need to be funded within the City’s existing funding or the
level of service for all other parks will need to be reduced to accommodate.
Levies raise a specific amount of money
for specific identified park project and tax
is collected for a specific amount of time.
As of 2021, there are 23 metropolitan park
districts within the State of Washington.
The oldest being Metro Parks Tacoma
(1907) and the newest being Stevenson
Community Pool District (2021).
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ROCK: Utility Tax
Per RCW 35 – any city or town can impose
these taxes on businesses doing business
within their boundaries. The utility tax may
be levied upon Cable TV, Electricity, Gas,
Sewer/Stormwater, Solid Waste, Steam,
Telephone, and Water. Utility tax may not
be levied upon broadcast satellite TV and
Internet Services.
There are no restrictions on how cities
use utility taxes revenues. Most cities use
these revenues for general fund purposes.
However, when voter approval is asked for
rates higher than 6% (for electric, natural gas,
telephone; there is no limit prescribed in state
or federal law for sewer, solid waste/garbage,
stormwater/drainage and/or water utility),
cities often dedicate the additional revenue
to specific uses.
The adjacent chart reflects City-placed
restricted use of utility tax collections.
Utility tax makes up nearly 18% of the
General Fund revenues. In 2015, an
additional 10.6% was authorized for garbage
utility tax allocated to the maintenance and
repair of residential streets.
Utility
Type
City of
Kent Rate
General
Fund
Street
Fund
Youth &
Teen Fund
IT Fund Capital
Resources
Cable 6.0%6.0%
Electric 6.0%4.7%1.0%0.3%
Garbage 18.4%6.5%11.6%0.3%
Gas 6.0%4.7%1.0%0.3%
Telephone 6.0%4.7%1.0%0.3%
Water *13.0%7.7%1.0%0.3%4.0%
Sewer *9.5%5.6%0.7%0.2%2.9%
Drainage * 19.5%11.6%1.5%0.4%6.0%
* Internal Utility Tax
For each 1% increase, this would generate $2.0M/year.
Utility Tax Challenges:
Comparing the City of Kent utility tax
rate to neighboring cities, the City is
already on the high end of some of the
utility tax rates.
Utility Tax Rate Comparison
Kent Bellevue Renton AuburnCableElectricGarbageGasTelephoneWater SewerDrainage25.00%
15.00%
5.00%
20.00%
10.00%
0.00%
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ROCK: Parks Benefits District (HB 1025/SB 5006)
The State legislator finds that Washington state will continue to see significant population
growth, with the office of financial management (OFM) forecasts estimating nearly 2,000,000
more people by the year of 2040. In the face of this dramatic growth, the legislator finds that
it is more important than ever to help preserve, maintain, and enhance local parks, trails, and
open spaces that are key contributors to the state’s quality of life.
House Bill (HB) 1025 and Senate Bill (SB) 5006 proposes to add the following section to
Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 82.14 – Local retail sales and use taxes:
[The legislative authority of a city or a county, the government body of a metropolitan park
district under chapter 35.61 RCW, or the governing body of a park and recreation district
under chapter 36.69 RCW may submit an authorizing proposition to voters at a special
or general election, and if the proposition is approved by a majority of persons voting,
impose a sales and use tax in accordance with the terms of this chapter. The title of the
ballot measure must clearly state the purposes for which the proposed sales tax will be
used.
[The tax authorized in this section is in addition to any other taxes authorized by law and
must be collected from those persons who are taxable by the state under chapters 82.08
and 82.12 RCW upon the occurrence of any taxable event within the taxing area. The rate
of tax equals one-tenth (0.1%) of one percent of the selling price in the case of a sales
tax, or the value of the article used, in the case of a use tax. The tax may be imposed only
within an existing city, county, metropolitan park district, or park and recreation district
boundary.
The moneys collected under this section must be used for the purpose of acquiring,
constructing, improving, providing, and funding park maintenance and improvement within
the taxing area.
City of Kent Sales Tax = 10.1%
6.50% State of Washington
0.10% Criminal Justice Sales Tax
0.10% King County Mental Health
0.90% King County Metro Transit
1.40% Sound Transit
0.84% City of Kent
0.10% King County housing and
related services
0.01% State of Washington – admin fee
0.15% King County
Parks Benefits District Challenges:
The tax imposed under this proposed
section may not be imposed for a period
of exceeding 10 years; this may be
extended if the tax imposed under this
section was imposed after July 1, 2021
and the funds are used for repayment
of indebtedness incurred in accordance
with the requirements of this section or
there is an affirmative vote of the voters
to extend the tax imposed under this
section.
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PEBBLE: Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
Tax increment financing (TIF) is a financing tool that local governments in Washington State -
defined as cities, towns, counties, port districts, or any combination thereof - can use to fund
public infrastructure in targeted areas to encourage private development and investment
(RCW 39.114).
A local government wishing to utilize TIF, will designate an “increment area” surrounding
the site of the public improvements. The property tax portion of increases in assessed
value of the properties within the increment area is allocated towards paying for the public
improvement costs.
TIF revenues are not subject to the 101%
levy lid limit and may increase more
than 1% in any given year and TIF may
stimulate redevelopment of blighted
areas years before such activity might
occur naturally if ever.
TIF Challenges:
TIF may set different urban areas and different level of government in competition with
one another over funding. Cities can obtain revenues that would otherwise flow to
overlying government levels or school districts in addition is can be difficult to assess
precisely how much incremental gain in tax revenues relates to the TIF project.
