The bigger the park, the bigger the price
After working on designs for several years, the Post Falls Parks and Recreation Department is trying to receive council approval for the Tullamore Sports Complex. Photo courtesy Post Falls Parks and Recreation.
Post Falls could become home to one of the most comprehensive and flexible outdoor complexes in the region, including multiple sporting fields, an events plaza and a skateboarding park.
The Parks and Recreation proposal needs City Council approval.
The Tullamore Sports Complex has been in the works for several years, parks planner Robbie Quinn said. Over the last few city council meetings, Quinn and the Parks and Recreation Department have presented timelines with project scenarios dependent on impact fees and scheduling.
"If we were to adopt the proposed impact fees, it would basically cut our development schedule in half," Quinn said. "So now we would be doing it in 11 years versus 20. Same sequencing, but we are able to do multiple things per year and can reduce the amount of time used to build up funds."
As of the last council meeting, if Post Falls did not adopt the proposed increase in impact fees, it would be completed in 20 years and cost $14.4 million. If the new fees are approved, it could reduce the budget to about $12.7 million and finish in 11 years.
The project would sit on 25.9 acres the city purchased in 2016, about a quarter-mile west of Highway 41. Surrounded by Prairie Avenue to the north, Killdeer Avenue to the south, and between Charleville Road and the future Cecil Road, the complex would sit between Post Falls and Rathdrum.
Through two surveys and a stakeholder meeting, Quinn said the Parks Department designed preliminary concepts with options for sporting events and neighborhood amenities. Plans include five baseball and softball fields, four soccer fields, restrooms, a concessions stand, three basketball courts, an event plaza, a playground, shelters, a skatedot — a skate area designed seamlessly into a park — a walking path, and two parking lots.
With housing developments and roadways surrounding the complex, the Parks and Recreation Department anticipates regional and local visitors will use the park.
"Especially tournament-wise, we expect to see people from Boise, southern Idaho and its neighbors, even people all the way from Seattle and Spokane," Quinn said. "The proximity to I-90 and Highway 41 would definitely create that easy access."
Quinn said they would like to start Phase I construction on the complex in 2022 or 2023 if the council approves it.
"Worst case scenario, if we didn't see an increase in park fees, Phase I would be completed around 2030," Quinn said. "Best case with the increase we'd be looking at 2025 (for Phase 1)."
Phase I plans would include the re-grading of soil, roadway improvements, construction of a parking lot, restrooms and concessions buildings, three sporting fields, and the utility infrastructure. According to the master plan, total construction costs for Phase I are about $7.3 million and would mostly be supported by taking 30% of the annual parks impact fees revenue.
"We will also be pursuing grants," Quinn said.
Council members expressed concerns due to the price tag and timeline.
"We're going to spend $6 million and wait 12 years before we can do anything on that park," Councilman Alan Wolfe said. "If we sign off on this today, we are looking at 20 years, and the first 12 we have nothing but a pit out there sucking money."
The council voted to move forward with park planners working with the developers to create concrete schedules.