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Project manager:
Curtis Hancock,
253-305-1052
About this park:
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Park land acres: 10.98
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Kandle Park History
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Maintenance & Operations Impact Forecast - Regular scheduled maintenance is expected to increase as some new irrigation is added to the park. Trash pick-up and general site monitoring for graffiti and vandalism repair is expected to increase. Net operating expense for the pool is expected to be $200,000/year (based on costs associated with Stewart Hieghts Pool).
| Project Status |
07/01/10 Another contemporary design feature will be the inclusion of 3 family changing areas. The pool will also feature a spray and bubbler area, and the infrastructure will be put in place so two desired features which fall outside of the current funding - a lazy river and slide - can be added during future phases of the pool's development.
06/25/10 A new/replacement restroom will be added as a bid alternate. It will benefit the neighborhood and provide needed mechanical space for the irrigation system.
06/11/10 Design Development documents were distributed to Parks and Recreation departments last week. The only elements of the existing park that will remain are the basketball court and the community gardens. Parking is proposed to include a turf area to serve as peak season overflow parking as well as establishing joing parking agreements with Downing School and Boys & Girls club. A location for a concession trailer is shown as an opening in the fence on the plans so it can serve both sides of the fence. The baseball field will be irrigated turf. Surface water will be routed to rain gardens for treatment and infiltration. There will be a 'micro spray pad' located outside the pool fence for the enjoyment of non-pay park visitors. Skate dots will be included in the park area. The pool will be similar in size to the one at Stewart Heights but with a wave pool feature. There will be four 25 yard lap lanes - but they cannot be utilized when the pool is in wave-making mode. Water features will include 'dumping buckets' and 'water guns'. The tot pool area will have the option of being flooded as a wading pool or fun in 'dry' mode similar to other spray grounds. A presentation to the entire Board will be scheduled for June 28.
04/23/10 Design Development phase work is under way.
03/19/10 Parks would like the edge around the basketball court removed because it is a tripping hazard. The edge was there to allow the court to be filled with water for ice skating - that feature has not been used since the early 1990s. MPT cannot control parking on North 23rd Street - that is a City issue. Neighbors are concerned that the baseball field remain an informal/practice field and not be used for formal play.The baseball infield will not be skinned. We are propossing a cone shaped backstop to protect the play area behind it from foul balls. The design team is recommending down lighting and bollards lights to avoid glare at nearby residences. Adding an alternate for a restroom would not be realistic since the cost is likely to be over $100K.
03/22/10 At their March 22, 2010 meeting the Metro Parks Board of Commissioners approved a revised budget ($7.4 million) to develop the first phase of Kandle Park including irrigation throughout the park, extensive landscaping, walking trails, a new playground, skate dots, mini-sprayground, additional parking, 7,500 sf zero-depth wave pool, four 25 meter lap lanes, spray toys, separate spraypool, and support buildings.
Click here to view the plan. The current schedule has the project bidding in the Fall of 2010 and construction from January 2011 through Fall of 2011. Most of the park should be open by Summer of 2011 but the pool will not open until Summer of 2012.
03/12/10 SHKS Architects presented revised schematic designs for the park and pool. Trees, landscaping, paving and rocks have been added at corners of the park where it meets the public street. Tree plantings replace the previous proposal for development of trellis structures. Paths have been added connecting parking with entry plaza, playground and basketball court with park. Rain gardens are shown near the playground as a way of managing surface water from impervious surfaces. They will be planted with native plants and are intended to naturalize over time. There will be new park identification signs at the driveway and SW corner of the park. There will be no food/beverage concessions space for the pool. Instead, a space is proposed at the pool fence where a small concession trailer can be parked to serve both the interior of the pool and the outside (unpaid) park areas. The existing restroom building is to be demolished. A small paved pad for a portable toilet will be provided. (Budget is insufficient for new or renovated restroom.) A small sprayground element will be located outside the pool fence as an amenity for park visitors not coming to the pool. It will be a small facility with a 'flow-through' design that will not require filtration or water treatment. Additional funding will allow the park to include a number of skate featers - some of which will be integrated/combined with the small sprayground. The design team has been working with representatives from the skate community on this proposal. The pool building will be constructed from pre-manufactured building panels - an economical approach that allows the building to be insulated at a reasonable cost. The main pool will include a wave machine. A bubble feature will be included at the zero entry end of the main pool. A second wading pool/spray pool will be located next to the main pool. It can be operated dry as with our current spray parks or wet as with a wading pool When operated as a wading pool, life guard monitoring will be required. The City is requiring significant re-construction of the curbs and gutters on the north and south sides of the site. They have also requested significant upgrades to storm water utilities in the street.
