Proposed ORV park could help Soap Lake

Imagine this. A barren patch of unused land with only sagebrush, hills and wide blue skies to offer passersby. No big amusement park or shopping mall to entice visitors to stop and take a look. In fact, some people might want to drive on by and try to reach a big city.

Land like this runs all through the Columbia Basin. But we have a specific patch of property in mind; 120 acres off Road A north of Soap Lake. It's a patch of land Soap Lake Police Chief Glenn Quantz believes has great potential.

In Tuesday's Columbia Basin Herald, Quantz shared his plans to start an off-road vehicle park. No decisions have been made. Mayor Raymond Gravelle said he was concerned about costs borne by the city to develop the land.

At this point, Quantz said expenses should be minimal and city equipment would only have to be used.

City Planner Darryl Piercy spoke in favor of exploring the idea because of the property's size and location. It's all about 'location, location, location,' so the population saying goes.

"One of the reasons you typically don't see these facilities within cities is because few cities have the kind of opportunities Soap Lake has in terms of owning a piece of land of sufficient size and sufficient terrain in a location that has minimal impact to surrounding property owners that Soap Lake has," Piercy told the city council.

The town of nearly 4,000 needs an economic boost an ORV park could bring, although it would likely be a seasonal one during the warmer months for local restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations and hotels. ORV enthusiasts need to a place to stay, fuel their rigs, eat and shop.

Soap Lake and Grant County offers these services. The beauty of it is, if Soap Lake's campgrounds and hotels are full, visitors can drive to the next nearby town for whatever they need.

Soap Lake, like other communities in the Columbia Basin along the Sun Lakes, have seasonal economies dependent on tourism.

Soap Lake's big draw is its alkaline rich lake, famously known as the "Healing Water" that helped World War I veterans recover from Buerger's Disease, a circulatory disorder that causes extremely discolored skin, pain and infection to the patient. Some people even have to have their body parts amputated. The lake's water was a life saver for some.

Although Soap Lake is a known and often written about tourist destination, it's not yet on the map as a popular ORV place. But it could be.

In Grant County, the Moses Lake Sand Dunes and Beverly Dunes are already frequented by visitors, with a peak time being Memorial Day weekend, according to the Grant County Sheriff's Office website.

We are pleased Quantz is trying to think of ways to stimulate Soap Lake and Grant County's economy.

There are still some unanswered questions though.

Is there adequate police, fire and emergency services to support another population spot? Should alcohol be banned at this proposed ORV area, like it is at the Moses Lake and Beverly dunes? Is the project too expensive for the small town of Soap Lake to undertake? Can Soap Lake apply for grants to fund law enforcement in this fun, but action-packed area being proposed?

The Grant County Sheriff's Office just received two grants, totaling $188,000, from the state Recreation and Conservation Funding Board, to help sand dunes enforcement at the Moses Lake and Beverly dunes.

The funding board wrote how injuries decreased at the Moses Lake and Beverly dunes because of the ORV laws being enforced and the alcohol bans at both locations.

We hope these issues and questions are asked and taken into consideration during any planning and decision making in Soap Lake.

We would love to know what you think. Please weigh in by writing letters to the editor and commenting on this editorial online.

- Editorial Board