Levi Bisnett

MOSES LAKE - Levi Bisnett wants Moses Lake to be recreationist and pedestrian-friendly. As a project surveyor with the city, he gets a chance to make that vision happen.

“It kind of plays into what I’ve been talking about for many years,” Bisnett said of his position. “Which is the need to do things other than just streets, water, sewer, (stormwater drainage) and sidewalks.”

Bisnett said he sees a need to make the city more walkable and bikeable, not only for transportation but also to help bring in tourism dollars that can help the city prosper by funneling money from outside the community to local businesses and community events. To make that vision happen, he’s traveled to cities and towns that are making that process work for them. After looking at different options for such purposes, he said he’s been impressed by a few places, including San Antonio’s River Walk - a commercial district located near the Alamo focused on eateries and using the city’s waterways to draw visitors.

“One of the things that many communities have been doing is daylighting these creeks - underground streams - and creating walking trails and commerce that exist along these corridors of water,” Bisnett said.

Daylighting is the process of removing cover from a stream that has been buried either intentionally by man or over the course of time via natural processes, Bisnett said.

Looking at places like San Antonio and others, Bisnett said he was able to identify places with potential in Moses Lake for similar improvements. One of those is a stream running underneath the former Grant County Fairgrounds near the theaters downtown. He envisions a series of trails and bridges which would essentially connect McCosh Park to the Crystal Springs area and other points downtown. This would not only attract more visitors to downtown events but also make for safer walkability for Moses Lake residents - including students that attend schools in downtown.

Safety is part of every plan Bisnett is a part of. He’s also involved in a project that will utilize a roughly $105,000 grant from the Washington transportation Improvement Board to build a trail connection on Marina Drive, install wayfinding signage - simple direction signs to point visitors to resources - adding park benches and bike racks in downtown and update the city’s Trails Master Plan which was last updated in 2005.

“Work will commence this year,” he said.

Bisnett is also working to obtain funding through the state’s Safe Routes to School program. If successful in applying, this would get the city money that could be used for pedestrian and bike routes around town to help establish walking and biking routes between Patton and Grape Drive along State Route 17, making that area safe.

It isn’t all about bikes and pathways though. Sometimes, drawing in visitors is about good food, Bisnett said. He had a key role in developing an idea the Moses Lake City Council opted to move forward with a $120,000 food truck plaza in downtown Moses Lake. The funding comes from about $6.7 million the city is getting via the American Rescue Plan Act. The 150-foot by 140-foot lot that will be converted is located pretty much straight out the door from the Moses Lake Museum and sits near the community garden downtown. The idea is to have a compass rose - the directional indicator on a map - as the inspiration for the site which will bring in varying food trucks to serve visitors at events or simply on nice days.

“We’re going to create a shade cell structure over the eating area and then you’ll have your cardinal directions - north south east and west. Then, if you’ve ever looked at a typical compass, you’ll see triangles indicating degrees. So, on each of those, we’re going to have signage that says, ‘5.2 miles to the sand dunes; 1.78 miles to fairgrounds.’”

The idea is to have people see where they are in relation to other area attractions they might enjoy, thus marketing the city in an easy way that invites visitors to come and enjoy themselves - and to help residents ensure they’re enjoying living in and around Moses Lake.

That’s a primary goal for Bisnett. He grew up in Warden, just southeast of Moses Lake, and stayed in the Columbia Basin to raise a family and give back to the community - something that keeps him busy.

“I’ve got five kids, so I don’t know that I necessarily unwind,” Bisnett said. “But I get to spend time with them doing various things.”

In addition to his work with the city, Bisnett coaches soccer and basketball through the city’s Parks and Rec programs. He also spends time with his four daughters - Aiyla, Divya, Viviana and Aleana - helping them develop in their athletic endeavors and recently celebrated the birth of his son, Cyrus, in March. And, of course, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Dania.

Bisnett isn’t resting on his laurels after getting approval for the food truck park though. He’s also working on designs for what’s been dubbed the “Inlet District.” The plan would take existing waterways - both natural and manmade - a forgotten former city dump and other assets, clean them up and repurpose them for recreational use. He’s not sure if the plan will be adopted and he’s in the process of talking to community members about the concept for it, but he hopes it will be built in his lifetime. He’s working to make Moses Lake a place his children will want to live and will have a great quality of life.

“I’d like them to live here, you know?” Bisnett said. “And for this to continue to be an attractive place to raise a family - that’s forest and foremost.”

Editor’s note: Levi Bisnett is one of those people in the Columbia Basin working to make life better for the Basin community. Included in today’s edition is our Strength of the Basin insert which we do periodically to highlight those hometown people trying to work to make the Basin a wonderful place to live and play. From first responders to pet rescuers, that publication has a bit of everything that makes the communities we serve the heart of Eastern Washington. If you have any feedback on this or anything else in the paper, please drop me a line at rmiller@columbiabasinherald.com.