The Greater Maple Valley
Unincorporated Area Council sends its congratulations to
the citizens of rural Ravensdale and other
stakeholders - you did it! You did the hard work- you got
involved. It’s nice to know good things can happen with
“real” community input.
The
community park at Ravensdale is a good example of a
local-area park serving the needs in a rural community
in King County. That format has been preserved
due to the efforts of community stakeholders and
citizens. Joining in a collaborative design process with
King County Parks, a new design of six fields was
devised in lieu of the 12 that were originally proposed. The citizens of Ravensdale met
last November to formulate a vision that would meet
community, environmental, and historic preservation of
this park. Three individuals were selected from this
group to take the local area concerns to the King County
Parks and their Architect, Jones & Jones. We offer a
special thanks to JoAnn Hegemann, Matthew Miller, and
Joe Odell who so tirelessly represented this group of
people.
After
several months of discussion, negotiating, and
compromise, most of the community’s vision has been
designed into a final plan done by Jones & Jones
Architects with the approval of King County Parks and
most of the stakeholders in this project. The new plan
has many benefits for Rural Ravensdale:
°
Future
Cultural Center
°
Community meadow including picnic areas, playground,
basketball courts
°
Preservation of a historic community access road to the
Post Office
°
3
Baseball Fields (1 existing)
°
3
Soccer or Multi-use fields (baseball & soccer) including
renovation of 1 existing
°
Appropriate on-site parking
°
Large
buffers, playground, and trails
°
Promised consideration for time of use, lighting, and
noise control
The
latest design is a compromise of all stakeholders--the
GMVAC, the Citizens of Rural Ravensdale, Rock Creek
Sports Group, Cedar River Baseball Council, Junior
Football, Youth Soccer and Youth Lacrosse, and The
Friends of Rock Creek. Every attempt was made to keep
the park rural and meet a part of each user’s need. This
plan is much more consistent with the King County
Comprehensive Plan than some of the earlier versions.
The work will be done in 3 phases beginning with
upgrading the existing soccer field in 2009.
Public Meeting
On
Wednesday, May 14, citizens of Ravensdale and
members of all stakeholder groups gathered to meet
at Gracie Hansen to discuss future plans for
Ravensdale Park. This new vision as designed by
Jones and Jones Architects through a process of many
meetings with all the stakeholders: Citizens for
Rural Ravensdale; Cedar River Baseball Council;
Maple Valley Youth Soccer Association; Friends of
Rock Creek Valley; and the Area Council.
Proposed Project Phasing
The proposed plan will take place
over 3 phases over 10 years. New & exciting
features: enhance as a historic park; two new sports
fields & enhancement of existing fields; community
meadow, and community cultural center. Much
attention was given to existing facilities such as
maintaining the access to the Post Office. A remodel
the Gracie Hansen Center is planned for the
last
phase.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is funding achieved and will this raise
my taxes?
Much of the funding will
come through the King County Parks Partnership
Program and will be donated by private groups.
Taxpayers will continue to have voting power with
tax levies for Parks. Taxes are based on property
values and paid on assessed property value by all
King County residents.
What area does the park
serve- Tahoma district?
Basically the
Tahoma
School District- see
Service Area Map.
How many people does the park serve?
There are
approximately 14,000 in District 9.
Will groups from outside our area have
access to the park?
Yes. but the
park use will be scheduled through King County Parks
with youth sports groups having the highest
priority, especially local sports groups.
What will happen to the wildlife in the
park?
Wildlife is an
important consideration and an Elk Meadow is planned
for the west side of the park plus many trails.
Why do we have to change?
We are no longer
the Ravensdale of early 1900’s - fourth or
fifth
largest city; nor the Ravensdale of 1960 &
1970’s — quite remote. The demographics of our rural
area have changed, e.g., there are many more
citizens involved in local sports leagues, etc.
Thank You
The planning process involved many members of the
community over the Fall of 2007 and the Winter of
2008. Through a series of collaborative meetings
local area demographics and needs were discussed.
King County Parks coordinated all inputs into a
workable sensible design. This is the first step in
a bigger process that includes submitting and
obtaining all necessary permits. The
Area Council wishes to thank each stakeholder group
and representatives:
Citizens for Rural Ravensdale - Joann Hegeman & Matt
Miller
Friends of Rock Creek Valley - joan burlingame
Cedar River Baseball Council - Rob Nist
Maple Valley Youth Soccer Association - Scott Serpa
Thanks
to each of the stakeholder groups for their
participation and courage to be involved. You did the
hard work out of a love for your community. Thanks also
to T.J. Davis of King County Parks for listening to the
community and assisting. This is a wonderful example of
how the public process can work.
