Politics & Government

Bonney Lake City Staff Tour Gig Harbor YMCA

On Saturday, July 16, Bonney Lake city staff and council members toured the Gig Harbor facility, a model for the future local establishment.

Note: This is an article written by Gary Leaf, Facilities and Projects Manager for the city of Bonney Lake.

Bolstered by results from a 2010 community survey and a separate 2008 market study, the Bonney Lake City Council is considering a proposal to move ahead with placing a levy on the ballot in 2012 or 2013 that could help provide funds to build a YMCA in Bonney Lake.  The 2010 community survey was undertaken by the Bonney Lake Park Board last summer, while the 2008 study was undertaken by the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap County. Both showed a high level of demand for a local YMCA. While still in the planning stages, the current plan is to build two facilities – one in Bonney Lake and the other in Sumner – that would complement each other.

A majority of Bonney Lake City Council members, one planning commissioner, and two staff members recently visited the YMCA in Gig Harbor which was built in 2008. That particular facility is part of the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap County, a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation that is governed by a local Board of Directors. It includes a Teen Outreach Center that is open free of charge on weekend nights to teens, member or not. Bonney Lake plans to offer that feature if voters agree to pass a levy to build the Y. By way of comparison, the Puyallup Y typically serves more than 500 teens on weekends.

Find out what's happening in Bonney Lake-Sumnerwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Gig Harbor Y pool serves about 1,000 people per day on average.  The Bonney Lake Y would include a competitive lap pool, while the Sumner Y would include a therapy and instructional pool. A paid membership would allow use of both facilities as well as neighboring YMCAs throughout Pierce and Kitsap two counties.

The Gig Harbor Y includes a few unique features that may or may not be included in the Bonney Lake-Sumner Y: a coffee shop and Multicare medical offices.

Find out what's happening in Bonney Lake-Sumnerwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Gig Harbor Y is 77,000 square feet. Together, the proposed Bonney Lake and Sumner YMCAs would total about 100,000 square feet and provide features similar to the Gig Harbor facility and serve approximately 25,000 members. 

The Sumner YMCA has drawn approximately $5.8 million in grants and pledges, plus an offer to donate six acres near SR 410 and 166th Avenue. The City of Bonney Lake has set aside 10 acres in the undeveloped Midtown Park on South Prairie Road. Since no large donors from Bonney Lake have stepped up with pledges, a public bond paid for by Bonney Lake citizens will be needed to make a YMCA feasible in the next few years. The City Council is deliberating on options how to finance such a bond.

If you would like to know more about the City of Bonney Lake’s plans for a YMCA feel free to call Gary Leaf at (253) 447-3282.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Bonney Lake-Sumner