Electric City moves to second phase of new parks plan

Electric City has moved into “phase 2” of its new parks program.

This phase centers on the McNett Avenue park behind the city’s fire hall.

Robert S. Droll, landscape architect who won the bid to do the work, will assist City Clerk Russell Powers in developing a grant application to the Washington State Recreation Conservation Office (RCO) to seek funding for half the cost of the McNett project.

The projected cost of developing the McNett park is $731,300.

The city will seek half of this cost, then would add its 50-percent match by reaching into other funds, including its hotel/motel tax funds account, for the promotion of tourism.

The park, designed for families with smaller children, will feature a splash pool, playground equipment, picnic tables and a perimeter trail system.

The McNett plan has been approved by the city council, as has the Grand Avenue Park plan, which will be pursued later. Droll designed both.

The land on McNett was purchased over a year ago by the city from Banks Lake Bible Church for $25,000.

Powers, with Droll assisting, will prepare a grant document to be reviewed in Olympia before the RCO board sometime in March. The application request to RCO then will be revised, if necessary, for the final presentation.

Powers said the grant, if approved, will be provided later in the year.

“Realistically, the work would likely be done in 2019,” Powers stated. Droll will do the specifications, with Gray & Osborne doing the engineering for water and sewer services.

For Droll’s services, getting the project through the grant stage and preparing the process through the bidding stage, the city has agreed to a $4,300 fee.

The McNett Avenue park will be officially named later.