“Local government revenues must adequately fund the public services
that a community desires without creating excessive inefficiencies or
unfairness in the revenue raising system. However, local government
revenue structures are largely based on assumptions that no longer hold
today due to digitization, globalization, demography, political changes,
and other trends. Furthermore, fairness is becoming an increasingly
important concern for public finance. Local governments should raise
revenues fairly and in a way that is consistent with community values”
Government Finance Officer Association
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Lake Meridian
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This plan will need support and commitment
from many entities including the community,
city staff, and public and private groups.
The projects and strategic actions of this
plan will require ongoing coordination and
collaboration to achieve success.
Partnerships with Alternate Providers
School District Partnerships
The schools within the Kent School District
(KSD) offer a wide variety of interior and
exterior athletic facilities and other amenities.
An existing interlocal agreement between
the school district and Kent Parks has been
in place for decades to share the use and
maintenance of school and park facilities to
mutual benefit. When considering access to
amenities in the park system, certain areas
in the city are lacking (see conversation on
Access and Equity Heat Mapping in chapter
3). Partnerships with KSD schools could help
fill those amenity gaps, especially on the East
Hill, and achieve strategic O&M efficiencies.
Amenities might include but are not limited
to playgrounds, gyms, and athletic facilities.
Partnerships with other school districts or
colleges including the Federal Way School
District, a portion of which is within Kent city
limits, could also fill the need for indoor and
outdoor recreational facilities.
Public Agency Partnerships
King County Parks are an important provider of amenity in the region. Maintenance and use
agreements are mutually beneficial to both entities and need to be revisited and updated in
the near term, specifically related to the Green River and Interurban Trails. Additionally, there
are opportunities to partner with King County Parks near the city’s fringe as the residents
served in this area reside both within Kent city limits and in unincorporated King County.
Additionally, Kent Parks should work toward improved collaboration and partnership with
neighboring cities (Renton, Auburn, Tukwila, Des Moines, Federal Way, and Covington) to
better plan regional trail connections and look more closely at service area gaps. Providing
high quality parks and recreation need not be limited to lines on a map, and residents will
benefit from improved coordination between municipal government.
Interdepartmental Partnerships
Many city departments are focused on improving the quality of life within the city, and
many departmental plans are working simultaneously toward that goal. Working in tandem,
the various city entities can provide a strength that no department can do alone, ensuring
an equitable city that provides for all its citizens. Key city partnerships for Kent Parks are
Economic and Community Development and Public Works, but all city departments are
critical to delivering high-quality services to our residents.
Other Providers
There are a variety of private entities in the area that provide outdoor park-like space that
are not identified as potential for partnerships, but do provide important amenity. These are
organizations like farmers markets, farms, outdoor adventure providers, and homeowner
associations that provide recreational opportunities for their own residents.
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The following P&OS goals and policies
provide guidance for decision making, laying
out priorities related to the continuing
development and stewardship of the city’s
park and open space system. The goals and
policies outlined in this report are those
presented in the 2016 Plan and will be
revisited and updated in the upcoming years.
Encourage and provide local public
opportunities for physical activity, connecting
to nature, community engagement, and
life-enrichment through the strategic
development and thoughtful stewardship
of parkland and recreational facilities,
professional programming, preservation of
natural areas, and the optimal utilization of
available community resources.
Maintain and steward a high-quality park and
recreation system designed to appeal to a
diverse range of abilities, ages, and interests.
GOAL P&OS-1:
Promote the provision of quality recreational
opportunities throughout the city.
[POLICY P&OS-1.1: Work with other
departments to encourage new single-
family and multifamily residential and
commercial developments to provide
recreation elements.
[POLICY P&OS-1.2: When acquiring,
planning, developing, or redeveloping
park properties, recognize that the
different areas of the city have different
recreational needs (e.g., the parks needs
for the downtown area are different from
those on, say, East Hill) and establish a
protocol for incorporating consideration
of those different needs into the various
decision-making processes.
[POLICY P&OS-1.3: Where appropriate,
initiate with other private and public
interests joint development ventures that
meet recreational needs and achieve City
of Kent strategic goals.
Goals and Policies
Overall Goal
I. Park and Recreation Facilities Goals
and Policies
GOAL P&OS-2:
Develop, maintain, and operate a high-quality
system of indoor facilities designed to appeal
to a diverse range of abilities, ages, and
interests.
[POLICY P&OS-2.1: Manage existing
multiple-use indoor community centers
that provide indoor recreational and
gathering opportunities for a wide range
of ages, abilities, and interests on a year-
round basis.
[POLICY P&OS-2.2: Continue to seek
strategic partnerships with other public
and private agencies to provide indoor
recreational opportunities, particularly in
underserved areas of the city.
GOAL P&OS-3:
Where appropriate, possibly in conjunction
with other public and/or private
organizations, develop and operate
specialized park and recreational enterprises
that meet the interest of populations who are
able and willing to finance, maintain, and/or
operate them.
[POLICY P&OS-3.1: Where appropriate and
economically feasible (i.e., self-supporting),
develop and operate specialized and
special interest recreational facilities like
golf, ice skating, disc golf, mountain biking,
and off-leash parks.
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GOAL P&OS-4:
Further develop the performance-based
approach to stewarding park and recreation
facilities as outlined in the 2016 Parks and
Open Space Plan.
