City of Ellensburg Provides Clarification on Craig Avenue Fire Lane and Future Reed Park Master Plan Update

ELLENSBURG, Wash. — To highlight several facts about recent concerns related to City of Ellensburg actions that impact parking and traffic flow on Craig’s Hill, two issues must be addressed: fire lane revisions to comply with International Fire Code and the ongoing Reed Park Master Plan process, currently underway.

1. Fire lane revisions along Craig Avenue are scheduled this month to protect fire access to the American Legion facility. The International Fire Code requires a 20-foot clear lane for the safety of those assembling in the American Legion Hall and other buildings with this type of use. Craig Avenue is the sole public street access road to the historic American Legion facility.

Compliance with International Fire Codes is required for all public and private buildings. After receiving complaints about blocked fire lanes, City staff consulted with the Fire Marshal to delineate the 20-foot required lanes. It was determined the current configuration was insufficient and would require new signs and pavement markings, which would reduce the amount of legal parking stalls along Craig Avenue, near the American Legion. Recognizing this action would reduce on-street parking along the public street where patrons and other Reed Park visitors are accustomed to parking, notice was provided to the American Legion with a proposal to work with their leadership on solutions to retain some legal on-street parking.

A formal letter was sent to the American Legion on June 28, 2023, that provided notice of the City’s future action to clearly mark and protect the fire lane on Craig Avenue. An alternative was proposed by the City to retain several public parking stalls along Craig Avenue if the Legion provided an easement for the City to pave a portion along the edge of the American Legion’s current parking lot. That option was declined on August 8, 2023, by Legion Commander Hill requesting, “the park and parking remain the way it has always been.”

Taking no action to remedy a known fire lane access issue is not an option because of the fire risk it creates for the Legion, nearby homeowners, and the area in general. With no other options available to remedy the 20-foot fire lane protection and delineation, the City must proceed to mark and enforce the legal fire lane. This work will be completed within the next few weeks.

2. Why is the City exploring improvements to Reed Park through a Master Plan process? The City's interest in making changes at Reed Park is to address longstanding concerns from the neighborhood about how the park is used, and to enhance the park experience for all Ellensburg residents. Throughout the planning process—which began in early 2022—City staff have been mindful of the impacts a new park design may have on the community as whole, the surrounding neighborhood, the fairgrounds and rodeo, and the American Legion. Stakeholders from these groups, among others, have participated in shaping the designs and goals of the project.

All proposed Reed Park design options allow for some legal parking along the bluff.

The Reed Park Master Plan has not been adopted. A preferred plan considered by the City Council on March 6, 2023, was returned to the Parks & Recreation Commission for further discussion and evaluation. Since that time, City staff met with American Legion representatives to review their concerns with the draft Park Plan. Staff have also worked with the design consultant to develop revised plan options that shift the balance of interests and flow for vehicular traffic, pedestrian safety, and create several more legal parking spaces along the bluff. A revised plan proposal will be available next month.

The next public open house to review Reed Park Master Plan options is scheduled for October 18, 2023. Members of the public are invited to attend this open house on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, City Hall Council Chambers, 501 N Anderson Street, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. to review previous versions of the Reed Park Master Plan design options and comment on the new hybrid option as well. Community feedback will be incorporated into the Master Plan considered by the City Council later in the year.

The American Legion Hall is an important community facility for our local Veterans. Ellensburg Mayor Nancy Lillquist states, “We hope that the American Legion will continue to serve the community well into the future and appreciate all that our Veterans have done in service to our country. The fire lane safety issues have been brought to our attention by concerned community members and for the safety of those who use the American Legion Hall we cannot allow those parking violations to continue.”

Please visit the City’s website to review proposed Reed Park plans or contact the City Manager’s office for more information at citymanager@ellensburgwa.gov or 509-962-7221.

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The Ellensburg City Council reviewed the proposed Reed Park plan at the March 6, 2023 meeting and referred it back to the Parks and Recreation Commission for further discussion and consideration of mitigation of parking. Watch the City Council discussion starting at 1:19:20.

