CHAPTER 8: PARKS, RECREATION, WILDLIFE HABITAT AND OPENSPACE ELEMENT Table of Contents I. INTRODUCTION: Purpose of the Plan Relationship to Comprehensive Plan and Regulatory Role II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANNING AREA: Service Area Population Trends Table 1: Population Projections Table 2: North Bend Age Distribution - 2000 Wildlife Habitat III. EXISTING AREAS AND FACILITIES: Overview City of North Bend Areas and Facilities School District Facilities City of Seattle Cedar River Watershed Si View Metropolitan Park District Facilities King County Areas and Facilities Joint Agencies Areas and Facilities Washington State Areas and Facilities Federal Lands Other Regional Areas and Facilities IV. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT: Introduction 1999/2000 Survey 2002 Wildlife Habitat Survey 2008 Si View Metropolitan Parks District Survey 2009 Parks Commission Open House V. DEMAND AND NEEDS ASSESSMENT: Introduction Outdoor Recreation Trends Park and Recreation Needs Assessment Table 3 : Park Facility Inventory Table 4 : Park and Recreation Level of Service Standards Trail System Needs Assessment Wildlife Habitat Needs Assessment Chapter 8 – Parks, Recreation, Wildlife Habitat and Open Space Element Page 1 Adopted January 19, 2010, with updates adopted May 6, 2014, Ordinance 1526. Open Space Needs Assessment VI. GOALS AND POLICIES: Overview Goals and policies VII. IMPLEMENTATION METHODS: Methods VIII. CAPITAL FACILITIES PROGRAM: Overview Project Descriptions Table 5: 2010-2015 Park Capital Facilities Plan MAPS: Figure 8-1: 2002 Parks, Open Space and Public Facilities Map Figure 8-2: Trail Plan Map Figure 8-3: Protected Areas Map I. INTRODUCTION The Parks, Recreation, Wildlife Habitat and Open Space Plan ("the Plan") is a six-year plan that is an element of the City of North Bend's Comprehensive Plan. The Plan is intended to be the City's guide for acquiring, developing and maintaining parks, recreation facilities, trails, and wildlife habitat lands. In addition, this Plan will maintain the City's eligibility for state and federal funds that are administered by the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. The Plan incorporates the findings and recommendations from the numerous planning processes undertaken by the City since the adoption of the previous version of the plan in 2002. All of these planning processes involved extensive public involvement opportunities. Overview: North Bend is a small but fast-growing City that is located off Interstate 90 in the Snoqualmie Valley between Mount Si and Rattlesnake Mountain. The City is nearly surrounded by the South and Middle Forks of the Snoqualmie River and lies near large tracts of county, state, and federal forests and parklands. North Bend’s local park and recreation facilities serve residents within the City limits, urban growth area and the Upper Snoqualmie Valley. The City also serves as an important stopover point for regional and national tourists traveling on Interstate 90. The outdoor recreation opportunities around North Bend are outstanding. Hiking, fishing, horseback riding, mountain and road bicycling, rock climbing, skiing, river sports, observation of nature, and the presence of scenic areas abound, all within only a short distance of the City limits. Mount Si rises dramatically above the Valley floor, with its popular trailheads only a five-minute drive from downtown North Bend. Snoqualmie Pass, a major ski resort destination, is only thirty minutes away. This area provides access to year around recreational activities in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, including access to the nationally recognized Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area and Pacific Crest Trail. Residents choose to live in North Bend, and visitors to travel here, in large part because of the rural atmosphere and outstanding local and regional outdoor recreation and open space amenities. In numerous surveys conducted Chapter 8 – Parks, Recreation, Wildlife Habitat and Open Space Element Page 2 Adopted January 19, 2010, with updates adopted May 6, 2014, Ordinance 1526. by the City and other relevant recreation agencies over the years, respondents have stated the top community goals should be retaining rural character and the preservation of natural areas. The City has a good parks, recreation and open space system, complemented by the wide array of outdoor resources and opportunities provided by county, state and federal agencies. In fact, over 628 acres, or about 21% of the land inside the City limits and Urban Growth Boundary (UGA) are in public ownership as parks, public facilities, wildlife habitat or open space areas. Large acquisitions made in the last decade include the purchase of a total of 840 acres at the historic Tollgate Farm and Meadowbrook Farm by the City of North Bend, City of Snoqualmie and King County. North Bend has also made significant capital improvements to Torguson Park in this time. Given the significant growth rate that is expected to occur in the next decade, the City of North Bend will have important outdoor park, recreation, wildlife