[POLICY P&OS-4.1: Prior to acquiring
and/or developing a potential park or
recreational facility, carefully evaluate its
potential contribution to the system, and
only proceed if the potential investment
is considered to be complementary to the
system and can contribute to the system’s
overall performance.
[POLICY P&OS-4.2: Prior to renovating
a park asset or redeveloping a park,
carefully evaluate its current and
potential contribution to the system, and
only proceed if the potential investment
is considered to be complementary to the
system and can contribute to the system’s
overall performance.
[POLICY P&OS-4.3: Periodically evaluate
the entire system in terms of each park
and facility’s performance. Consider
recommending the repurposing of
any asset or property whose current
and potential Recreational Value is not
expected to contribute to the system’s
overall performance.
GOAL P&OS-5:
Despite having multiple water bodies in its
jurisdiction, the city has limited public water
access. Work with other public and private
entities to preserve and increase waterfront
access and facilities.
[POLICY P&OS-5.1: Work with other
public and private agencies to acquire,
develop, and preserve additional
shoreline access for waterfront fishing,
wading, swimming, scenic viewing, and
other related recreational activities and
pursuits, especially on the Green River,
Lake Fenwick, Clark Lake, Lake Meridian,
and Panther Lake.
[POLICY P&OS-5.2: For any public or private
waterfront projects, work with the property
owner or project representative to find
ways to include public access, including
access to scenic views of the water.
The City of Kent contains significant public
open spaces and greenways. Through
careful and thoughtful stewardship of these
properties, the city can improve urban habitat
and pedestrian connectivity and increase the
public’s appreciation and understanding of
the importance of these spaces in the urban
setting.
II. Open Space Goals and Policies
GOAL P&OS-6:
Thoughtfully and strategically acquire and
manage public open space to improve wildlife
habitat and other environmental benefits, as
well as non-motorized connectivity and other
complementary recreational benefits.
[POLICY P&OS-6.1: Seek to improve
greenway corridors within the Kent area.
[POLICY P&OS-6.2: Increase linkages
of trails and other existing or planned
connections with greenways and open
space, particularly along the Green River,
Mill Creek, Garrison Creek, and Soos
Creek corridors; around Lake Fenwick,
Clark Lake, Lake Meridian, Panther Lake,
and Lake Youngs; and around significant
wetland and floodways such as the Green
River Natural Resource Area (GRNRA).
GOAL P&OS-7:
Continue to develop an urban forestry
management program that balances
environmental benefits with recreation and
public safety priorities.
[POLICY P&OS–7.1: Connect people to
nature and improve the quality of life
in Kent by restoring and enhancing the
urban ecosystem.
[POLICY P&OS-7.2: Galvanize the
community around urban ecosystem
restoration and stewardship through a
volunteer restoration program.
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Develop a high-quality system of
multipurpose park trails and corridors that
create important linkages and/or provide
access to desirable destinations, including
significant environmental features, public
facilities, developed neighborhoods,
employment centers, and commercial areas.
GOAL P&OS-8:
Continue to work with other departments
and agencies to develop and improve a
comprehensive system of multipurpose off-
road and on-road trails that link park and
recreational resources with residential areas,
public facilities, commercial, and employment
centers both within Kent and within the region.
[POLICY P&OS-8.1: Seek opportunities to
develop trail “missing links” along existing
routes, including the Puget Power rights-
of-way, Soos Creek Trail, Mill Creek Trail,
Lake Fenwick Trail, Green River Trail,
Frager Road, and the Interurban Trail.
[POLICY P&OS-8.2: Work with other city
departments to create a comprehensive
system of on-road trails to improve
connectivity for the bicycle commuter,
recreational, and touring enthusiasts
using scenic, collector, and local road
rights-of-way and alignments. Special
emphasis should be placed on increasing
east-west connectivity.
Through sensitive design, preservation and
interpretation, the park system can help
educate the public regarding Kent’s rich
cultural and historical legacy.
GOAL P&OS-10:
Preserve, enhance, and incorporate historic
and cultural resources and multicultural
interests into the park and recreational
system.
[POLICY P&OS-10.1: Identify and
incorporate significant historic and
cultural resource lands, sites, artifacts,
and facilities into the park system, when
feasible.
[POLICY P&OS-10.2: Work with the
Kent Historical Society and other
cultural resource groups to incorporate
community activities at and
interpretation of historic homes and sites
into the park and recreation system.
Develop high-quality, diversified cultural
arts facilities and programs that increase
community awareness, attendance, and other
opportunities for participation.
III. Trail and Corridor System Goals and
Policies
IV. Historic and Cultural Resources
Goals and Policies
V. Cultural Arts Programs and Resources
Goals and Policies
[POLICY P&OS-8.3: Work with neighboring
cities, King County, and other appropriate
jurisdictions to connect Kent trails to
other community and regional trail
facilities like the Green River, Interurban,
Frager Road, and Soos Creek Trails
[POLICY P&OS-8.4: Extend trails through
natural area corridors like the Green River,
Mill Creek, Garrison Creek, and Soos
Creek, and around natural features like
Lake Fenwick, Clark Lake, Lake Meridian
and Panther Lake in order to provide a
high-quality, diverse public access to
Kent’s environmental resources.
GOAL P&OS-9:
Furnish trail corridors, trailheads, and other
supporting sites with amenities to improve
comfort, safety, and overall user experience.
[POLICY P&OS-9.1: Improve accessibility to
trails by siting trailheads and appropriate
improvements in high-visibility locations.
