Headgate Park headed for auction block

ASOTIN — After listening to about a dozen objections, Asotin County officials voted 3-0 Monday night to sell Headgate Park to the highest bidder.

The parcel, 8 miles south of Asotin, has been appraised at $360,000, which will be the minimum bid requirement for the 28.7 acres along Asotin Creek Road.

The commissioners said it was a tough decision, but liability issues and a lack of staffing and funding prompted the move. However, the comments from folks who wanted the park maintained and kept open to the public were appreciated, the board said.

“It’s a hard decision,” Commissioner Chuck Whitman said. “That’s what you pay me for. I’ve got broad shoulders.”

Jim Lowther, of Asotin, said the park is a “potential jewel,” and it appears to have suffered from intentional neglect over the years. “I think it’s a shame to give up an asset like this,” he said.

Jim and JoDella Sargeant, of Clarkston, outlined the site’s history, saying it played a major role in providing water to Jawbone Flats and the development of this area. In addition to its historical significance, the park is an asset to the growing community.

Several people questioned whether the commissioners had already made up their minds prior to the public hearing. “It sounds like it’s already decided,” JoDella Sargeant said.

Commissioner Chris Seubert said he’s been talking about the potential sale for three years at public meetings. It hasn’t been a secret that the county has been considering selling the property, he said.

Ken Bunce, a Clarkston Heights resident, said if the park is sold, he’d like the proceeds dedicated to some form of recreation for county residents, such as developing a portion of county-owned property near the landfill, new jail and ballfields as a destination area for public use.

Proceeds from the sale will go into the county’s general fund or capital fund, said Chris Kemp, chief operations officer. No strings are attached to the money.

Seubert indicated recreation opportunities have been considered. “In my opinion, I’d like some of that money earmarked for pickleball courts. We’re going down that path, maybe.”

Bernard Schneider, of Clarkston, said the property features a nice stream and a good place for folks to have fun. “Keep the darn park and either maintain it, or let people go in there and play,” he said.

John Zillich, of Clarkston, said the park is “a diamond in the rough” that could be a wonderful place for families to use. Water and shade trees within a short drive are in short supply for the public, he said.

Paul Mosman, of Clarkston, remembered fishing there with his grandfather and floating along Asotin Creek. “It saddened me to see it fall into disrepair,” he said.

Over the past 10 years, public access has disappeared at many Snake River beaches because of private property owners. It would be a shame to see the same thing happen at Headgate Park, Mosman said.

Mosman, who works for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, asked if the county had explored any of the recreation grants available for parks or considered talking to WDFW again.

Mike Kuttel Jr., WDFW’s new eastern region director from Spokane, said his agency hasn’t closed the door on this issue and would like to see the park maintained for recreation. “We are interested in the entire property,” he said.

Seubert said WDFW would be welcome to buy it at the surplus auction.

“I’d love to keep it, too,” Seubert said of the park. “It’s kind of like our old jail. We need to get rid of it because of the liability. We’d get chastised more for giving it to Fish and Wildlife.”

Commissioner Brian Shinn said he appreciated Kuttel making the trip to Asotin to listen to the discussion. In the past, the state hasn’t had a good track record of taking care of the land it already owns in Asotin County, Shinn said.

Jay Holzmiller, of Anatone, was the lone voice in favor of selling the park. The former public works employee said the county devoted lots of time and energy trying to get the pond in working order after the 1996 flood. It was a constant problem for years.

Headgate “was a cool place to go 40 years ago,” but it would take 10 years to get environmental permits to stock the pond again, Holzmiller said. “It isn’t like you can’t get to water in this county.”

Megan Stewart, of the Asotin County Conservation District, said she’s concerned about the effect on natural resources if the land is sold to a developer. Stewart asked the board to slow down, explore the options and help protect the site from damage.

When the public hearing closed, the board unanimously approved a resolution to declare the park as surplus.

The property will be available for preview online at publicsurplus.com beginning Wednesday through Sept. 6. The auction will open for bidding on Sept. 7 and close on Sept. 21.

More information is available on the county’s website or by calling Stacey Harman, clerk of the board, at (509) 243-2060.

Sandaine can be reached at kerris@lmtribune.com.