OPEN SPACE: County parks and recreation plan needed

We all know that the citizens of Kootenai County believe in and support parks and open space. The city’s have acquired thousands of acres of open space and have completed master plans for the development and management of parks. I was happy to see the county propose a bond election for parks and open space. It’s a step in the right direction but may be doomed unless a plan is prepared showing what the money will be used for.

In the 2020 update of the Comprehensive Plan, the Commissioners stated “The Board of County Commissioners believes that the County needs to develop a long-range park and recreation plan and carry it out.” The 2020 update states as Policy 2 in the recreation element of the plan, “create and maintain an active, long term parks and recreation plan to acquire, improve, develop and maintain county recreation facilities.”

This has been needed for decades but has not been achieved. One may ask, Why?

A park and recreation plan should include coordination with the cities in the county so the parks and recreation sites, and public facilities can be linked and supported. A plan should include the use of all potential resources (bonds, fees, grants, taxes, etc). But the main thing that a long-range plan needs is a beginning. Isn’t it time that the city’s and the county pull together and get a plan completed and then ask the taxpayers for the means to implement?

COLLIN COLES

Kootenai County