[POLICY P&OS-9.3: Design and develop
trail improvements that are easy
to maintain and easy to access by
maintenance, security, and other
appropriate personnel, equipment, and
vehicles.
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Design and develop facilities that are welcoming
to Kent’s diverse community, are attractive, safe
and easy to maintain, with life-cycle features
that account for long-term costs and benefits.
GOAL P&OS-13:
Design park and recreational indoor and
outdoor facilities to be accessible to a wide
range of physical capabilities, skill levels, age
groups, income levels, and activity interests.
[POLICY P&OS-13.1: Look for opportunities
to incorporate the principles of inclusive
design in any new construction.
[POLICY P&OS-13.2: When designing new
recreational facilities, reach out to the
public to learn their priorities, needs, and
desires for the improvements; and use
public input to inform the design.
GOAL P&OS-14:
Design and develop park and recreational
facilities to be of low-maintenance materials.
[POLICY P&OS-14.1: Design and develop
facilities that are of low-maintenance and
high-quality materials to reduce overall
facility maintenance and operation
requirements and costs.
[POLICY P&OS-14.2: Incorporate
maintenance considerations early in
the process in all designs for parks and
recreational facilities.
VI. Facility Design Goals and PoliciesGOAL P&OS-11:
Work with the arts community to utilize local
resources and talents to increase public access
to artwork and programs.
[POLICY P&OS-11.1: Support successful
collaborations among the Arts Commission,
business community, service groups,
cultural organizations, schools, arts patrons,
and artists to utilize artistic resources and
talents to the optimum degree possible.
[POLICY P&OS-11.2: Develop strategies that
will support and assist local artists and art
organizations. Where appropriate, develop
and support policies and programs that
encourage or provide incentives to attract
and retain artists and artwork within the
Kent community.
GOAL P&OS-12:
Acquire and display public artwork to furnish
public facilities and other areas and thereby
increase public access and appreciation.
[POLICY P&OS-12.1: Acquire public artwork
including paintings, sculptures, exhibits,
and other media for indoor and outdoor
display in order to expand access by
residents and to furnish public places in an
appropriate manner.
[POLICY P&OS-12.2: Develop strategies
that will support capital and operations
funding for public artwork within parks and
facilities.
GOAL P&OS-15:
Design for a safe and welcoming park
environment.
[POLICY P&OS-15.1: Using the Crime
Prevention through Environmental
Design (CPTED) and other design and
development standards and practices,
seek opportunities to improve park
safety and security features for users,
department personnel, and the public at
large.
Adhere to cost-effective, sustainable, and
efficient methods of acquiring, developing,
renovating, operating, and maintaining
facilities and programs that provide high-
quality and relevant recreational benefits
to the public. Provide options for long-
term financial sustainability to help ensure
an enduring, vibrant, and viable park and
recreation system.
GOAL P&OS-16: Investigate proven and
practical methods of financing park and
recreational requirements, including joint
ventures with other public agencies and
private organizations, and private donations.
VI. Facility Design Goals and Policies
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[POLICY P&OS-16.1: Investigate various
public financing options that may
contribute to a long-term, sustainable
approach to finance a vibrant, relevant,
safe, and attractive park and recreation
system.
[POLICY P&OS-16.2: Where feasible and
desirable, consider joint ventures with
King County, Kent, Highline, and Federal
Way School Districts, regional, state,
federal, and other public agencies, and
private organizations to acquire, develop
and manage recreational facilities (i.e.,
swimming pool, off-leash park, etc.).
[POLICY P&OS-16.3: Maintain and work
with foundations and non-profits to
investigate grants and solicit donations
to provide secondary support for facility
development, acquisition, maintenance,
programs, services, and operating needs.
Earthworks Park
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Old Fishing Hole
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Old Fishing Hole
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Conclusion 06
KENTP&OSPLAN2022
chapter
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Considering all the data and analysis in these pages, the 2022 Parks
and Open Space Plan (2022 Plan) comes down to one fundamental
objective: equitable access to high-quality parks and recreation for
all. This plan covers a lot of ground as it describes who we are as a
community and attempts to answer where we are, where we are
going, and how we will get there. While Kent’s park system has
improved significantly over the last six years, what we choose to
do from here will have a lasting impact on how our parks meet the
growing and changing demand into the future.
In our community engagement efforts, the survey showed that
residents are generally satisfied with the maintenance and the variety
and quality of offerings in our park system. While satisfaction with
parks is high, responses also emphasized a need for improved safety
and maintenance, which indicates that the standards for maintenance
we have set should be supported into the future. Top priority
amenities across all regions and demographics showed a focus on
restrooms, access to nature, trails, and community gathering space.
The park system’s properties and assets are set up well to achieve
these objects with the right strategic investments.
Whereas previous plans looked at data snapshots to make decisions,
the 2022 Plan seeks to integrate Level of Service (LOS) data as a layer
of our geospatial data and analysis. Mapping LOS with park access,
transit, population density, and racial and social equity created
a platform for dynamic and ongoing analysis of our system that
responds to the evolving needs of Kent residents. Proper staffing
is needed to realize continued benefit from this mapping effort to
ensure the department can use the data for real time decision making
between park plan updates. GIS will be a core business function
within our department into the future.
