Letters to the Editor

Letter to the editor | A park for the ages and for all ages

With all of the talk going on concerning the property that the Peninsulia Metropolitian Park District owns at the Madrona Links Golf Course, and the property that it does not own, I would like to add my opinion as to the future uses of the property that it does own.

Let’s start in 1961, when the City of Tacoma condemned over 600 acres on the Gig Harbor Peninsula for an airport (Tacoma Industrial Airport). The land that the City of Tacoma leased to the Tysons was part of that condemnation. It was not a suitable amount of land for a golf course, so Mr. Tyson bought the additional land that was needed from a private party. Thus acquiring enough land for a golf course. He then entered a 50 year lease with the City of Tacoma.

In 2008 , the City of Tacoma wanted to divest from the ownership of the Tacoma Narrows Airport. At that time the PMPD and Pierce County teamed up to purchase  the Airport and any additional land they owned. When the sale closed Pierce County got the airport and PMPD got the land that the City of Tacoma had leased to the Tysons.

At the time of the purchase, as reflected from the minutes from the meeting in which the board voted to purchase the properties, it is clear that they felt that they were purchasing park land for future use of the community, not part of a golf course. (PMPD special meeting 11-07-2008) (minutes approved  11-17-2008)

PMPD has stated that it does not want to run a golf  course. It does not own a golf course, only a part of one. Why not run a park  on the property that you were provided. That is why it was purchased. That would be a Park for the ages/ all ages.  Don”t let the tail wag the dog. Take control and have the dog wag the tail.

Look at the cost of a park as opposed to the cost of rebuilding the golf course for a few.

Fifty years is a long time to tell the children of our community that they will have to wait. Maybe their grandchildren will have a park someday, why not now? At Sehmel Homestead Park the active use area is about 24 acres. At “A park for the ages/all ages” it could be 3 times that much. It is time to share the land that was purchased for park use. Golf could still be a part of the park along with many other uses.

Do the studies, find the  cost, engage the community in the process and build “A park for the ages/all ages.”

Let’s end this with a great big shout out to PMPD for all that they have done over the last twenty years, and especially with-in the last few years.   Some examples are as follows:

• New turf at Sehmel Homestead Park
• New padding Boundless play ground at Sehmel Homestead Park
• Fox Island Sand spit work
• Narrows Park upkeep
• Hales Pass rebuild
• Rosedale Hall rebuild
• Construction of Community Recreation Center
• Numerous new rec programs
• Community events
• New parterships
• Planning for Peninsula Gardens

and more.

Keep up the good work, stay in your lane, provide the needed community assets as shown in the PROS plan for the next fifty years and beyond.

Build a park for the ages/all ages. Engage with the park district let them know where you stand on this issue.

Bill Sehmel

PenMet Parks commissioner, 2004-2015

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