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| Splash photo by Craig Howard |
Tom Specht, a transplant to the Inland Northwest from Oklahoma, is recognized as one of the pioneers of the Liberty Lake trail system. Specht’s work with a community committee paved the way for a trail network now considered one of the best in the state.
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A Cup of Joe: Transplanted trail guide
12/29/2014 2:58:02 PM
By Craig Howard
Splash Contributor
To say that Tom Specht played a part in developing Liberty Lake's world-class trail network is like saying Meriwether Lewis and William Clark pitched in on the early trek west of the Mississippi.
A native of Lawton, Okla., Specht has called the Liberty Lake area home for the past 29 years. Prior to Liberty Lake incorporation, he served as the inaugural chair of a committee formed in 1995 that rallied support for local trails through a state-facilitated program called the Transportation Benefit District. In September 1999, the TBD - which generates funds for public improvements through a self-imposed property tax - earned a super majority at the ballot, clearing the way for $650,000 toward trail construction.
Specht led a trails committee that originally consisted of around 50 residents and operated under the umbrella of an established civic group, Friends of Pavillion Park. Over the past 15 years, the movement has led the charge to establish Liberty Lake as one of the most pedestrian-friendly communities in the state.
Specht wound up in Liberty Lake after applying for a positon with Hewlett Packard. At the time, he was working for Boeing and living in the Puget Sound area with his wife, Kathy, who had family in the Spokane area. HP hired Specht and soon the couple was headed east of the Cascades.
Specht helped HP move into its new building on Molter Road, a site that would serve as the forerunner for an influx of high-tech companies to the area. Specht's background includes a master's of science in engineering from the University of Washington and bachelor of science in industrial engineering from the University of Oklahoma.
Specht grew up in southwest Oklahoma, where his father owned the largest tire shop in the region. One of seven children, Specht thrived in the outdoors throughout his youth, learning to appreciate the environment and aspiring one day to live near abundant forestland and water. An avid reader, Specht was also a senior patrol leader in Scouts. If video games had been around when Specht was growing up, he would have opted for a book or hike over Atari.
Tom and Kathy have a grown daughter, Jessica, who lives in the area. Now retired, Specht said he and Kathy are officially "in training for senioritis or is it geezerhood?" He proudly talks of completing his basement after 29 years. When not putting up drywall, Specht helps coordinate a free concert on the shores of the lake each summer and works with FOPP on its summer concert series.
Specht not only helped build the trail system; he utilizes it regularly. Daily walks are part of the daily agenda for him and Kathy along with crossword puzzles and yoga. Their travels in recent years have taken them from the San Juan Islands to Italy, while Tom stays active with soccer and road and mountain biking. When not pedaling or striding down a path, Specht can be found scaling a peak. He has climbed Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier - twice, the last time when he was over 60.
The Splash caught up with Liberty Lake's trailblazer recently to talk about pre-incorporation Liberty Lake, the politics of building trails and the community he has discovered and cherished on foot.
Q: You worked for Hewlett Packard when the company was one of the first major employers in the Liberty Lake area. What role do you think HP played in the development of the community, particularly on the commercial side?
A: HP helped fund a sewer system that could support more development. It served as a model that high-tech companies could thrive at Liberty Lake. Its downsizing supplied talent to many of the local companies and start-ups.
Q: You live just outside the city boundaries but have been involved in a number of municipal initiatives. What was your impression of incorporation before it went to ballot and how do you think the idea of Liberty Lake as a city has worked out?
A: I was for including the area around Liberty Lake in the city. I thought we have a lot of talented people and leaders at the lake, and they would be a valuable asset to the city. The lake area is classified as rural, yet I see little difference in the type of community north of Sprague or just south of Sprague. Many people were sure that "another layer of government" would increase property taxes. The city property taxes are lower (in 2014 County residents paid $14.50 per $1000 of assessed value and Liberty Lake residents paid $14.12 per $1000). Liberty Lake rates will be lower in 2015 ($14.07) but I don't know what the county rates will be. The city residents pay 3 percent utility tax on gas, electricity, phone, garbage and cable and county residents will pay higher garbage rates that could offset the utility tax. So, overall, the cost is probably lower. Some people said there would be high-rises on the lake. I think the likelihood of high-rises on the lake is the same as high-rises on the golf courses. I think the city has allowed more local representation of the area and instead of much of the property tax being spread throughout the county, it is used to upgrade and provide services for the city of Liberty Lake.