01/29/10 The project is now 'on hold' pending funding.
12/18/09 The Kandle Park steering committee meeting was held last night. The project budget and scope of improvements to be developed with available funds was discussed. There is a great deal of concern over the limited development considered possible within the available budget of $3.8 million. An additional $1 million would be the minimum needed to address the basic concerns such as lack of features in the basic pool design and lack of walks and plantings. It is very important to neighbors that the park be irrigated - it could take most of the funds just to develop the new irrigation system. A wave machine is a high priority item to make the pool attractive to teens.
12/11/09 The schematic design submission for the pool and park improvements has been submitted by SHKS. Priorities from the public include a green (irrigated) park, new recreational pool and amenities, respecting the scale of the residential neighborhood by not introducing complex structures and creating a memorable and welcoming pool that has a neighborhood feel. A priority is to improve the open space areas with green grass, new trees and plantings. Parking and access continues to be a challenge. We're working with the Boys and Girls Club and the School District to provide shared use agreements for the parking lots. New parking, pool and pool buildings will add to impervious surface in the park and will need to be addressed in surface water plans. Rain Gardens are proposed as a means of managing storm water drainage. Emphasis for new pool buildings will be on simple shapes that reflect functions, have a residential character and do not compete with the other buildings at the site. The cost estimate for the project stands at $5.8 million while the MACC is only $3.9 million. There are several items in the current estimate that can be removed to lower the cost, but it is unlikely it can be reduced to the $3.9 million level. The city is requiring us to do street improvements on 26th and 23rd, including curb, gutter and ADA ramps. The estimated cost of those improvements is included in the $5.8 million estimate.
10/21/09 Schematic design of pool and park improvements is proceeding.
09/28/09
The Kandle Park & Pool Master Plan was approved by the Board of Park Commissioners on September 28, 2009.
09/11/09 A Kandle steering committee meeting was held last night and a final selected site plan was reviewed and approved. The pool configuration shown in the plan goes far beyond what can be constructed with the current bond funds. The part that appears possible at present is the zero depth entry adn 25 yard lane swimming. The plan also shows a restroom building that could be combined with the sprayground feature that is unlikely to be built during the initial phase of the project. Until then a portable toilet may be provided. The community garden will remain the same size but has other enhancements. Representatives fo the skate community approve of the skate dot approach over a concentrated skate park. The option exists to provide a fence between the spray pool and sprayground that would allow MPT to divide the free sprayground from the paid area that is part of the pool. The community continues to strongly advocate improved turf areas and irrigation for this site. The project will be presented to the Park Board for formal adoption on September 28.
09/03/09 Public Meeting #5 will be held at 6 pm on September 24, 2009 at Downing Elementary School, 2502 N. Orchard St. Come review and comment on the DRAFT Master Plan for Kandle Park & Pool. View DRAFT Master Plan for Kandle Park & Pool. (09/22/09) This is a DRAFT and will continue to evolve throughout the month in response to public input. The Final Plan will be presented at the public meeting on September 24 (view meeting flyer) and to the MPT Board on September 28. Let us know what you like and dislike about this DRAFT Master Plan. Click here to take survey
08/28/09 Two alternative site plans are under consideration. In Alternate A parking is located along N 26th Street and the existing tennis courts are retained in the center of the site. In Alternate B parking surrounds the B&G Club building and serves the Club and School as well as the park. A new sprayground/playground complements the pool at the center of the site. A design charette was held at the Boys & Girls Club last week with two groups of kids: 6-9 year olds and 10-12 year olds. The kids were able to cut and paste or draw their own version of what the park should like. On August 26 staff went to the Downing Elementary open house and handed out approx. 80 Kandle Park Alternate A & B surveys. A public meeting was held August 27 and more surveys were handed out. We are hoping to get approx. 100 back from the community. So far, it appears the majority prefer the concept of skate dots over a specific skate park location; the oval shaped unprogrammed space at the southwest corner of the park in Alternate A; parking and access described in Alternate B to help with traffic and student drop-off at Downing; and proposed pool amenities like zero entry, lazy river, lap lanes and spray features (current budget only alllows for a limited pool development in the first phase). The tennis courts will most likely be removed. There remains some significant issues concerning off-site mitigation that may be required by COT like significant re-construction of the street at North 26th.
