Jenkins Creek Park - Covington, WA

[tallpat]

OK, so I was recently reading up on the City of Covington's Park, Recreation, and Open Spaces Plan (http://www.covingtonwa.gov/covington/CovingtonPROSFINALcomposite051710Web.pdf) and on page 69, it mentions some interest in installing at least a 9 hole disc golf course at the Jenkins Creek Park.

I did some rudimentary searches on this forum to see whether anyone here had any additional details, but found no results.

I, for one, would love to see a course installed here (as it is much closer to my house than my current "home course"- White River).

So, this question goes out to anyone who has ever been involved in course development and/or anyone who may have some insight into the subject: "How can I help MAKE THIS HAPPEN?"

[Adam Schneider]

The first thing I would do is call or e-mail the city's Director of Parks & Recreation and find out whether they have serious ideas about a DG course as part of this plan, or if it's just one of many suggestions that were tossed around at a brainstorming session. If it's the latter (which I suspect), ask what you can do to help advocate for it.

If the Parks & Rec Director has no idea what you're talking about -- which is possible, given that he or she may be more focused on present issues than future ones -- ask whom you should talk to. They'll know.

[tallpat]

Thanks Adam! I just sent an e-mail to the parks & rec director, and recreation manager for the city. Here's hoping for a "serious intent" reply (although I'm just about as skeptical as anyone else at this point).

[tallpat]

Awesome! I received a reply rather quickly!

Hello Patrick – Good to hear from you. I’m impressed that you took the time to dig into the PROS Plan. While it is an extremely helpful tool for me, not many citizens take the time to read it. Regarding a disc golf course at Jenkins Creek Park, it is somewhere in between a “serious consideration” and an “idea”. At the moment I don’t have a budget and timeline to put a course there. However, I see disc golf as a need to be met, and it is a relatively affordable facility to add to a park, and we want to and need to activate more of our underutilized park properties, so I’m very interested in figuring out where and how to establish a course. I think if we knew exactly what we wanted to do, we could find the money and the manpower to make it happen. Are you available to work actively with me to sort through site investigation, course design, cost estimating, installation and maintenance issues? If so, let’s chat over email and set up a meeting. I’m pretty booked through Wednesday, March 16th but my calendar is fairly open after that. Please let me know what works for you. Thanks.


Scott Thomas
Director
Covington Parks and Recreation
(253) 638-1110 Ext. 3279

[Adam Schneider]

Wow, jackpot! I don't think you could have hoped for a better response than that.

Hopefully some Puget Sound locals with course design/installation experience will volunteer to attend that meeting with you.

[tallpat]

Wow, jackpot! I don't think you could have hoped for a better response than that.

Hopefully some Puget Sound locals with course design/installation experience will volunteer to attend that meeting with you.

I know, right!

Here's where I'm hoping that forums like this can network me with the right people to make this happen!

I didn't quite expect such a prompt response, so I'm still trying to formulate a reply. I am dedicated enough to actively work with the parks department, but I'm also relegated to a 40hr/wk work schedule. I will definitely set up a meeting, but I'm a little bit apprehensive about my own personal knowledge with the course design/development/maintenance issues...

I have spent some time perusing the pdga.com page on course development, but I have absolutely zero first hand knowledge.

[sillybizz]

Awesome!!! :)

[tallpat]

So, I guess in the mean time, I should try to determine whether Jenkins Creek would even be a viable place for a course... It's a 22-23 acre park...

I don't know at this point... So many ideas racing through my mind at the moment. I'd really like to see this happen, but I know I won't be able to do it all on my own.

Would anyone with course development/design be able to accommodate me (or, at least correspond with me), when I set up a meeting with the parks&rec department? I really don't want to walk into a meeting unprepared...

[Adam Schneider]

When I get a chance, I'll set up a Google Map for you with the boundaries of the park mapped; you'll be able to use an interactive "ruler" to measure acreage.

[tallpat]

When I get a chance, I'll set up a Google Map for you with the boundaries of the park mapped; you'll be able to use an interactive "ruler" to measure acreage.

:rockon:

I have the utmost respect for cartographers.

This link might provide a decent reference point:

http://wikimapia.org/8954684/Jenkins-Creek-Park

[cefire]

Hey Scott,

This is some great news, I'd love to help out with whatever I can although it is a little bit of a drive for me. Keith Lionetti is another person who has tons of experience working with folks at various parks depts and I'm sure he'd be interested. Tom Bontempo is probably the most local of the course designers out there and might be interested himself.

