How not to pay for parks

You may have heard of the man who once said this:

'We believed in our idea - a family park where parents and children could have fun - together."

That man wasn't Doug Eastwood. It was Walt Disney.

But it could've been Doug.

Eastwood is the overseer of Coeur d'Alene's parks, and he's at the helm of a ship sailing the tumultuous McEuen Seas right now. Eastwood is the most visible front man behind the sweeping changes proposed for McEuen Field, adjacent parking lot and Third Street boat launch in downtown Coeur d'Alene.

He also knows a little more about the city's parks than the rest of us, and no matter what you love, like, dislike or hate about the proposed changes, no amount of opinion will change a few facts.

One of those facts is that the city's investment in parks has been sterling - and not just in terms of pure enjoyment for parents and children. At a cost of about $10 million, Coeur d'Alene's parks were valued in 2008 at more than $136 million.

None of that $10 million came from the city's general fund, either. Those worried that residential taxpayers will bear the burden of McEuen improvements don't have history on their side. The city's urban renewal agency, Lake City Development Corp., will undoubtedly be a big player in the improvements, and LCDC most definitely collects and distributes tax dollars. In fact, one of the primary reasons LCDC was created in 1996 was to improve public space in downtown Coeur d'Alene. But city officials pledge that no bond issue will be forthcoming and the city's coffers will remain untapped in any construction or improvements at McEuen.

Instead, Eastwood notes that McEuen's nearby neighbor, City Park, had a fabulous playground built by Kiwanians and the bandshell built with Rotarian support. The recently opened dog park off Atlas Road became a Mecca for lovable mutts because citizens put their money where their muzzles were. Grants, impact fees and donations also fuel many of the improvements other Coeur d'Alene parks have enjoyed over the years.

Now, none of this will necessarily sway your opinion about where the ideal boat launch should be or whether pickle ball should become a personal pastime, but it's an important element to remember as the proposal process moves along. "Read my lips: No new taxes" wasn't stated by Doug Eastwood, either. But it could've been.