About the artist: Tova Beck is 12 years old and is a student at Kopachuck Middle School. She won first place in the Tahoma Audubon Bird Drawing Contest two years in a row, and has been commissioned to produce paintings for a conference booklet for an international educational honorary society. Her original paintings are on the cover of a published coloring book, and she sells her artwork at local fairs and at Chalet in the Woods in Gig Harbor. Tova is a self-trained artist who likes to photograph nature before painting. A Peninsula Gateway Newspaper article on Tova can be found online: http://www.gateline.com/2010/03/18/6493/nature-inspires-young-artist.html
Tova on Sehmel Park: “What I like about Sehmel Park is how you can walk through a shady forest on a hot day and come into a beautiful sunlit field of lupines. Also, the expanses of playfield are so big that everyone can have space to play. I brought my cousin, Kailyn, who is two, to the playground. She squealed with delight. Sehmel Park is a place that is good for everyone.”
The 98-acre parcel was homesteaded in 1884 by Henry Sehmel, grandfather of the last private owner, Don & Mary Ellen Sehmel. The park site is located about 2 miles west of the North Rosedale/Burnham Drive Exit off of State Highway 16 at the intersection of Sehmel Drive and 78th Avenue NW. The community worked for over 18 years to acquire and develop this property as a park.
1884 Property homesteaded by Henry Sehmel, April 4, 1884.
1958 Pond built (DS).
1994 Sehmel Homestead (Bujacich) site acquisition identified in the 1994 Gig Harbor/Key Peninsula Comprehensive Park, Recreation & Open Space Plan.
January, 2000 Discussions commenced within the PARCS Council for a multi-purpose park at Sehmel Homestead.
March, 2000 Great Peninsula Conservancy secured option to purchase Sehmel property. Balanced effort blending active and passive recreation interests. Letter of Agreement signed by over 30 organizations and numerous individuals expressing support for the multi- purpose park. Fundraising commences.
May, 2000 Conservation Futures submission #3 successful.
July, 2002 Property acquired through Conservation Futures ($1,950,726.50) with IAC ($317,255.60), and private funding ($232,017.90) in package. Includes $100,000 Maintenance Endowment, and $100,000 Easement Management Endowment.
Fall, 2002 Friends of Homestead Park Board of Directors established with 19 community-wide representatives.
May, 2003 Peninsula Park and Recreation District (PPRD) passes bond for development (60.5%), but companion maintenance levy only receives 59%, preventing sale of bonds.
May, 2004 PenMet Parks (Peninsula Metropolitan Park District, PMPD) formed to provide stable funding for park system.
February, 2005 AHBL retained to prepare permits and construction documents.
February, 2005 Conditional Use Permit application submitted.
May, 2005 Sehmel property transferred from Pierce County to PMPD.
June, 2005 PenMet Parks issues $6.53 million in bonds to finance construction.
September, 2005 PenMet Parks hosts Public Hearing on SHP Master Plan and adopts Master Plan (Oct).
September, 2006 $100,000 Boeing Mariners Care Athletic Field Grant awarded.
June, 2007 Mitigated Determination of Non-Significance (MDNS) issued.
July, 2007 Peninsula Advisory Commission Public Hearing: approval.
August, 2007 Pierce County Hearing Examiner Public Hearing.
May, 2008 Awarded bid (Woodworth & Co.)
July, 2008 Construction started, including Boundless Playground, artificial turf soccer/football, 375’ baseball, two 300’ softball, amphitheater, heritage garden, open meadow, 70 acres natural area.
May 15, 2010 Grand Opening Celebration; Park opens.
Description: This 98-acre community park is planned for development.
Volunteer Park Host Needed Peninsula Metropolitan Park District (PenMet Parks), Sehmel Homestead Park in Gig Harbor. Daily: open and secure facilities, litter detail, minor maintenance, and visible site presence. Park host will receive full utility hook-up. Hosts are for two/three month blocks, year-round. See attached Host Request Form. For additional information, call 253-858-3400.
July, 2007 Peninsula Advisory
