BOUNTIFUL–Design efforts for Washington Park are proceeding, with city council and staff figuring ways to add as many amenities as possible to the initial development. What will most likely be included are three playing fields–two for lacrosse and a third that can accommodate little league football as well as serve as a practice field–along with a playground area, restrooms, a walking path and both a number of pickleball courts and a skate park. How many courts and how large the skatepark will be are still questions to be answered, along with how to fully fund them.

The city successfully saw voters pass an $8 million revenue bond in November 2020, with money set aside for purchase of the Washington Elementary property ($3.5 million) from the Davis School District, for improvements of the city’s trail system (about $2 million) and for the remaining money to be used for development of Washington Park. A series of public hearings last fall helped create a “wish list” for residents for amenities they wanted to see on the 1.4 acre park site. A hired design firm then presented three options to city council that included the pickleball and skate park concepts.

Bountiful City Engineer Lloyd Cheney told council that its initial Master Plan, which called for 12 pickleball courts, the third field, a retaining wall and a skate park, would bump the developmental total to $4.5 million, much over the $2.5 million the city could budget from the bond proceeds. So council and staff have been discussing where to go next.

During a council meeting earlier this year, Cheney said the city could “build all the amenities in the park, except for the pickleball courts and skate park, and allow residents to fundraise for those elements.” He said building those amenities could be done for $2.5 million. He said another option would be to build the full skate park, but it would be to the detriment of most of the other park amenities and would postpone all buildings, utilizing the existing restroom.

City Manager Gary Hill interjected that the city’s RAP Tax (Recreation, Arts and Parks) has about $990,000 that is yet to be earmarked for a project. That could be used for Washington Park, but it might mean a property tax increase would be necessary in 2027 or 2028. Using the RAP tax money would allow for six pickleball courts and a 12,000 square foot skate park to be built.

Cheney showed some data from surrounding cities and the sizes of their skate parks. If Bountiful built a 12,000-14,000 square foot park it would be low-to middle-of-the-pack in terms of comparative size.  (KEARNS PARK FOR EXAMPLE). There was also discussion about lighting at the skate park and pickleball courts, and if it needed to be included. Hill said traditionally pickleball courts have been lit, but not the skate park in most communities since it makes law enforcement more of a challenge.

On a positive note, city parks director Brock Hill said 90% of the irrigation needed for the park has already been installed, in part with the financial assistance of the Davis School District, which plans on using the two lacrosse fields for high school play in the spring each school year. Council members also agreed that the walking trail and playground should be built immediately as the park is completed. The Council also reached a consensus that they wanted some of the pickleball courts built but not all of them right away. Mr. Hill and Mr. Cheney advised that it made sense from an engineering standpoint to build six pickleball courts initially instead of three or four. Skatepark fencing would not be part of the initial construction but could be added later.

So what happens regarding fundraising for pickleball and skateboarding? Gary Hill said the city staff could help with outside groups hoping to coordinate fundraising efforts, but it would be separate for city business. He said as those fundraising efforts transpire, the groups organizing those efforts could give frequent updates to the council. 

The park design remains fluid at this point, but activity on the ground should start when weather permits this spring. The final product remains, literally, a work in progress. λ