I'll send a PM with my contact info :)

[Adam Schneider]

http://www.oregondiscgolf.com/course_maps/Jenkins_Creek_Park.html

[Mikk]

I'm always willing to give up some free time for work parties!!

[tallpat]

Thanks Adam, that's a pretty sweet tool which I'm sure will come in handy.

Mikk, I'm considering surveying the park premises sometime this weekend (either before or after checking out the course at Shelton Springs). You, or anyone else for that matter, are welcome to accompany me for this initial site survey.

I've requested a few weeks preparation time from the Parks & Rec director, so we're tentatively scheduled for a meeting somewhere around April 1st.
:yay:

[olydiscgolf]

Thanks Adam, that's a pretty sweet tool which I'm sure will come in handy.

Mikk, I'm considering surveying the park premises sometime this weekend (either before or after checking out the course at Shelton Springs). You, or anyone else for that matter, are welcome to accompany me for this initial site survey.

I've requested a few weeks preparation time from the Parks & Rec director, so we're tentatively scheduled for a meeting somewhere around April 1st.
:yay:

Nice work Pat! I'm just reading the thread here for the first time, but this is fantastic news for your area. For help along the way, Andrew (CEFIRE) had some great suggestions (Tom B, Kieth L.). Another great voice of WA disc golf is 2x world Champion Paul Wright. He has designed and installed more courses than anybody else I know of, and he is a great person.

[NBdiscgolfer]

I'm always willing to give up some free time for work parties!!

I am too! Keep us updated on this!

[tallpat]

It's been a few days, but the recent developments on this are as follows:

I have engaged in an e-mail conversation with Keith at Chainbangerz, and he has expressed interest in assisting with the development of a course in Covington. I'm hoping to set up a meeting with Keith relatively soonish (perhaps this week).

Through my correspondence with the Parks and Recs director, I have received a few pointers/words of advise/caveats:

Covington Parks & Rec has a very small staff, and work plans are already full with other priorities, meaning that this project will be squeezed into whatever small bits of time are available. This project will likely proceed very slowly, but patience will be worth it in the end.

It is not obvious whether a 9 or 18 hole course would be appropriate for Jenkins Creek Park and/or Covington... The primary concern being potential for a conflict of uses. If a smaller number of holes would work, then the possibilities would increase.

Other potential parks with some fairly large spaces (other than Jenkins Creek Park) include the Covington Community Park, Cedar Creek Park, and the Pipeline Trial.

There is some concern about the budget for design, equipment, construction, and maintenance. Suggestions for these issues include, creating our own design, doing some fundraising for equipment, and deciding whether to have a no-maintenance course or a volunteer maintenance agreement.

Given the time and funding constraints, it is doubted that this course would be completed this summer, it would be better to shoot for sometime next summer.


That's about all I have for now.
Cheers!:cheers:

[Adam Schneider]

I would not try to squeeze in 18 holes there, unless you're allowed to use the entire park. 9 no problem, maybe 12. And remember that it doesn't HAVE to be a multiple of three!

[tallpat]

I would not try to squeeze in 18 holes there, unless you're allowed to use the entire park. 9 no problem, maybe 12. And remember that it doesn't HAVE to be a multiple of three!

Definitely something to consider... I'm also into considering some of the other parks that the Parks & Rec director mentioned (although, I'm new to the area and not so familiar with the other ones)...

[cefire]

There is no magic number of holes - I'm always in favor of quality holes over achieving the mystical magical multiples of 3

[JR Stengele]

There is no magic number of holes - I'm always in favor of quality holes over achieving the mystical magical multiples of 3

:yay: Just look at Pavillion Park on the border of Idaho/Wa ;)

It is about quality not quantity.

[sillybizz]

I would not try to squeeze in 18 holes there, unless you're allowed to use the entire park. 9 no problem, maybe 12. And remember that it doesn't HAVE to be a multiple of three!

This.

There is no magic number of holes - I'm always in favor of quality holes over achieving the mystical magical multiples of 3

And This.

