By Dennis Box-The Courier-Herald

An 80-acre Pierce County regional park is close to jumping from the drawing board and onto the ground in the south Plateau area.

The county dubbed the park the Buckley-Bonney Lake Plateau Regional Park, although it is outside the city limits of both cities.

The park is across from the Cascadia development along 198th Avenue East with its northern boarder on 128th Street East. The final master plan was presented at a Jan. 30 workshop at Foothills Elementary.

Terry Larson, capital projects coordinator for Pierce County Parks and Recreation, said the County Council has budgeted nearly $2 million for Phase I construction.

Phase I would include a large grassy area, two full-size basketball courts, play and picnic area, restrooms, a wooded area with trails and parking stalls.

A planned community center and Pierce County Sheriff's Department substation and will have to wait for later phases.

The entire park is estimated to cost in the range of $30 million.

&#8220I'm pushing really hard to get this open as soon as possible,” County Councilman Shawn Bunney said. &#8220We've worked for over four years to develop this as a regional park.”

Larson said he expects to, &#8220start building in the first part of 2008,” after permits and environmental impact statements are completed and approved.

Bonney Lake officials have voiced concern about the park's passive recreation design, which leaves out ball fields.

&#8220I think the park is great for the region as a whole,” Mayor Neil Johnson said. &#8220But I don't consider it a Bonney Lake park. We need ball fields and our biggest complex is Allan Yorke Park, which we are expanding.”

When the park was first being considered in 2002 and 2003, county officials approached the city with a proposal to provide money for a 560-acre regional park, according to Community Services Director Gary Leaf.

&#8220When it was reduced down to 80 acres we knew it would not serve the Plateau's needs,” Leaf said. &#8220We were very interested in a 560 acre park. It could have been a Point Defiance for the Plateau. They wanted us to contribute our Zoo/Trek sales tax.”

Leaf estimated the city would have contributed $1.4 million from the tax to the park.

The 560 acres had been deeded to the White River School District in 1945 by the county to be used as a tree farm for educational purposes.

The county officials, in negotiations with the district, allowed the school to deal 480 acres of the land to Plateau 465, a development company that is part of Invesco, for about 3,000 acres of forest above Carbonado and another 400 acres close to Snoqualmie Pass. Land for a new school is also part of the deal.

&#8220They (the county) came back and asked us for the $1.4 million anyway,” Leaf said. &#8220But we said it wasn't anything like the deal we discussed. So the City Council decided to take back the money.”

Plateau 465 is planning a 3,000 home development on the 460 acres according to county officials.

&#8220This park is not a savior for our area,” Johnson said. &#8220This is not enough to support the building that will be going on in the (south Plateau) area in the coming years and the city will not be able to support the field requests.”

Bonney Lake's largest park is Allan Yorke Park, which is about 50 acres with ball fields, a skate park and play area.

Larson said the county's comprehensive plan does not call for a park with ball fields in that area and a vote taken among the area residents came down on the side of a non-athletic park. According to Larson about 30 people voted with 25 asking for a passive recreation park.

&#8220We want the citizens to tell us what they want,” Larson said. &#8220There was no mandate for any kind of athletic facility there.”

Deputy Mayor Dan Swatman has been a vocal critic of the county's plans for the park.

&#8220If this area is going to be an urban environment than it needs an urban park, not an open field,” Swatman said. &#8220When the neighbors around there come to a meeting of course they want an open park. But it is ridiculous to think in an urban environment they will put in no ball fields. It's rural now, but its not going to be in the very near future.”

Larson said in the county's analysis of the surrounding area found &#8220some of the fields in the schools on the Plateau are not in full use and some of the schools in the valley.”

Johnson said one way to alleviate the problem is for housing developments &#8220like Cascadia to think about active parks. The Plateau (infrastructure) has been built after the fact. As a region these infrastructure things need to be done first.”

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