08/14/09 The next public meeting is Thurs., August 27, 2009 at 6 pm at Downing Elementary (2502 N Orchard St.) View Flyer / View two alternative designs for Kandle Park & Pool and then let us know what you like and dislike about each of them. Click here to take survey
07/31/09 Public meeting was held last night. Those in attendance liked the idea of MPT fields being green space used for informal activities with no scheduled games. The idea of skate dots thru the park was considered preferable to a concentrated skate park element. Parking expanded behind the Boys & Girls Club as shown in Alternative 2 was preferred to help serve the school during the school year and help alleviate their problem ofnot having a good drop off/pick up zone for students. There is likely to be significant curb, gutter and storm drain work since storm water management is an issue. If a summer playground program is instituted at Kandle, the participants will need to have access to a water feature that is not part of the paid pool venue. The next public meeting is scheduled for August 27 and will focus on just two plans. The master plan is proposed to go to the Park Board on Sept. 28.
07/17/09 Master planning work is proceeding with an anticipated presentation to the Park Board on 09/28/09. View three alternative designs for Kandle Park & Pool and then let us know what you like and dislike about each of them. Click here to take survey
07/10/09 Five separate site plan options are under consideration and were reviewed by the Steering Committee on July 9. These options are to be narrowed to one by the July 30 public meeting. It seems likely that the community garden will remain at the current size. Interest in the pool appears to be growing. There is a desire for general irrigated green open space and courts for basketball. The name of the park needs to be George B. Kandle Park.
06/05/09 The A&E team has been retained and the first public meeting was held on 05/24/09.
04/10/09 A&E fees are being negotiated with the selected architect team.
03/06/09 Consultant selection process is underway.
01/23/09 The first focus is on a master plan for the site and pool. Public involvement will be managed through a Steering Committee. Traffic and parking may be the largest impacts needing to be addressed. Planning and design is expected to take all of 2009. Construction will begin in May/June 2010 with the pool opening in the summer of 2011.
11/10/08 The Board of Park Commissioners directed staff to begin the Master Planning processes for Titlow Park without a pool and for Kandle Park with an Aquatics Facility. Click here to read the entire pool resolution.
06/08/07 We will not proceed until we know what will happen with the swimming pool site selection.
| Schedule |
• Planning - January 2009
• Initiation of a Professional Services Agreement - March 2009
SHKS Architects
• Completion of design documents and submittal for approval - May 2010
• Completion of CUP review process - September 2010
• Completion of Constuction and Bidding Documents - October 2010
• Bidding and Contract Award by - 11/11/10
• Substantial Completion - park improvements summer 2011 / pool 2010
| Community & Board Participation |
- Steering Committee to be formed - at minimum the following will be invited to participate: West End, North End and Central Neighborhood Councils, Sport & Aquatics Advisory Council, Boys and Girls Club, Tacoma School District, Nortac Soccer, Titlow Pool users/Swim Club/swimmers, MPT staff (sports/aquatics program staff, parks maintenance), neighbors of the park, general public, current park users - community garden, dog walkers.
- 50 Meter Pool Task-Force Information
- Upcoming Community Meetings - a minimum of three public meetings/workshops will be held during the master planning process and a minimum of three public meetings/workshops will be held during the design phase of the construction project.
- Completed Public Meetings
- Public Meeting #5 - September 24, 2009 View Flyer
- Public Meeting #4 - August 27, 2009 View Flyer
- Public Meeting #3 - July 30, 2009 View Flyer
- Public Meeting #2 - June 25, 2009 View Flyer
- Public Meeting #1 - May 28, 2009 View Flyer - Board Meetings & Resolutions
Board Meeting
- February 23, 2009 / Board Meeting
Three pool resolutions were on the agenda:
- Resolution R-13-09 would direct staff to begin the master planning process for Kandle Park with a recreational pool.
- Resolution R-14-09 would direct staff to provide $125,000 in drain system upgrades to Titlow Pool to bring it into compliance with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act to allow operation this summer.
- Resolution R-15-09 calls for the creation of a task force to explore opportunities for development of a 50 meter pool in the South Sound area. The resolution directs that the task force complete its work and present a strategy by October 1, 2009 to the Board of Park Commissioners advising how the pool could be built and funded.
- Relative to discussions about the North/West/Central Pool, the Board of Park Commissioners discussed as part of their Committee of the Whole work session on Feb. 17, 2009:
• Kandle Park - Aquatic Facility
• Titlow Pool Repair - Required costs for continued short-term operation
• Stewart Heights Park - Cost estimates for consideration of a 50 meter pool
Board Capital Improvement Committee
Find out more about the Board of Park Commissioners. - Events
Opening Ceremony - TBA - Metro Parks' Public Participation Policy.
- Send us your comments about this project.
Last Updated: Aug 9, 2010 11:34 AM