Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks And Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Washington City mayor reports progress on Washington Wheels Park, historic canal trail and ballfield improvements
Summary
Mayor Staley reported that Washington Wheels Park is under construction on 14 donated acres and is expected to open by year’s end; three sections (about 1.5 miles) of the historic canal trail are set for construction this year; the council allocated funding for a concession-stand replacement study at the community ballfields.
Mayor Staley, Washington City mayor, gave an update on several recreation and trail projects, saying Washington Wheels Park is under construction on 14 acres of donated land and “we anticipate it opening by the end of the year.”
The report matters because the projects add recreational facilities and pedestrian connections across the city and because some work depends on easements, grants and council funding decisions that shape when and how pieces are built.
On Washington Wheels Park, the mayor said the regional facility will include skating and biking features alongside traditional park amenities. “Now this is a regional park under construction, built on 14 acres of donated ground,” Staley said. He listed planned features: “Certainly, it will have the skate park, the pump track, and the BMX track.” He added the site will also include a pavilion, playgrounds, grassy areas and “even a splash pad.”
Staley said the city is watching construction progress and anticipates an opening by year’s end, and he warned the site remains a construction zone while work continues.
Staley also updated the council on the historic canal trail, which he described as running “from the Indian Oaks neighborhood near Schnaupkibe all the way down to near Crimson Cliffs High School” and following an old open-ditch irrigation route that was later piped. “We—re ready to build 3 of those sections, totaling about 1.5 miles,” Staley said, and he said those sections will be under construction this year. He said future sections depend on acquiring additional easements and on development.
On the Washington Dome site east of Washington Fields, Staley said the city received grant funding for a feasibility study by Avenue Consultants and directed residents to washingtondome.com to take a survey. He said the property is “primarily owned by the BLM, the Bureau of Land Management,” and that the study will examine uses and a trail plan that would focus on natural-surface (dirt) trails rather than paved routes.
Staley gave a brief update on the Washington City Community Center athletic fields and said the council has allocated funding for a study of how to replace the aging concession stand there. He said the fields have seen recent improvements — new lighting, a scoreboard, and a sound system — and that a resident donated a batting cage. He also noted the city installed a monument past center field honoring Tom Jensen, who Staley described as an inspiration behind the fields.
The mayor closed by urging safety around fireworks and water use and said he will provide updates next month.