[JNichols]

Any more News on this topic?? I myself live in Covington and would be Pee my Pants HAPPY to have a course here in town... I would be willing to do the work too!:yay:

[Flingin fireman]

Hi Tallpat,
I just ran across this thread. I would be more than happy to help out in any way I can. It is my experience that it is best to establish and build a relationship with the parks people and begin to educate them on the issues associated with installing and maintaining a disc golf course. It appears that you are well along this path.
Doing a walk through of all the potential park properties also seems like the the first order of business. If the parks director can walk along it provides an opportunity to find out what they are interested in and to build trust.
I work in Kent and our fire department provides the service in Covington as well. I get off duty at 8 am in Kent several times a month and could meet with you and /or the parks director sometime if you would like.
I have a good relationship with Keith and Tom and would be happy to work with them.
We are busy in the West Sound putting in an incredible new course called the Bud Pell at Ross Farm. Give me a call if you would like a tour of it sometime. 360-509-0000.
Now is the time to meet with parks for work to begin in the fall.
Anyway, give a call if you want any help with this.
Paul Wright

[tallpat]

Thanks! As of right now, I'm still awaiting a reply from the parks director with regards to setting up a meeting. It's a little bit frustrating, because initially I had established a seemingly solid dialog, but for the past few weeks... crickets. I know the parks director said he was going on vacation at the end of April, so I'm assuming he's preoccupied with other parks related stuff prior to. I've been e-mailing him bi-weekly since the beginning of March, and have not been receiving so-much as a confirmation of receipt (perhaps my e-mail address got filtered as spam or something?). I don't know, maybe I'll try calling his office to see how things are going?

[tallpat]

I decided to call, and left a voice mail today. Amongst other parts of the message, I received the following reply:

In the meantime, here are two links to web pages that can help you identify suitable property and try to lay out some courses. Here’s a link to the City’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan (http://www.covingtonwa.gov/city_departments/parks/covington_pros_plan.html). It has maps showing the location of public (city and other agencies) park and open space properties. Here’s a link to King County’s iMap web site (http://www.kingcounty.gov/operations/gis/Maps/iMAP.aspx). After finding properties in the PROS Plan you can pull up an aerial photo to check the size and the terrain of the properties. It has topo lines along with measuring and drawing tools that might allow you to start laying out some courses. I suggest you try to lay out courses at Jenkins Creek Park, King County Cedar Downs Park and “King County Greenspace”. Cedar Downs and the unnamed greenspace are shown on Map 2 in the PROS Plan. Cedar Downs is at the NE corner of the city and the other greenspace is centrally located south of the city limits, south of the railroad and west of Winterwood. Another location I’d like you to check out is called the “Pipeline Trail”, shown as a “Proposed Shared Use Trail” on Map 9 in the PROS Plan. The undeveloped trail corridor is on the east side of the city and runs from Kent Kangley, through Timberlane all the way to the gravel mine on the north edge of the city. We would like to open that trail corridor and although I think you don’t prefer linear courses it may be an option.

...this seems like an appropriate time for input...:chinscratch:

[tallpat]

This is a map that I made of the proposed areas...

Cedar Downs is in the Northeast corner of the city, Jenkins Creek is near the city center, and King County Greenspace is just South of the city center.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=h&msa=0&msid=205477404371629155218.0004a495b8830df2ecfdb&ll=47.36313,-122.087116&spn=0.038719,0.100336&z=14

[tallpat]

I met up with Keith yesterday, and we spent the better part of 3½ hours walking through the three areas mentioned by the Parks and Recreation director; Cedar Downs, Jenkins Creek Park, and King County Greenspace.

I must say, all three areas definitely have some potential.

Jenkins Creek Park was the site that initially got me interested in contacting Covington Parks, because that's the park that was mentioned as a potential disc golf course in the "Covington PROS Plan"... I had, up until yesterday, held this location as a "front runner" in terms of first choices. But, having seen the other options, I'm not so certain anymore... The (good/bad) thing about Jenkins Creek Park, is that it is already an established park in the community. It's good, because the property is already fairly well maintained, with trails and mowed fields that could make the transition into a course less strenuous. However, since it is an established park, it might be a little more difficult to convince the community that disc golf would make a good fit for the park. I do like this location for it's potential water hazard holes though, even if the land-area isn't as large as the other two locations.

