Project Description
According to World Health Organization, Urban Greenspaces (parks, gardens, woods, natural meadows etc) are vital for physical & mental health as they offer refuge from urban noise, pollution, heat & stress. WHO benefits of Green Spaces
With Bridle Trails Area experiencing unprecedented growth at its boundaries in Redmond, Kirkland & Bel-Red Area, it is becoming increasing critical to preserve the rural, wooded & equestrian character of Bridle Trails neighborhoods for its 12K+residents & the city as a whole. The Bel-Red Area alone is expected to add over 5000 housing units & 9500 new residents to the mix.
Fortunately, years ago Bridle Tails residents had the vision to preserve the area’s natural assets such as the 482-acre Bridle Trails State Park. Lake Washington Saddle Club was formed in 1945 to support the park. In 2003, local residents formed Bridle Trails Park Foundation & negotiated a 40-year agreement with WA State Parks, to keep the park open in return for paying 1⁄2 net annual operating expenses. Residents raise funds annually with “Party in the Park” event & successfully steward the park for generations to come. History Bridle Trails State Park.
There’ve been other wins in Bridle Trails in preserving open spaces by citizens’ efforts such as Cherry Crest Mini Park & Viewpoint Park. In 2008, benefiting from the Bellevue Parks & Natural Areas Levy passed by City Council, Bridle Trails Community Club jumped at the opportunity to spearhead the Bridle Trails Corner Park & the new 140th Ave NE Park (yet to be named).
BTCC’s partnership with the City of Bellevue on the two recent park projects provided an excellent opportunity for placemaking, community building & fostering neighborhood pride & identity. BTCC continues to lead forward engaging the community to name the new 140th Park, update the membership on park construction & prepare for another Grand Opening.
Bridle Trails Park Levy Projects
The 2008 Bellevue Parks & Natural Areas Levy includes $2.5 million to acquire, develop or enhance parks and open space in the Bridle Trails neighborhood. Based on community input, the city in January 2011 purchased a property at 2402 134th Avenue NE. Bridle Trails Corner Park construction was complete in late 2014.
Funding for construction was approved in the 2019-2021 budget. Construction design documents and permitting will begin in 2019, and construction is expected to begin during first quarter of 2021.
New Park Acquisition
The Parks & Community Services Department acquired a second parcel for future park development at 4432 140th Avenue Northeast. The Parks Department partnered with the Bridle Trails Community Club’s Park Committee to locate a property within the Bridle Trails subarea that would best serve the community, using remaining funds from the Bridle Trails Park Levy project originally targeted for the Acheson property.
After an extensive property search, the “Ginzberg” parcel was identified from a lead provided by the community. With BTTC support, and after several months of negotiations, the 1.65-acre property was acquired in late 2014.
The site is conveniently located along 140th Avenue Northeast just south of the Bellevue Municipal Golf Course and abuts a six-acre city utility site to the east. Although there are no funds currently available for development, planning for the site began in May 2018. A kickoff community meeting to introduce the site and take public comment was held on May 13 at the North Bellevue Community Center.
A second meeting was held on Oct. 7. Staff shared survey results and suggestions received, presented two design concepts, and took comments. At a Feb. 10, 2019 community meeting, Parks staff presented their preferred park design and program, along with time for Q&A and discussion.
At the March 24 Bridle Trails Community Club general meeting, staff shared the preferred plan and received an informal, unanimous approval of the plan.
Background
Working with the Bridle Trails Community Club, the city solicited ideas for parks and open space from the Bridle Trails neighborhood. Neighborhood outreach included surveys, newsletters, neighborhood block and park parties, multiple BTCC and neighborhood meetings. The community provided more than 100 project location and program suggestions.
To inform park and natural project recommendations for the Bridle Trails neighborhood, evaluation of suggestions included: neighborhood input, project principles and criteria, project opportunity, feasibility and estimated costs. The BTCC Board ratified recommendations, and the neighborhood strongly supported them, 90 percent of those at a neighborhood meeting on Sept. 30, 2010, voting for them.
Neighborhood Recommendations
The BTCC recommended committing at least $2.5 million voter-approved Parks & Natural Areas Levy funds toward neighborhood park development and natural areas in the Bridle Trails neighborhood. The recommended projects were identified in the preferred order:
- Obtain an agreement with the state to develop, operate and maintain state-owned open space at 5220 132nd Ave. NE (Acheson property) as a neighborhood park.
- Develop a master plan, with the Bridle Trails neighborhood and owners of contiguous property, for a neighborhood park on the 132nd Avenue property.
- Develop the park on 132nd Avenue.
- Pursue acquisition of the property located at 2402 134th Ave. NE (Northeast 24th Street site) for the purposes of providing park and open space.
- Develop a master plan, with the Bridle Trails neighborhood and with owners of contiguous property, for a neighborhood park on the 24th Street property.
- Develop the 24th Street park.
Park Board and City Council Action
On Oct. 12, 2010 the Community Meeting Presentations:
- March 29, 2012
- May 10, 2012
- June 14, 2012
- September 20, 2012
- October 9, 2012 – Park Board presentation
- May 13, 2015
- October 7, 2015
- February 10, 2016
The Bridle Trails Community Club has additional information. If you would like a response to specific questions, contact Scott VanderHyden (contact information in the right column of this page).
Bellevue welcomes your input about this project at any time.