Conclusion and Next Steps
Park Need
Current Recreational Value
Park Need
Potential Recreational Value
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The Athletic Field Capacity study outlines the limitations of our
current inventory of athletic facilities, system improvements that
can add capacity in key areas, and the need for partnership with the
Kent School District to meet the growing demand. This multifaceted
approach will ensure that athletic programming continues the trend
of excellence and that operational efficiency for both entities is
maximized.
Each of these efforts is rolled into a detailed prioritization of projects
based on four goals and nine project outcomes:
These projects are geographically comprehensive and delicately
balance the need for capital reinvestment, acquisition, and new
development. Funding and completing these capital projects is only
half of the narrative, as we must also adequately fund operations
and maintenance (O&M) to prevent system failure. The maintenance
backlog needs to be cleared and proportional O&M funding must be
allocated as needed reinvestment adds Recreational Value, LOS gaps are
filled, and user demand grows as Kent’s population continues to grow.
The recommendations described above and the strategic project list
become integrated into other city planning efforts including but not
limited to the City Comprehensive Plan and the bi-annual budget
process. This will not be a plan that sits on a shelf; rather, staff will use
this plan routinely to implement work and will be a reference for other
departments to better understand park-related work.
TRANSPARENCY &
COMMUNICATION
OUTCOMESGOALSPHYSICAL ACCESS
FOR ALL
DIVERSITY OF HIGH-
QUALITY AMENITY
SYSTEM
RESILIENCY
Trails
Athletics Operations &
MaintenanceAccess
Equity PartnershipsStrategic
Amenities
Programming Natural
Resources
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The real work begins after adoption of this plan. In addition to the list
of strategic projects, some logical next steps have surfaced from our
engagement and analysis:
[Asset Management Software
With a comprehensive inventory of GIS data related to park assets,
Kent Parks will proceed with acquisition and implementation of
an asset management software to create better data around O&M
needs and articulate those funding needs more clearly in future
budget cycles.
[Additional Funding for Operating and Capital Budgets
To keep pace with the needs for capital reinvestment/
development and ongoing maintenance, Kent Parks needs a
boost to both capital and operating budgets. Sustainable funding
will require a combination of funding strategies.
[Nature Score Methodology
The public survey showed access to nature as one of the most
highly sought-after park amenities in our system. Equipped with
GIS layers, next steps involve a more sophisticated inventory of
our natural assets and an analysis of equitable distribution.
[Goals and Policies Update
We acknowledge that the goals and policies published in this plan
need updating. To avoid redundant work, Kent Parks is planning
a holistic update to all goals, policies, and procedures across all
divisions of the department in the next 2-3 years, using this and
other departmental planning efforts to inform the process.
[Hire Full-Time GIS Position
The GIS data gathered through this plan has proven its worth.
Without dedicated resources to manage and update this data,
we risk the loss of this important work and will be forced to defer
some of the initiatives started here. A full-time GIS position is a
critical need.
[Kent School District Partnership
Kent Parks will pursue an updated partnership agreement with
Kent School District. This agreement may initially focus on athletic
field use and O&M efficiency, but hopefully extend to ideas like
school parks, public-use hours, and more.
[Parks Strategic Framework
As referenced in the planning section, Kent Parks will conduct
a planning effort to roll-up each of our divisional planning
documents into an overall strategic framework for parks to
achieve the plans we set.
[CAPRA Accreditation
For the first time in its history, Kent Parks will seek accreditation
through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation
Agencies under the National Recreation and Park Association. The
goal is to achieve this by 2025.
This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of next steps but lays out
the major milestones we hope to achieve before the next P&OS Plan
update in 2028.
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In closing, Kent Parks offers our sincere thanks to all residents
who offered their time and perspective on how to improve the
park system. This plan is for you; without your input, it would lose
significance. This plan sets us up with the tools to achieve the vision
for parks that all Kent residents deserve. Over the next six years, Kent
Parks will work with the community to put these tools to use to help
make Kent a healthier, happier, and safer place to live, work, and play.
Russell Road, credit: Tom Gray
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INFORMATION COLLECTION
Demographics
Recreation Trends
Benchmarking
Engagement
Citywide Planning
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STUDYING THE SYSTEM: Survey
Amenity Top Priority Investments:
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We Are HereSTUDYING THE SYSTEM: Metrics
Level of Service
GIS inventory & CRV/PRV
City Regions
Heat Mapping
Athletic Capacity Study
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We Are HereSTUDYING THE SYSTEM: BENCHMARKING
Kent’s population is around 137,000 which matches the
NRPA’s 2021 National Agency Performance Review upper
quartile population of cities (populations of 100,000–250,000).
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STUDYING THE SYSTEM: GEOSPATIAL MAPPING
Population
Racial and
Social Equity
Transit
Service
Walksheds
Layers of Information
to inform Strategic Projects
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STUDYING THE SYSTEM: City Regions and Geospatial Mapping 4.C.c
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GOALS AND OUTCOMES 4.C.c
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STRATEGIC PROJECTS 4.C.c
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STRATEGIC PROJECTS 4.C.c
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STRATEGIC PROJECTS 4.C.c
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STRATEGIC PROJECTS 4.C.c
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STRATEGIC PROJECTS 4.C.c
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Current: Current capital funding is $6M per year.
Total need:
To maintain the existing system & implement new capital projects
an additional $4M per year of capital funding is needed.
Capital Funding Need Per Year
Current: Current O&M funding is $7M per year.
To implement new capital projects:
Need:To implement all proposed projects utilizing existing
properties an increase in O&M budget of $3M per year
is needed. Spread over 20 years the need is
an increase of $300k (approximately 1 FTE)
every other year.
