Updated plan retains more sports fields and parking, includes new trail and streetscape amenities.

The City of Spokane Parks and Recreation Department presented the draft Master Plan for the Southeast Sports Complex at our April neighborhood council meeting. This plan is the result of the vision process and meetings that took place last year with Southgate residents and sports user-groups.

This plan incorporates the latest information available from the KXLY developers for the proposed access to their Southgate District Center property using the west leg of the new stoplight at Palouse and Regal. The Parks Board has approved a Letter of Intent providing for an “easement in perpetuity” and “shared parking agreement” that will allow KXLY to develop a road through the existing Complex parking lot and replace it with shared parking on their private property. These two conditions are still being reviewed by City legal for their conformance with Spokane Municipal Code.

The presentation at our meeting focused on the increased overall parking which was the highest priority issue identified by sports users and Southgate residents during the visioning meetings last year. The initial plan for angle parking along 46th Avenue has been replaced with basic parallel parking, though there is still angle parking and a new trailhead proposed for the west side of the park along Altamont Street. The new Master Plan also retains more of the softball facilities than originally proposed last year after that user group made additional comments to the Parks Department. Another new feature is a 4th full-size soccer field to be located on KXLY property to the south of the existing park. So the sports users are going to continue to have the highest priority use of the facility.

General recreation and neighborhood users will be happy to see the development of an expanded playground area with a proposed splash pad, improved and expanded picnic/multi-use shelters and amphitheaters throughout the Complex. Another major feature will be the addition of a multi-use trail around the Complex that ties into and extends the trail running along the Target site on Palouse Hwy.

Lastly, the Parks Department envisions developing a gateway/enhanced streetscape along Regal Street to buffer the park uses from the road and encourage integration and connection with the District Center commercial development. They also mentioned that there is an opportunity to rename the park to better reflect the history and character of the Southgate Neighborhood.

So take a look at the proposal, please feel free to make comments on the plan (and the name) and send them to both the neighborhood council and parks department. For example, the draft plan shows a sand volleyball court near the new playground, however the consensus of the attendees at the neighborhood council meeting was to change that to a basketball court instead. We will be having more meetings with the Parks Department and KXLY developers as the year moves forward and your comments can help guide the direction of the final project.