By Dennis Box

The Courier-Herald

Bonney Lake is planning some needed park and boat launch improvements.

At the Sept. 7 City Council workshop, Assistant Public Works Director Gary Leaf presented three options to improve the Allan Yorke boat launch parking area.

The options all came with a price tag of $200,000 to $500,000 due to paving and a pond for storm water runoff.

"It was simply too expensive," Mayor Bob Young said. "We will probably use gravel and roll it out. There are things we can do that will not be so expensive. We can improve the area without that kind of cost."

The mayor and the council directed Leaf to bring back a less expensive proposal.

The city is also planning improvements to Ascent Park.

The option preferred by the council would cost about $50,000. Two new flagpoles would be added, lighted signs welcoming people to Bonney Lake and ornamental evergreen shrubs would be planted as a backdrop.

A final decision has yet to be made on the improvement options to the park.

"It has been kicked back to the Design Commission," Young said. "They are coming back with some ideas and options. No money has been budgeted yet. This will go into next year's budget."

Members of the commission are Debbie Strous-Boyd, Judi Felton, Arthur Smith, Jamie Bendon and Tyler Gazecki.

Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@courierherald.com.