O&M Funding Need Per Year
for proposed Strategic Projects, not including proposed system expansion
FUNDING 4.C.c
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PROJECT PROCESS
•Parks Commission 1.26.22
•Council Workshop 2.15.22
•Land Use Planning Board Presentation 4.25.22
•Council Workshop Presentation 5.17.22
•Land Use Planning Boards Hearing 5.23.22
•Parks Committee Presentation 6.2.22
•Economic & Community Development Committee 6.13.22
•Council Meeting for Adoption 6.21.22
•Adoption to RCO 6.24.22
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NEXT STEPS
STORY MAP
ASSET MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR OPERATING
AND CAPITAL BUDGETS
NATURE SCORE METHODOLOGY
GOALS AND POLICIES UPDATE
HIRE FULL-TIME GIS POSITION
KENT SCHOOL DISTRICT PARTNERSHIP
PARKS STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK
CAPRA ACCREDITATION
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ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Kurt Hanson, AICP, EDFP
220 Fourth Avenue South
Kent, WA 98032
253-856-5454
DATE: June 13, 2022
TO: Economic and Community Development Committee
FROM: Economic & Community Development
SUBJECT: Dulay Property Comprehensive Plan Map Amendment
Request
MOTION: Recommend City Council deny the docketed comprehensive plan
amendment CPA-2021-7 as proposed by the applicant.
SUMMARY: The City received one docket application by the annual Sept. 1, the
deadline for amendments to the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map. The proposal is
identified as CPA-2021-7. The applicant requests redesignation from SF-6 to MU.
Proposal
Name
Addresses Parcel
Numbers
Existing
Designation
Requested
Designation
Dulay 26026 116th Ave SE
26034 116th Ave SE
6756700030
6756700040
SF-6 (Single
Family 6
Units/Acre)
MU (Mixed Use)
.
The staff report included in the ECDC packet contains background information, an
analysis of consistency with comprehensive plan policies, exhibits depicting the
proposed sites and vicinity, and staff’s analysis of the proposal. The analysis is
based upon the standards of review listed in the Kent City Code.
A hearing was held at LUPB on May 23, 2022, after which the LUPB voted to
recommend approval of CPA-2021-7 as proposed by the applicant. At the meeting,
public comment was provided regarding safety and traffic concerns. It was
discovered at the beginning of the meeting that there was an error with the zoom
link in the public notice that was mailed to the properties within 500’ of the subject
property. Staff sent an additional public notice of an extended comment period for
the project and asked for comments to be submitted prior to June 10, 2022. Those
public comments will be addressed at the ECDC meeting.
BUDGET IMPACT: None
SUPPORTS STRATEGIC PLAN GOAL:
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Thriving City - Creating safe neighborhoods, healthy people, vibrant commercial districts, and
inviting parks and recreation.
Sustainable Services - Providing quality services through responsible financial management,
economic growth, and partnerships.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. 2021 Comp Plan Amendments Report_ECDC Final Draft (PDF)
05/23/22 Land Use and Planning Board RECOMMENDED TO
COUNCIL
4.D
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Exhibit A
ECONOMIC and COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Kurt Hanson, Director
PLANNING SERVICES
Phone: 253-856-5454
Fax: 253-856-6454
Address: 220 Fourth Avenue S
Kent, WA 98032-5895
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN LAND USE MAP DESIGNATION AMENDMENT
2021 DOCKET #CPA-2021-7/ RPP6-2213169
Introduction:
The City received one application submitted by a private property owner for
amendments to the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map during the 2021 docket
process. This staff report includes background information, an analysis of public
benefits, and maps. The analysis is based upon the standards of review listed in the
Kent City Code.
Proposal
Name
Addresses Parcel
Numbers
Existing
Designation
Requested
Designation
Dulay 26026 116th Ave SE
26034 116th Ave SE
6756700030
6756700040
SF-6 (Single
Family 6
Units/Acre)
MU (Mixed Use)
Proposal:
Applicant requests redesignation from Single Family 6 Units/Acre, SF-6 to Mixed-Use,
MU. See attachment for applicants’ submittal material.
Staff Recommendation:
Staff recommends City Council deny the docketed comprehensive plan amendment
CPA-2021-7 as proposed by the applicant.
Background:
The site consists of 2 tax parcels, which combined comprise 1.27 acres. The site is in
East Hill, North of the new Sonic and Starbucks development at 116th Ave SE and SE
Kent Kangley. The current land use designation is Single Family 6 Units/Acre, SF-6.
Parcels east of the site are designated Medium Density Multifamily, MDMF, and Mixed
Use, MU. The adjacent properties to the south are designated Mixed Use, MU. The
parcels to the North and East are also designated Single Family 6 Units/Acre, SF-6.
Existing improvements on the site include single-story residences on each parcel. The
soil on the east of the site is Alderwood gravelly sandy loam, and the west half is
comprised of Arents and Alderwood Material, according to the USDA web soil survey.
King County Metro routes 159 and 164 serve the site along nearby Kent Kangley
Road, and Dial-A-Ride (DART) routes 914 and 916.
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Packet Pg. 161 Attachment: 2021 Comp Plan Amendments Report_ECDC Final Draft (3165 : Dulay Property Comprehensive Plan Map Amendment Request)
Exhibit A
The intent of the redesignation is unknown, but if re-designated, the applicant could
pursue a rezone and develop the property as a mixed-use development. Uses allowed
in this zone include Mixed-use commercial and residential and commercial only.
