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Richland to reopen Columbia Park West and Y Park after months-long closure; expanded patrols and outreach planned
Summary
Parks and Recreation staff said Columbia Park West and Y Park will reopen after a winter closure prompted by vandalism, fires and repeated camping; the city described cleanup work, new operational rules and weekly outreach with a county resource navigator.
The Richland Parks and Recreation Commission on March 13 voted to reopen Columbia Park West and Y Park after the parks were closed late last year because of repeated vandalism, fires and makeshift camps, Public Facilities Director Chris Waite said.
Waite said city staff took the parks offline to “give the park some opportunity to have a break from human activity” after an Oct. 18 fire and an increase in other unsafe or destructive incidents. “Closure is our tool of last resort,” he said during the commission meeting.
Why it matters: staff said the parks experienced escalating problems in 2024, including an increase in recorded incidents, concentrated campsites along the shoreline and fires that threatened park users and park infrastructure. City officials said they balanced public safety, asset protection and resource limitations when planning the reopening.
What the city did: Waite described a winter cleanup that included removing…
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