Q: Do you think the area south of Sprague will ever become part of the city?
A: I don't know. I do believe that the community of Liberty Lake does not stop at Sprague. The trails do not stop at Sprague. We are joined by schools, community organizations, celebrations, families.
Q: How did the trails committee get its start?
A: It started for me when the Liberty Lake Property Owners Association did a survey of what the people of Liberty Lake wanted. We got a high response for trails. In 1995, I and a group of citizens at Liberty Lake started a committee to find a way to connect the community with trails. Our dream was to provide user-friendly trails within Liberty Lake. We worked under the umbrella of the Friends of Pavillion Park. In April of 1999, we held a three-day design meeting working with the Washington Society of Landscape Architects, and on the last day we had an open house for the citizens of Liberty Lake. We put together a Liberty Lake trail plan, which was adopted by the county.
Q: Was there support for the Transportation Benefit District and the idea of a self-imposed tax when it was first introduced?
A: There was support for trails, for finishing paths started, for making loops, for making it safe for children to access the park and school. The Transportation Benefit District was the best path to get there. In the fall of 1999, we held an election to form the Liberty Lake TBD - 60 people helped in the campaign. We had people going door to door, standing on the corner waving signs, and making telephone calls. We needed 60 percent of the vote and the people of Liberty Lake responded to increase their property taxes to fund trails. Our slogan was for the price of a pizza dinner you can afford to pay for trails for your community. That worked in 1999. Now they have $5 pizzas, so I don't think that slogan would work as well. It was very gratifying to see nearly 70 percent of the people of Liberty Lake vote to increase their property taxes to fund trails. I feel that this investment has more than paid off. For the money raised has acted as seed money so that with city, county and state funds we have been able to use it to fund trails costing four times as much. By working with our partners and getting grants, we extended our $650,000 to provide trails and enhancement for $2.3 million dollars. Pat Harper from Spokane County served not only as a liaison with the country commissioners, but also had been a major guiding force for us. The county involvement has been great. Since the city started, Steve Peterson, city mayor, was a leader and proponent for trails and crucial to getting the pedestrian bridge. The city was a valuable partner, not the least of which is financial. The sewer district commissioners have always supported the trails.
Q: The pedestrian bridge took a considerable amount of time, effort and funding to complete. Do you consider this the crowning achievement of the TBD and the committee?
A: When we had the community meeting on the trails, we had everyone with three self-stick dots to mark on the maps what they thought was the most important piece of the trail. The pedestrian bridge was covered with dots. I thought, "Oh no, they had to pick the most difficult to achieve." But working with the city, county and Department of Transportation, we did get it done. But I thought that the most important achievement was getting the people of Liberty Lake and all the other organizations working as one to a common goal is the crowning achievement.
Q: When you moved here back in the 1980s, did you ever imagine Liberty Lake would develop into what it has become today?
A: No. When we bought a lot in 1982, I thought that Liberty Lake was terrific. Close to nature, close to work. Kathy thought the only thing it needed was a gas station, a grocery store and a hardware store. I am amazed at how the community has developed. We have had great leaders in development, the city, organizations and the sewer district - Jim Frank, Lud Kramer, Steve Peterson, Ross Schneidmiller, come to mind. The sewer district has always been up front about protecting the lake and aquifer.
Q: Finally, what is your favorite part about living in the Liberty Lake area?
A: I love the lake and being able to go up in the hills running and mountain biking - that "near nature, near perfect" thing. But what I really love is how Liberty Lake is such a community. The people of Liberty Lake volunteer, help their neighbor, get together to celebrate. They work together in community groups, lake beach organizations, Friends of Pavillion Park, Kiwanis, history group, the library group, fireworks, parades and in so other ways. This summer I was camping on Lopez Island - it's called the "Friendly Island." Everyone waves to you as you bike ride or drive by. I think we also have such friendly people here at Liberty Lake. Many people wave or talk to you as you walk or drive by. I would call Liberty Lake the "Friendly Community," and I love it here.
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