Commercial uses permitted in the MU designation are gas stations, drive-through
restaurants, and miscellaneous retail and services.
Existing access to the site is provided by 116th Ave SE, which is classified as a Minor
Arterial. Kent Kangley Road/SE 256th Street is classified as a Principal Arterial known
as State Route 516. These roads can handle the added capacity of the proposed
higher intensity land use and subsequent future site redevelopment. The 2009 Kent
Construction Standards may limit future access to the site. The southernmost
driveway is estimated at 260 feet from the intersection of 116th and SE Kent Kangley.
Driveways within 300 ft of a signalized intersection may be denied or required to
mitigate for impacts.
Staff reviewed the proposal for compliance with the comprehensive plan as option
one and analyzed alternative options for the site, including a redesignation to Medium
Density Multifamily (MDMF) as option two.
Figure 1- Subject Property
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Packet Pg. 162 Attachment: 2021 Comp Plan Amendments Report_ECDC Final Draft (3165 : Dulay Property Comprehensive Plan Map Amendment Request)
Exhibit A
Relevant Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies:
Policy LU-3.1: Encourage mixed-use development that combines retail, office, or
residential uses to provide a diverse and economically vibrant Urban Center and
designated Activity Centers.
Option One: For the site to be designated as mixed-use would fulfill the intent of
encouraging mixed-use development, although it does not guarantee it.
Option Two: For the site to be designated as MDMF would not fulfill the intent of
encouraging mixed-use development.
Policy LU-6.3: Locate housing opportunities with various densities within proximity
to employment, shopping, transit, and human and community services.
Option One: The site is close to transit, restaurants, businesses, religious institutions,
some shopping, and medical services. Additional density in this location would fulfill
the intent of this policy. However, if the site were to develop as a stand-alone
commercial development, which is allowed in certain zones, the purpose of this policy
would not be met.
Option Two: The site is close to transit, restaurants, businesses, religious institutions,
some shopping, and medical services. Additional multifamily housing in this location
would fulfill the intent of this policy.
Goal LU-7: Kent will provide opportunities for various housing types, options, and
densities throughout the City to meet the community’s changing demographics.
Option One: Most of Kent’s residential areas are single-family, so for this site to
become designated and eventually rezoned and redeveloped as mixed-use with
multifamily would provide more housing types, options, and density than currently
exists. However, if the site were to develop as a stand-alone commercial
development, the intent of this policy would not be met.
Option Two: These parcels are currently zoned single-family, similar to most of Kent’s
residential areas. So, for this site to become designated and eventually rezoned and
redeveloped as multifamily would provide more housing types, options, and density
than currently exists, meeting the intent of this goal.
Goal H-2: Encourage a variety of housing types.
Option One: Most of Kent’s residential areas are single-family, so for this site to
become designated and eventually rezoned and redeveloped as mixed-use with
multifamily would provide more housing types, options, and density than currently
exists. However, if the site were to develop as a stand-alone commercial
development, the intent of this goal would not be met.
Option Two: These parcels are currently zoned single-family, similar to most of Kent’s
residential areas. So, for this site to become designated and eventually rezoned and
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Packet Pg. 163 Attachment: 2021 Comp Plan Amendments Report_ECDC Final Draft (3165 : Dulay Property Comprehensive Plan Map Amendment Request)
Exhibit A
redeveloped as multifamily would provide more housing types, options, and density
than currently exists, meeting the intent of this goal.
Policy H-2.2: Encourage infill development and recycling of land to provide adequate
residential sites.
Option One: Designating the site as mixed-use with eventual development, including
multifamily residential, would encourage infill development. However, if the site were
to develop as commercial, the intent of this policy would not be met.
Option Two: Designating the site as multifamily with eventual development would
encourage infill residential development, meeting the intent of this policy.
Policy T-1.1: Locate commercial, industrial, multifamily, and other uses that
generate high traffic levels in designated activity centers around intersections of
principal or minor arterials or around freeway interchanges.
Option One: The site is just off a principal/minor arterial. Multifamily residential and
commercial development as part of a mixed-use project on the site would be
compatible with the intent of this policy.
Option Two: The site is just off a principal/minor arterial. A multifamily residential
development on the site would be compatible with the intent of this policy.
Goal E-3: Create connections between people and places.
Option One: Given the site’s visibility from a major roadway, a mixed-use
development on the site would create more connections than the existing single-story
residences. The links could include people walking from nearby areas to visit the
commercial or office component.
Option Two: Given the site’s visibility from a major roadway, a multifamily
development on the site would create more connections than the existing single-story
residences. However, the primary connections would be people coming or leaving
their homes to visit nearby commercial establishments. Unlike a mixed-use
development, multi-family would not create a destination.
Applying the Standards of Review:
1. The amendment will not result in development that will adversely affect public
health, safety, and general welfare.
Option One and Two: The amendment would change the underlying land use
designation and what is allowed on the property. A subsequent rezone and project
proposals would need to be completed to develop the property as anything other than
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Packet Pg. 164 Attachment: 2021 Comp Plan Amendments Report_ECDC Final Draft (3165 : Dulay Property Comprehensive Plan Map Amendment Request)
Exhibit A
permitted in the current single-family zone. Kent City code review for subsequent
development projects that may occur because of mixed-use redesigning of the site
will be reviewed against development standards that protect public health, safety,
and general welfare. This land use designation will not adversely affect public health,
safety, or general welfare.
