Most University of Idaho students are not native to Moscow and may find themselves a long-term visitor of the small college town.
The opinions and needs of UI students is important for the work of Latah County Parks and Recreation Director Andrew Grant.
The Parks and Recreation Board is getting ready to create a five-year plan for community parks and has created a survey so residents can let them know what they would like to see at the parks. Grant said he wants to make sure students’ voices are heard along with long-term residents.
Grant can relate to the disconnect some students feel to the Moscow community, as he is a UI graduate not native to the area.
“When I was a student here I didn’t use the parks too much and I regret that,” Grant said. “I missed out on some of those opportunities.”
Grant went to work with the county after he graduated in 1999 and is responsible for managing the six parks owned by the county, Bateson-Hylton, Moose Creek, Phillips, Robinson, Ed Corkhill Trail and Latah Trail.
The park could see changes spurred by the results of the survey as soon as next year.
Board member Kathy Dawes said the survey only takes about six minutes to complete and is the first of its kind they’ve done for about 15 years. Of course, she said, the survey done back then wouldn’t have been online.
The survey asks residents to rate how important certain amenities are to them and how they feel about potential policies like allowing dogs off the leash in certain areas of a park.
When it comes to responses, she said the college-age category is lacking compared to residents over 30 and especially those over 50.
When it comes to dog owners in the area, the Humane Society of the Palouse has an off-leash dog park, but Grant said that while it is popular, space is limited.
“Our parks have more space, so it’s possible for us to provide that,” Grant said. “But with dogs, there’s always a potential for conflict, even out here at the county parks.”
The parks are open to UI students as well as residents, and residents are not the only ones supporting the parks. Saturday Grant said around 10 volunteers from the university went out to a section of Latah Trail in Troy to help with vegetation pruning and weed control. The volunteers helped out a lot, he said. Grant said his office works with UI volunteers a few times each year.
Though he wants to include the needs of university students’ in the department’s plans, Grant said there are some restrictions they should be aware of.
“Unfortunately a conflict that happens with students is when they have a large group, usually at Moose Creek and plan on staying up late and being loud,” Grant said. “For the residents and other park users, we do have quiet hours and it is important students know we have overnight fees.”
The survey will remain online on the Latah County Parks and Recreation website and available in local libraries until late September or October.
Nishant Mohan
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