The journey toward a full build-out of the city of Issaquah’s planned Tibbetts Valley Park skate park moved forward an inch Monday night. But, judging from the number of skate park supporters who showed up in the audience section of City Hall South, the progress may as well have been a mile.

Seated audience spilled out of the council chambers as the city council authorized Issaquah city staff to submit an application for a $75,000 grant from King County’s Youth Sports Facilities program.

With $350,000 already budgeted to build a new skate park, the application is the city’s shot at getting closer to funding a preferred concept design estimated to cost more than $486,000. Even if successful — the city won’t know until close to the end of 2015 — staff will still need to find more sources of cash for the project.

The slow, deliberate nature of the process toward building a skate park was aptly captured by Councilmember Tola Marts.”I had a goal in 2010 (for a new skate park) and Eileen Barber and I both had goals that led to a goal that led to us having this conversation today,” Marts said.

The city council set aside $350,000 for a new skate park back in 2013. A special advisory board worked with the skate park specialist firm Grindline Skateparks, Inc. to put together a park concept that would please the community.

The 10,500-square-foot concept was unveiled in summer 2014 — with a price tag pushing $500,000. But the firm also presented a smaller, basic concrete option that was closer to budget at $363,575.

As the budgeting season for 2015 rolled around, the city council opted to stick to the cheaper concept and construction was set to begin this summer.

But then members of the Issaquah Drug Free Community Coalition, skaters and members of the community at large began speaking out in public meetings, begging the council to make another go at what was dubbed “The $500,000 Option.”

So the council pushed back scheduled construction to summer 2016 while city staff began a hunt for additional cash.

“Everyone always loves super-awesome more than they love awesome,” Marts said.

Grindline designer Micah Shapiro noted that the more expensive concept used surface materials that would require less maintenance over time and display a more attractive color and texture that could aid the city’s goal of making its skate park a regional destination.

The County grant is a reimbursable grant that is paid to agencies after they foot the bill on the projects for which they’re seeking help.

It also requires agencies to match the requested funds by at least half. That won’t be a problem, Council President Paul Winterstein said, since the city has already earmarked $350,000. But one-quarter of the required match — in this case, $9,375 — must be raised at the grassroots level by the community.

After the council authorized the application unanimously, Winterstein made an effort to manage the expectations of “The $500,000 Option’s” supporters.

“This is not a final up or down on the skate park tonight,” he said.

City staff must submit a letter of intent to the County by May 1 and submit an application by June 19.