2. The amendment is based upon new information that was not available at the time
of adoption of the comprehensive plan or that circumstances have changed since the
plan’s adoption that warrants an amendment to the plan.
Option One and Two: In June of 2021, the City of Kent adopted the Kent Housing
Options Plan (KHOP). Data gathering for KHOP and subsequent growth targets shows
that Kent needs more housing units, housing variety, and options due to population
and job growth. Additionally, market preferences change, increasing demand for
multifamily and option one, mixed-use living.
3. The amendment will result in long-term benefits to the community as a whole and
is in the best interest of the community.
Option one: The community will benefit from having increased commercial or office
singly or as part of a mixed-use development in this location. This area is a desirable
destination for residents to visit existing commercial/offices. It is in the best interest
of the community for parcels with the highest visibility to have a mixture of uses,
including commercial or office, and mixing services within the site is in the best
interest of the community due to the lower demands placed on city infrastructure
when residences are placed in proximity to other uses.
Option Two: KHOP demonstrated an increased need for more diverse housing types
within the City, including a need for more varied multifamily options. The community
will benefit from having additional housing units on this site.
4. The amendment is consistent with other goals and policies of the comprehensive
plan. The amendment will maintain concurrency between the project's land use,
transportation, and capital facilities elements.
Option One and Two: Options One and two meet several goals and policies in the
comprehensive plan and maintain concurrency.
Staff Recommendation - Option 3, Denial:
Option 1: Approve applicant request as proposed
The proposal meets all the criteria if the subsequent project contains multifamily.
Adjacent parcels to the south are currently designated the same land-use type
(MU).
At this time, there are many updates to the land use map and zoning code map
anticipated in the coming years. With the periodic Comprehensive Plan update
scheduled for 2024, staff will look at citywide land-use designations. Other code
amendments on the horizon may analyze mixed-use or multifamily development
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Packet Pg. 165 Attachment: 2021 Comp Plan Amendments Report_ECDC Final Draft (3165 : Dulay Property Comprehensive Plan Map Amendment Request)
Exhibit A
regulations; it may not be sensible to recommend approval of the applicant’s
proposal before those regulations are updated, and the renewed vision for those
zones is clearer.
Option 2: Approve an alternate land use designation of MDMF
While it is possible that a multifamily project would meet the criteria as well, there
is no specific proposal required for approval at this stage. The applicant has
expressed interest in housing units as part of the development, which is possible
within the requested MU designation.
At this time, there are many updates to the land use map and zoning code map
anticipated in the coming years. With the periodic Comprehensive Plan update
scheduled for 2024, staff will look at citywide land-use designations. Other code
amendments on the horizon may analyze mixed-use or multifamily development
regulations; it may not be sensible to recommend an alternative to the applicant’s
proposal before those regulations are updated, and the renewed vision for those
zones is clearer.
Option 3: Deny the request (Staff Recommendation)
The two subject parcels are located directly off a busy street near an intersection
with a major thoroughfare and are bordered to the south by commercial properties.
At this time, there is not a project to review that would demonstrate a lack of
compliance with city development standards. Future projects will need to comply
with applicable development standards for the property lines adjoining the existing
single-family neighborhood, including buffering, setbacks, noise and glare
regulations, and applicable environmental reviews. The current designation of
Single-Family is unlikely to spur reinvestment, but with the periodic Comprehensive
Plan update scheduled for 2024, staff will look citywide at land-use designations
that may affect these subject parcels. Other code amendments on the horizon may
analyze mixed-use or multifamily development regulations. Given this and the
feedback received from the public (characterized below); staff have updated their
recommendation to denial.
Land Use and Planning Board Public Hearing and Public Comments
Staff presented the three options to Land Use and Planning Board at a public
hearing on May 23, 2022. Staff recommended option 1, citing the review in the
staff report. The site can meet all of the criteria if the subsequent projects contain
multi-family with future mixed-use development. Given this analysis, the
recommendation for approval was by a narrow margin. At the initial analysis, more
of the criteria pointed to support than denial. Staff addressed at the public hearing
that there is no way to ensure that the resulting project will include housing, and it
could be a stand-alone commercial.
At the hearing, public comment was given by four residents who spoke about issues
they are facing with the current developments of Sonic, Starbucks, and the car
wash. One public member mentioned speaking to over 20 other residents in the
neighborhood. At the time of this writing, two additional emailed public comments
have been received. The same general themes were repeatedly addressed in the
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Packet Pg. 166 Attachment: 2021 Comp Plan Amendments Report_ECDC Final Draft (3165 : Dulay Property Comprehensive Plan Map Amendment Request)
Exhibit A
public comments at the meeting and in written communication. Those concerns
were about:
• An increase in property crime in the area due to commercial businesses
backing private property and a fear of increased crime with a new
commercial development.
• Increased noise from the business operations and trash collections.
• The potential for increased traffic at an already congested and unsafe
intersection.
• Removal of more trees for a new development and inadequate tree
protection.
Next Steps
Staff will present the original options, public comments, additional findings, and
updated recommendation to the Economic and Community Development Committee
on June 13, 2022, for consideration.
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Packet Pg. 167 Attachment: 2021 Comp Plan Amendments Report_ECDC Final Draft (3165 : Dulay Property Comprehensive Plan Map Amendment Request)