Bridle Trails Corner Park – OPEN
2402 134th Avenue NE
Patch Article & Gallery from Bridle Trails Corner Park Grand Opening
Bridle Trails Corner Park, located at the corner of NE 24th Street and 134thAvenue NE, was funded by the City of Bellevue 2008 Park Levy. The Bridle Trails Community Club and the City of Bellevue joined with the community to create this environmentally and family-friendly space. The property was purchased in January 2011, and the Master Plan process began in early 2012. Completed in December 2014, the park features a loop pathway through forest, a wildflower meadow, native gardens with wetland views, a large grassy area, and an area with play elements based on nature.
Mayor Claudia Balducci and Parks Board Chair Sherry Grindeland shared with the Bridle Trails community an afternoon of bubbles, balloons and ribbon cutting for the Grand Opening of Bridle Trails Corner Park.. The event was held on May 2 by the Bridle Trails Community Club (BTCC) and the City of Bellevue. Even as the Bridle Trails neighborhood has grown, the community remains dedicated to maintaining its active equestrian and rural character. Bridle Trails Corner Park, with its serene setting, restored habitat, and naturalistic playground, embodies the spirit of the neighborhood.
As the city fulfills its mandate to allow growth in the right places and to protect urban greenspaces including neighborhood character preservation as defined by Bridle Trails & Bel-Red Comprehensive Plans, BTCC has further engaged in King County Land Conservation Initiative to achieve a delicate balance between growth & sustainability and to protect the livability, health and ecological integrity of our subarea – for everyone. We will continue to seek & share resources with our community on preserving & managing greenspaces on private & public lands & engage our community in projects like Arbor Day celebration, Tree Board University, seedling dissemination, proper tree planting & care education & plant One Million Trees King County Initiative.
Reprinted from Kingcounty.gov
Executive Constantine triples down on open space protection, takes action ensure greenspace access for all King County residents
Summary
Executive Dow Constantine delivered to the King County Council today legislation that vigorously accelerates the pace of land conservation over the next year. The legislation would triple funding and invest in 61 open space projects. It embraces recommendations put forward by the community-led Open Space Equity Cabinet and the Conservation Futures Advisory Committee to improve access to open space in communities with the greatest needs.
Story
One year after Executive Dow Constantine launched the Land Conservation Initiative to accelerate protection of 65,000 acres of the highest conservation value open space, he announced legislation to triple investments in 2019 and 2020 and to help ensure every resident in King County has access to health-promoting greenspaces.
With revenue generated by the Conservation Futures Tax and the King County Parks Levy, the county and cities seek to invest up to $63.8 million for 61 open space projects in 2019 and early 2020, pending authorization from the King County Council and voters renewing the King County Parks Levy during the Aug. 6 election. That is up from $20 million to protect 40 open space projects funded in 2018.
“We are advancing the Land Conservation Initiative with urgency and purpose, tripling our investments for open space preservation,” said Executive Constantine. “The legislation I am announcing today will save thousands of acres of our last, best open space lands, farmlands, forestlands, urban greenspaces, and trails. This will help ensure that all people who call King County home can enjoy the natural beauty that defines our region.”
This tripling in funding is possible because the county has placed additional tools in its conservation toolbox. One tool the county added last year was to increase the debt financing capacity of the Conservation Futures Tax from 50 percent to 80 percent, making it possible for the county to pull forward up to $148 million in capital over the next several years to acquire open space. Executive Constantine’s proposed legislation would pull forward the first $35 million of the $148 million to protect conservation lands right now.
Another tool is the additional $120 million for open space protection that Executive Constantine included in his proposal to renew the King County Parks Levy, which the County Council put on the August ballot.
Here are a few examples of projects included in the legislation:
- Finishing the work of protecting the most critical farmland, with easements in the Snoqualmie Valley, on the Enumclaw Plateau, and on Vashon Island
- Preserving forests on the slopes of Cougar Mountain
- Adding much-needed greenspace throughout urban areas
- Adding to the Eastside Rail Corridor to improve access and better connect it to the regional trail network
- Acquire properties along Bear Creek as well as Cedar, Green, and Tolt rivers to restore salmon and wildlife habitat
Executive Constantine’s legislation embraces recommendations from the community-led Open Space Equity Cabinet to apply the principles of equity and social justice as King County and its cities accelerate the protection of important urban green space, forests, farms, and habitat lands.
Launched by Executive Constantine in 2018, the Land Conservation Initiative is a plan for the county and its cities to protect the highest conservation value open space within a single generation before the opportunity is lost due to population growth and development pressure.
By front-loading investments over the next 30 years, instead of the next 70 years, the county and cities together can double the amount of open space they can protect, and do so with minimal impact to taxpayers in these early years of the initiative. Since land and real estate become increasingly expensive over time, this acceleration will save the region $15 billion compared to protecting the same amount of open space over 70 years.
The legislation that Executive Constantine announced today will ensure that the accelerated funding for land conservation will protect more urban green spaces in communities lacking this important public infrastructure investment, in addition to protecting more forest, farm, and habitat lands.
Ensuring everyone in King County has access to open space
The county is using open space funding generated by the Conservation Futures Tax to catalyze the creation of new green space in communities with the greatest disparities in access to open space. These communities are primarily located in South King County. One quarter of King County residents — about 500,000 people — do not live within easy access to a publicly owned park, green space, or trail due to decades of inequities and injustice that limited investments in public infrastructure in these communities.
Seven of the open space projects recommended for funding this year qualified for the new waiver that Executive Constantine proposed in 2018 based on recommendations by the Land Conservation Initiative Advisory Group. Using this new approach, cities that can demonstrate that protecting an open space property will promote equity and social justice no longer have to put up matching funds to receive funding from the Conservation Futures Tax.
The new legislation now advances to the King County Council Committee of the Whole for its consideration.
GROWING SEEDLINGS … TREES FOR TOMORROW
Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Urban and Community Forestry Program