Cedar Downs was a nice vast amount of land, with fairly dense wooded areas. The majority of this land appears to be located on top of a "plateau", with a really steep (~100% grade) hill that drops down around 150-200ft in elevation along the Northern, and part of the Western borders of the property. This property is currently not easily accessible, with only a few mountain biking trails branching off of the main trail (Pipeline Trail). Although this is the largest of the three sites, it may not be the most feasible because of it's secluded nature. There is virtually zero parking available at any of the trail heads leading into the area. All-in-all, it was a pretty impressive site, but it would take a lot of work to clear out some fairways and make it usable/accessible.

Finally, the King County Greenspace seemed to be comprised of a nice mix of wooded areas and former roads and trails. This land is adjacent to an already existing (and very well maintained, possibly private?/neighborhood) park. There was a good variety of terrain on this property with some interesting elevation features. There are some dirt bike trails winding through the property, which could be used as a basic route through to develop a course trail from. I think at the end of the day, Keith and I both agreed that this spot (granted the proper approval) has the best potential.

Of course, all of this is just a part of the preliminary site survey process. There's still a lot of uncertainty with regards to what we are able to actually do, at least, until we get an opportunity to meet with the Parks Director. We tentatively have a meeting scheduled with Covington Parks on 6/7, but this may very well get pushed out a few weeks due to the numerous other projects going on at the moment.

Anyhow, that's my update for now.
Cheers! :cheers:

[JNichols]

That is AWESOME TallPat!!! I commend you on your leg work for a Covington Course. I live like 2.5 miles up Covington Sawyer Way from the King Co. Greenspace. I would REALLY like to assist you, if you need it, in anyway I can! Please, feel free to hit me up and I will get you my # for whatever you may need. PLEASE keep us updated on what you hear next! Thanks again for your Efforts. :)


I met up with Keith yesterday, and we spent the better part of 3½ hours walking through the three areas mentioned by the Parks and Recreation director; Cedar Downs, Jenkins Creek Park, and King County Greenspace.

I must say, all three areas definitely have some potential.

Jenkins Creek Park was the site that initially got me interested in contacting Covington Parks, because that's the park that was mentioned as a potential disc golf course in the "Covington PROS Plan"... I had, up until yesterday, held this location as a "front runner" in terms of first choices. But, having seen the other options, I'm not so certain anymore... The (good/bad) thing about Jenkins Creek Park, is that it is already an established park in the community. It's good, because the property is already fairly well maintained, with trails and mowed fields that could make the transition into a course less strenuous. However, since it is an established park, it might be a little more difficult to convince the community that disc golf would make a good fit for the park. I do like this location for it's potential water hazard holes though, even if the land-area isn't as large as the other two locations.

Cedar Downs was a nice vast amount of land, with fairly dense wooded areas. The majority of this land appears to be located on top of a "plateau", with a really steep (~100% grade) hill that drops down around 150-200ft in elevation along the Northern, and part of the Western borders of the property. This property is currently not easily accessible, with only a few mountain biking trails branching off of the main trail (Pipeline Trail). Although this is the largest of the three sites, it may not be the most feasible because of it's secluded nature. There is virtually zero parking available at any of the trail heads leading into the area. All-in-all, it was a pretty impressive site, but it would take a lot of work to clear out some fairways and make it usable/accessible.

Finally, the King County Greenspace seemed to be comprised of a nice mix of wooded areas and former roads and trails. This land is adjacent to an already existing (and very well maintained, possibly private?/neighborhood) park. There was a good variety of terrain on this property with some interesting elevation features. There are some dirt bike trails winding through the property, which could be used as a basic route through to develop a course trail from. I think at the end of the day, Keith and I both agreed that this spot (granted the proper approval) has the best potential.

Of course, all of this is just a part of the preliminary site survey process. There's still a lot of uncertainty with regards to what we are able to actually do, at least, until we get an opportunity to meet with the Parks Director. We tentatively have a meeting scheduled with Covington Parks on 6/7, but this may very well get pushed out a few weeks due to the numerous other projects going on at the moment.

Anyhow, that's my update for now.
Cheers! :cheers:

[tallpat]

I've started a facebook page to begin organizing a community of interested peoples. Here's the link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Covington-Disc-Golf-Association/235138423189588

The intention here is to have the facebook community as kind of a centralized site for discussions/brainstorming and then to cross-post any major breakthroughs or updates to this thread here. To be honest, there may be quite a bit of cross posting between this thread and the facebook group until things get better sorted out.

[sillybizz]

Liked! :)