Quincy area parks district on ballot; recreation survey results reviewed
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 10 months AGO
Ryan Hughes, Nexus Planning Services, presents the results of a survey of reactions and opinions of Quincy-area residents for a proposed parks district and existing recreation facilities
Cheryl Schweizer/Columbia Basin Herald
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | October 19, 2023 4:53 PM
QUINCY — Quincy-area residents are being invited to a town hall meeting Nov. 1 to discuss the proposal to establish a regional parks district. The proposal is on the Nov. 7 ballot.
The money raised through the district would be used to build and operate a new indoor sports facility in Quincy, called the Q-Plex, and a new Quincy swimming pool.
If the regional parks district is formed, property owners would pay 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. The parks district boundary would be the same as the Quincy School District, excluding the Douglas County portion and including the cities of Quincy and George.
The proposal will require a bare majority, 50% plus one vote, to pass.
If the proposal is approved, the Q-Plex will be a year-round facility with room for four 7-on-7 soccer fields, a walking path and indoor courts for basketball and pickleball. The new swimming pool, or Q-Aquatic, would be open in the summer and would include a pool and waterslide.
The Q-Plex is projected to cost about $20 million to $23 million, and the swimming pool about $7 million to $10 million.
Quincy city officials commissioned a survey of residents in the proposed park district to find out what they thought about the city’s park system in general, as well as their opinion on the fieldhouse and swimming pool projects. Ryan Hughes of Nexus Planning Services presented preliminary results to the Quincy City Council on Tuesday.
Hughes said the survey received 828 responses, about 81% of them Quincy residents and about 13% residents of the unincorporated areas of the proposed district. About 44.5% of the respondents said they were strongly in favor of the parks district proposal, and another 21% said they were mostly in favor of it.
About 72% of respondents said they’d be willing to pay something for the construction and maintenance of the new facilities. Based on the results, Hughes said he was optimistic the parks district proposal would pass.
Respondents were asked to rate possible facilities in order of importance to them, and a new aquatic center was rated as the highest priority. About 75% of respondents said it was important or very important. People also rated a community activity center and a splash pad as important, along with more gym space for basketball and pickleball, a walking trail from Lauzier Park to East Park, and a facility with indoor turf.
Additional outdoor basketball and pickleball courts, a baseball-softball complex and a skate park were rated as lower priorities.
Lauzier Park was the most visited, followed by East Park.
Cheryl Schweizer may be reached via email at [email protected].
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Road projects on hold for Labor Day weekend
MOSES LAKE — With Labor Day weekend dead ahead, drivers will be able to move freely about the state. Most road projects are on hold for the holiday weekend. Nobody will be working on the Hansen Road overpass on Interstate 90, but the lane restrictions that are in effect will continue through the end of the project.
Cost estimates for water source alternatives given to Moses Lake City Council
Protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, efforts are ongoing to keep it self-sufficient
MOSES LAKE — It’s going to cost a lot of money to provide alternative water sources for the city of Moses Lake, but some of the possible alternatives will cost more than others. City officials provided the Moses Lake City Council with costs for various alternatives Tuesday.
Dryer vent cleaning is important -- but often overlooked
MOSES LAKE — Not all the maintenance a house needs is visible. Sometimes a potential problem just goes unnoticed until it causes trouble, sometimes serious trouble. But a lot of potential problems give off warning signs. Clothes dryers often do when they need a good cleaning.