The presidential election may be over but another election in Maple Valley is coming in February.

The $22.5 million Maple Valley park bond that was on the April 26 ballot did not pass, but that did not discourage the Parks Department. At the Nov. 14 Maple Valley City Council meeting, Greg Brown, Maple Valley Parks and Recreation Director, presented another bond to the council.

Two big projects are planned within the bond, the Summit Park Master Plan Development and Lake Wilderness Elementary Athletic Field Development. Both projects will cost about $14.7 million, it might be less but it will not exceed the projected $14.7 million. The cost breaks down to $10.5 million for the Summit Park project, $3.7 million for the Lake Wilderness project and $500,000 for the bond cost.

In September, the Tahoma School District approached the city about partnering to build a multipurpose synthetic athletic field at Lake Wilderness Elementary. Both of these projects are to provide much needed athletic fields for the community.

The Summit Park project will include 14.5 acres of a community park which will have three multipurpose synthetic turf fields, an off-leash dog park, skate park, sport court, playground, picnic shelter, restrooms and trail head access, among a few other uses. The estimated construction time for the Summit Park project is 18 months. The projected time the park would be done would be in September 2018.

The Lake Wilderness project includes a 4.3 acre ball field which will have one oversized synthetic turf field with three back stops for youth softball, city ownership of the site, an interlocal agreement between the city and Tahoma School District with limited use from the school district, shared parking lot with Lake Wilderness Elementary, restroom and storage building. The estimated construction time will be around four months. The construction can’t start until the land is turned over to the city which won’t be until summer when school is out.

At the meeting, the council unanimously approved the bond to be on the ballot. The Parks Department has a lot of work to do before the new bond is on the Feb. 14 ballot. In order for the bond to pass, it has to pass with 60 percent of yes votes and the voter turnout must equal 40 percent of voters who cast ballots in the previous election, which was the presidential election on Nov. 8.

The impact to homeowners will be significantly less than what was on the previous bond. For the last bond, it would have cost homeowners about $17 a month (for a home worth about $300,000) but for this bond, it would only cost about $9 a month.

Brown said during his presentation to the City Council, after approval by the members the next steps are to tighten the plans, have some open houses for community members to attend and have some information sent out in the mail. The first item to be mailed out about the bond will be sent out around Nov. 23. The open houses are scheduled for Dec. 17, Jan. 12, Jan. 24 and Feb. 7. The times and places for the open houses are yet to be determined.