Friday Sep 7, 2018

“What’s new in Bellevue Parks?”

Glenn Kost

Park Planning and Development Manager City of Bellevue, WA

Introduced by: Kevin Klustner

President Chris Boland opened the meeting, Eli Enger introduced visiting Rotarians and guests and Kevin Polzin led the pledge.

Joining us Friday were A. J. Hartman, Communications Specialist, and Anne Acker of Kindering to accept a $20,000 check presented by Jason Churney to help with Kindering’s programs for children with challenges. With a heartfelt thank you from A J for the BBRC partnership with Kindering and a brief update on their reach in our community, we found out Kindering served 4500 children and families in 2017!

And to no one’s surprise, Alan Pratt won the Inaugural Alan Pratt Guest Award for brining in the most guests to be potential members! Happy bucks were paid by Steve Roberts in celebration of his 55th wedding anniversary and Tom Helbling as his bone marrow donor sponsor was visiting from Germany.

Kevin Klustner introduced our speaker Glenn Kost, Park Planning and Development Manager for Bellevue Parks. Glenn first thanked us for our donation and assistance in building the water park at Crossroads about 14 years ago. He then gave us an update of three new park projects that are significantly changing (or have changed Bellevue parks): the Bellevue Downtown Park (south of Bel-Square); Surrey Downs Park construction (location of the old district court off 112th Ave NE); and Meydenbauer Bay Park.

  • Bellevue Downtown Park – the main phase construction started July 5, 2016 and was completed for the July 4, 2017 celebration. It was a 14-month project completed in 12 months. The final phase just starting is a NE gateway behind Bellevue Rare Coins (and near Goldfarb Jewelers) which is the final phase of the park transformation. If you have not been there, you should visit it, especially with your kids or grandkids!
  • Surrey Downs Park – This park’s location is on the west side of 112th Ave NE, across 112th from the Bellevue Club. It will be completed in December 2018. Previously this property there was an elementary school and then King County District Court and a large parking lot. There will not be access from 112th Ave NE due to light-rail so access will be thru back streets. There will be limited parking but a lot of fun for residents of that area of Bellevue.
  • Meydenbauer Bay Park – The plans for this park were originally devised in 1984. After decades of land acquisition (9 private homes, 2 marinas) and 27 public meetings, as controversies that needed to be resolved including closing the end of 100th Ave NE and reducing the number of permanent moorage slips. Phase 1 of this park will be completed in December, 2018. Phase 1 includes the construction of paths, a pier (shaped as a crescent)’, picnic areas and a beach bath house. Plantings will happen in October once the moisture comes back! Included also are 110 parking spaces in and adjacent to the park, daily boat moorage, 1- day boat moorage and permanent moorage. Next will be construction of a walk from the Bellevue Downtown Park to Meydenbauer Bay Park, linking the two!

Thank you Glenn for helping us understand what a great job Bellevue Parks is doing to provide recreation opportunities for our families!

And the BBRC President Elect is Girish Bhatia! This was announced by President Chris Boland at the conclusion of the meeting.

About the Speaker

Glenn Kost was born and raised in suburban Chicago, He has a Landscape Architecture degree with a Masters in Business Management and has been in the public park field his entire career. His first 16 years were in suburban Chicago and the remainder in the greater Seattle area - 3 years with King County Parks, 6 with Renton Parks and the last 17 as the Manager of Park Planning and Capital Development for Bellevue Parks. Glenn lives in Bellevue.