Limited Access to Chelan Parks Starts this Weekend

Strategic Plan Outlines Solutions to Overcrowding

Information submitted by Paul Horne, City of Chelan, Director of Parks, Recreation & Community Services. LCN Photo above.

On Tuesday, the City of Chelan announced that they will be limiting the number of visitors at their two signature parks: Don Morse and Lakeside. To avoid overcrowding, private security guards hired by the City will close access to these two parks when the adjacent City parking lots become full. This measure will start Saturday, August 8 and will continue every Saturday and Sunday possibly through Labor Day weekend, or until crowds diminish sufficiently.

Chelan’s City Council took decisive action at their July 28, 2020 meeting. While a broad range of ideas were discussed, including closing the parks entirely on the weekends, a consensus was reached on the major components of a multifaceted plan. This plan addressed both park overcrowding on the weekends as well as the associated problems with parking along State Highway 97A and in neighborhoods surrounding the parks. The parking creates a hazard for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.

The Council wanted to limit park capacity on the weekends, while ensuring that local residents have access to the parks. To this end the City’s two flagship parks will follow the example of Lake Chelan State Park which implemented a policy of closing their parks to visitors once their parking lots were full. However, Chelan will allow local residents with a valid state-issued ID with a Chelan address to walk in, bicycle in, or be dropped off at the parks. Since the City lacks the staff to implement this policy, it will be outsourced with a private security firm to control park access and patrol the parks.

Parking fees will be raised to help offset the expense of the private firm. However, the parking rates will still offer a good value, as they are in alignment with local market rates, and cheaper than most parking in the Seattle area. The daily parking rate will be raised from $15 to $20. These rates will go into effect on August 27, 2020.

In order to discourage parking along State Highway 97A and in residential neighborhoods adjacent to the parks, the City will raise parking violation fines from the current $25 to $75. It will add additional no-parking signs along the 97A corridor, and coordinate with the Chelan County Sheriff and the State Highway Patrol to enforce parking violations. The City will continue to cone off areas within the corporate limits and refine barricade placement on adjacent side streets to discourage parking in surrounding neighborhoods.

Overcrowding at Chelan’s beautiful Don Morse Park and Lakeside Park is nothing new. The parks have a long history of drawing visitors from across the state and beyond, and parking backing up along State Highway 97A and in surrounding residential neighborhoods, has been a perennial safety concern. This year these problems have been exacerbated because of the novel coronavirus. First, more people are coming to Chelan choosing not to navigate air travel or border restrictions. Second, just as we face unprecedented sustained crowds, more social distancing is required to mitigate the spread of the virus.

Several other policies will generally foster conditions of health and safety at the parks. The Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce has offered free masks which will be distributed to park goers who want them. More signs outlining regulations will be developed and implemented in the park system. The Council has directed staff to study making the possession of alcohol in the parks a criminal rather than a civil offense. This will give local law enforcement more tools to manage large crowds and create a more family-friendly atmosphere in the parks. One of the more fun policies has been adding a pilot project lining a small portion of Don Morse Park with circles illustrating ideal social distancing. Park staff will continue monitoring patron’s behavior in the areas, gathering feedback and will consider expanding the area if people feel more comfortable and safer within the circles. Finally, the City will coordinate with WSDOT to petition a speed limit reduction along Highway 97A.

The park capacity limits will begin on August 8 and continue on subsequent weekends until crowd sizes diminish with cooler weather, or until otherwise deemed necessary.

Chelan Mayor Bob Goedde states, “Although we regret taking these actions, we find it necessary during the pandemic. The protection of our residents and visitors is our highest priority.”