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West Linn council agrees to continue exploring park space at Oppenlander with private partner
Summary
Councilors signaled support for continued public outreach and negotiations with developer ICON to secure a reduced parcel for park use at Oppenlander Field, while staff will return with design, cost and community‑engagement options.
Councilors in West Linn took a preliminary step Sept. 8 to keep alive discussions about acquiring park space at Oppenlander Field after developer ICON secured the winning bid for the school‑district property.
Mayor Bialystowski opened the item as a “temperature check,” saying the council was not being asked to take final action but to tell staff whether they should pursue more detailed work, including design options, cost estimates and public outreach. Harlan, representing ICON, told the council ICON was in final contract negotiations with the school district and expected to begin feasibility work within weeks and was open to exploring an arrangement that would set aside some acreage for park uses.
Friends of Oppenlander and neighborhood advocates told the council they remain supportive of preserving public open space and athletic fields. Dean Serr, speaking for Friends of Oppenlander, reminded the council that past voter support was for a larger, 10‑acre park and that the bond referenced during discussion (the 2022 bond measure cited as about $3.5 million) would not cover a smaller parcel, so any acquisition would likely require either a new bond measure or supplemental fundraising.
Parks staff warned that a senior ball field generally requires roughly 2.5–3 acres and that constraining a site to about 3–4 acres limits the number of amenities that could be provided; Parks Director Megan said parking, foul‑ball safety fencing and ongoing maintenance are important constraints. Megan estimated a rough maintenance cost on the order of $50,000 a year for field upkeep under an ideal maintenance regime and noted synthetic turf would trade higher capital replacement costs for lower annual labor costs.
After council discussion about trees, Lions Club storage currently on the site, parking and long‑term funding options, the council signaled it wants staff to pursue a short engagement process with community stakeholders and ICON to produce options and a recommended next step. City Manager John Williams said staff would convene stakeholders quickly and return with findings and a recommended approach.
The city did not take a final vote on acquiring land or on bond timing; council direction was limited to proceeding with feasibility, outreach and negotiations.
Looking ahead, staff said they will return with refined cost estimates, site layouts and an outreach plan to ensure the baseball community, neighbors and volunteer groups are included in any formal planning sequence.
