Return Kennewick’s treasure of a park to local control | Editorial

Kennewick has been trying to acquire Columbia Park East from the federal government for more than a decade.

The city has taken all the necessary steps, but a decision from Washington, D.C., is caught up in bureaucratic limbo. We urge the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to act as quickly as possible to make the city’s dream a reality.

The Corps took possession of 39,000 acres along the river three-quarters of a century ago to support construction of McNary Lock and Dam.

That acquisition served an important federal purpose at the time, but it has nothing to do with the 72-acre park that exists today. Columbia Park East is a vibrant community gathering place for recreation, relaxation and entertainment.

Residents from all over the Tri-Cities visit the park for its playground, fishing pond, boat launch, skateboard park, sports fields and golfing facilities.

It hosts beloved local events like the River of Fire Fourth of July festival and the Tri-City Water Follies and Columbia Cup hydroplane races. And starting Oct. 18, it becomes home to the Tri-Cities’ second public dog park.

All of that exists thanks to a lease agreement between the city and the Corps. But under the 1996 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), the Corps could transfer the land to the city. The city first applied in 2011 and expanded its request to all 72 acres east of Edison Street in 2019.

The application has moved at a snail’s pace since then.

The Corps says it will complete its local review by the end of the year, then it will send it to D.C., for further consideration. Maybe a decision will come next year? The Corps cannot say with certainty.

Federal reviews are notoriously slow, but this is getting ridiculous.

This should be a straightforward land transfer from an agency that no longer needs the land to a community that is much better positioned to maintain it for the public good.

Perhaps Rep. Dan Newhouse, whose district includes Kennewick, and Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell can nudge the Corps into action after the federal government reopens.

Don’t get us wrong. Everyone appreciates the Corps’ willingness to lease the land to the city for all these years, but the current agreement imposes some farcical requirements. For example, city crews must secure federal permits before repairing broken irrigation lines or replacing sprinkler heads.

It also had to navigate the permitting process simply to dig post holes for fencing at the new dog park. These sorts of hurdles drain resources and delay otherwise uncontroversial improvements.

City ownership would enable more responsive management. If a sprinkler breaks, crews could fix it promptly. The city also could expand summer concert series, allow community fundraisers and host regional athletic tournaments. Historically, the Corps has treated revenue-generating events skeptically.

Kennewick will have to exercise caution with any commercial activity, though. Federal ownership has protected the land from shopping centers and condominiums, but local rules can do that, too.

Likewise, the federal commitment to preserving Indigenous cultural sites can be accomplished locally. That is especially critical given that Kennewick Man, one of the oldest skeletons found in the Americas, was discovered there in 1996.

If transferred, the 1996 water resources act would provide a legal framework to prevent such commercial and residential development, but the city should go one step further and establish by ordinance that it will maintain the park for public recreation and protect archaeological sites.

The community’s trust depends on such an ironclad guarantee.

Another critical benefit of local ownership would be insulation from shifting federal priorities under different presidential administrations. Federal land management philosophies can change with elections. Local control would ensure consistent stewardship aligned with community values rather than far-off political winds.

“We’re really just at the mercy of the Corps,” Kennewick City Manager Erin Erdman told the Tri-City Herald. That sentiment captures the frustration of a community ready to take full responsibility for land it has managed successfully for decades.

It is past time for the Corps to return land it no longer needs to local control.

Kennewick has demonstrated its commitment to responsible stewardship and is ready to assume full ownership. Local leaders can provide responsive local management that enhances recreation and preserves an irreplaceable community asset for generations to come.