Post Falls: Recreation City
BRIAN WALKER/Press A 245-acre recreation site Post Falls plans to open to the public — on a date to be determined in August —offers views overlooking the city. The property is off West Riverview Drive south of the Spokane River. It is connected to nearly 300 more acres the city owns or hopes to own.
BRIAN WALKER/Press Post Falls has fenced off a parking area on the 245 acres it purchased last year for recreation and future land application. The property is along West Riverview Drive south of the Spokane River.
By BRIAN WALKER
Staff Writer
POST FALLS — Post Falls is closing in on a 518-acre recreation wonderland south of the Spokane River.
The city is about to open 245 acres to recreation that — along with a pending adjacent 120-acre deal, the previous purchase of 75 acres and the existing 78-acre Q'emiln Park — would give the public 518 connected acres on the south side of the Spokane River.
"It would give us a little forest right here in the city," said Dave Fair, Post Falls parks and recreation director. "Ultimately, we'll formalize a management plan for the whole site. It will have access for walking and hiking, to the river, and non-motorized uses such as mountain biking."
Fair said one idea for the site, one that wouldn't likely come to life for several years, is a footbridge across the Spokane River, connecting the city's properties on the south side of the river to Corbin Park on the north side.
"We have not started to work on engineering, but (a footbridge) is planned," Fair said. "It's still out quite a ways because we have so many other needs with neighborhood parks and the sports complex."
The city is expected to open the 245 acres between West Riverview Drive and the river sometime in August. It has fenced off an area for parking on the north side of Riverview about a mile from Q'emiln Park and is in the process of installing restrooms.
The site offers views overlooking the city, as well as access roads and an old wagon trail to hike on. It extends to the river.
"It will be an informal, soft opening," Fair said of the 245 acres. "More trails will be developed over time."
The site will connect to the Q'emiln Park trail system.
The city purchased the property last year for $6.5 million to land-apply treated wastewater in several years.
Fair said the city is also working toward purchasing an additional 120 acres on the south side of the river that would connect to its existing properties.
"We're looking at grants and have until the beginning of October to come up with the money," he said.
Fair said the property features terrain for future rock climbing walls that would add to the existing Q'emiln Park offerings of that activity.
The two sites are the latest land deals the city has been involved in south of the river. In 2005 the city purchased 75 acres across the river from Corbin Park from Fred Kroetch for $1.23 million. It has 2,995 feet of river frontage.
That site, along with the 245-acre site bought last year, were purchased with impact fees.
Fair said the Parks and Wastewater departments will coordinate how the overall site south of the river should be developed through a master planning process.
"The land application process will help the city clean up the river, so, from a long-term perspective, this is a win-win for the residents," Fair said.
Design on a future 25-acre sports complex in Post Falls south of Prairie Avenue and west of Highway 41 will start next year, Fair said. Construction is expected to start in three years.