PORT ANGELES — Maintaining what the city of Port Angeles already has will be the focus of its new five-year Parks and Recreation Master Plan, said Deputy Recreation Director Richard Bonine.
Bonine said that is the primary concern raised by residents through three town-hall style meetings on the plan. The last meeting was held Thursday.
“What I’ve been hearing so far . . . has been that our citizens want to keep what we have in good shape,” said Bonine, who is tasked with drafting the plan.
But that doesn’t mean the plan won’t include a few ideas for future expansion of the city’s parks, he said.
“I know we can’t afford it [expansion] right now,” Bonine said, adding, “You don’t want to limit opportunity if they arise.”
That includes the 2-acre park being proposed as part of the city’s Waterfront and Transportation Improvement Plan.
Corey Delikat, city parks and streets superintendent, and Bonine said at the Thursday meeting that the city doesn’t have money for a new park.
Nathan West, city community and economic development director, has said that grants and “private-public partnerships” would be needed to make the proposed park near Oak Street a reality.
Bonine said he will have the parks plan drafted by the end of the year.
It requires City Council approval, he said.
During the meeting, maintenance of the Olympic Discovery Trail east of Port Angeles was discussed. That segment of the trail along the waterfront has been hit by storm erosion and landslides.
Delikat said the city, which maintains the trail east to Morse Creek, is still waiting on grant funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to make repairs.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