On Wednesday, February 8, 2023, staff will present park plan ‘Option D’ to the Parks & Recreation Commission as the preferred Reed Park master plan. The goal for the park planning process was to develop a master plan focused on improving park safety by expanding non-motorized access opportunities to and within the park, while still maintaining existing park elements that make Reed Park unique to our community. The proposed plan (Option D) achieves this goal.

Reed Park is a unique property performing a unique role within our park system. Serving as the only true vista point in our community, preserving access to the views as a pedestrian, or from a vehicle, was critical and we believe this plan strikes an appropriate balance between those opportunities. Another important element in the design process was improving pedestrian access to and throughout the park – much of the park’s historical use has come in the form of pedestrian use. From something as simple as providing a crosswalk at the park exit, to adding a separated paved trail throughout the entire length of the park, the new design provides the separation from vehicular traffic that the community desired.

A successful planning process relies on getting quality input from the community. Our outreach efforts included working with a Reed Park stakeholders’ group, which consisted of park neighbors, both immediate and in the greater Craig’s Hill neighborhood, park users, the American Legion, staff from the Kittitas Valley Event Center, Kittitas County Field and Stream, and staff from Ellensburg High School. The planning process also included two in-person and two virtual community open houses to hear what the community had to say. And lastly, 263 responses were submitted to an on-line survey where we asked the community questions: What do you like most about Reed Park? Is there any reason you choose not to use Reed Park (safety, lack of amenities, lack of interest)? Why or how do you use Reed Park? By and large what we heard from the public was a strong desire to maintain access to the views, both for pedestrians and those who wish to sit in their cars, increased park safety, areas to gather or sit, and maintaining the quiet passive nature of the park.

Of the four plans that the community had the opportunity to provide feedback on, the plan that was the most popular amongst the community and aligned most closely with the goals of the planning process was Option D. This plan will result in a park that looks different from the current park design, while at the same time still providing a similar unique experience our community has enjoyed for the last 90 years.

One of the roles of the Parks & Recreation Commission is to make recommendations to the City Council on matters related to park development and design. At their February 8 meeting, the Commission will decide whether to recommend the proposed park plan to City Council for final adoption at their March 13, 2023 Council meeting. The Commission and Council meetings are open to the public and will have an opportunity for the public to provide feedback on the preferred plan.

The City will host a second community-wide Reed Park master planning meeting on December 14, 2022 from 6-7:30 p.m., in the City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting will be an open house format where people can look at the two final plans, provide feedback on each plan to staff, commission members, or the landscape architect and then vote for their preferred plan.

The goal of the master planning effort is to develop a park master plan focused on improving park safety by expanding non-motorized access opportunities to and within the park, while still maintaining existing park elements that make Reed Park unique to our community.

The City has added a virtual open house from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on November 16, 2022 via Zoom for those who are not able to attend the in-person open house. Join the Zoom call: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86065025064 or Meeting ID 860 6502 5064.

The City will host a community-wide Reed Park master planning meeting on November 16 from 6-7:30 p.m., in the City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting will be an open house format where people can look at four plans, provide feedback on each plan to staff, commission members, or the landscape architect and then vote for their preferred plan.

The goal of the master planning effort is to develop a park master plan focused on improving park safety by expanding non-motorized access opportunities to and within the park, while still maintaining existing park elements that make Reed Park unique to our community.

A second community meeting will take place on December 14 at 6 p.m. at City Hall where we will review the next iteration of conceptual plan(s) which incorporate feedback from the November 16 meeting. If at the conclusion of the December 14 meeting, there is general consensus for a park plan, or elements for a plan, then we’ll take that plan to the Parks & Recreation Commission at their February 8, 2023 meeting for consideration, and to City Council in March 2023 for final adoption. Members of the public are invited to attend meetings and provide their input and feedback.

Please contact Brad Case, Parks & Recreation Director, with any questions or input about the master planning effort, caseb@cityofellensburg.org, 509-925-8639.