habitat and open space needs. Adequately providing for these needs will allow North Bend to remain a desirable community. The opportunity exists now to preserve vital greenways, wildlife habitat, trail, park, and other recreational infrastructure for the future. A good open space system is a key element to implementing North Bend’s Comprehensive Plan, with its main goals of preserving North Bend's rural character and providing the physical framework for excellent community design and identity. Purpose of the Parks Plan: The primary purpose of the Parks Plan is to direct actions related to the conservation, development, and management of North Bend’s park, recreation, wildlife habitat and open space infrastructure. Actions are intended primarily to benefit residents while also playing a key role in continuing to attract visitors and enhance the local economy. Actions are also primarily directed within the current city limits and the urban growth boundary for North Bend. However, important park, recreation, wildlife habitat and open space opportunities lying adjacent to these boundaries are also promoted in this Plan. This Plan is focused on outdoor park and recreation needs and opportunities. Although the City realizes the need to plan for indoor recreation programs and activities, this Plan does not specifically address those needs, and such needs are largely addressed by the Si View Metropolitan Parks District. The Plan has a six-year time frame and will need to next be updated in 2015 to meet State Recreation and Conservation Office park and recreation grant eligibility requirements. The list of park projects to be constructed and their anticipated funding sources will be updated periodically as part of the Capital Improvement Element of the Comprehensive Plan. Relationship to Comprehensive Plan and Regulatory Role: The Growth Management Act (GMA) requires a park and recreation element that implements, and is consistent with, the capital facilities plan element as it relates to park and recreation facilities. The park element shall include: (a) estimates of park and recreation demand for at least a ten-year period; (b) an evaluation of facilities and service needs; and (c) an evaluation of intergovernmental coordination opportunities to provide regional approaches for meeting park and recreational demand. King County Countywide Planning Policies (CWPP) provide local direction to implement the GMA mandate for consideration of park and recreation needs including open space. Following is a paraphrased listing of the CWPP’s with direct applicability to North Bend in 2009. The policy number of each referenced policy is cited. Other CWPP’s that may be indirectly applicable to North Bend and the CWPP’s may be revised in the future. The full list of CWPP’s is available on the King County DDES website at http://www.metrokc.gov/ddes/compplan/CPP-current.pdf Chapter 8 – Parks, Recreation, Wildlife Habitat and Open Space Element Page 3 Adopted January 19, 2010, with updates adopted May 6, 2014, Ordinance 1526. All jurisdictions are to cooperatively identify and protect significant opens pace corridors (FW-27) as part of regional open space system (CC-6 and CC-7). Countywide funding shall be available to implement the open space plan as contained in the 1998 King County Open Space Plan (CC 9 and CC-10). All jurisdictions are charged to work cooperatively to provide parks and open spaces as development occurs (CC-11), using a full range of regulatory and land preservation tools (CC-12), and coordinated level of service standards (CC-13). The Parks Plan is adopted as an element of the City of North Bend Comprehensive Plan. The North Bend City Council adopted the 2010 update of this plan upon the recommendations of the Planning Commission and Parks Commission, and following a public hearing held on October 22, 2009. As such, it is recognized as providing an official basis for legislative, quasi-judicial and administrative decisions on matters relating to the area of parks, recreation, wildlife habitat and open space acquisition, development, and maintenance falling within, and in some cases outside of, the City limits and urban growth area. The Plan is not a static document but rather provides the basis for ongoing plans, actions, and programs directed at park, recreation, wildlife habitat and open space infrastructure. The City should continue to revise and add to the Plan over the next six years in order to stay current with development trends and the needs of its residents. II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANNING AREA Service Area: The planning or service area for the Parks, Recreation, Wildlife Habitat and Open Space Plan is the city limits of North Bend and its Urban Growth Area (UGA). (Hereinafter, the North Bend UGA is defined as including the city limits of North Bend and its Urban Growth Area.) However, it is recognized that surrounding residents in the Upper Snoqualmie Valley also have an impact on the demand for North Bend services. Therefore, unincorporated areas of King County that are adjacent to North Bend's UGA will be considered.