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Council prioritizes parks, accessibility and shuttle options; Skirvin Park lease to return for approval
Summary
Council discussed moving Skirvin Park near the top of tourism and parks priorities, noted an updated lease with Frolic is under negotiation, and considered pedestrian and transit improvements including a hyperlocal shuttle and sidewalk gaps; no formal action was taken.
During the Feb. 9 work session, Philomath councilors emphasized parks, recreation and accessibility when reviewing the strategic plan, and asked staff to finish partially completed projects, including a lease update with Frolic for Skirvin Park.
Several councilors argued for moving Skirvin Park higher in the priority list because improvements are already underway and events held there bring visitors and business to downtown. Chris said the lease with Frolic is being updated and will return to council for approval, and staff will highlight changes between the old and new lease when it comes to the council.
On parks and trails, councilors endorsed following the parks-and-trails master plan for capital projects and discussed small accessibility fixes — for example, fixing short concrete gaps that limit wheelchair access — as low-cost work that could improve use of existing facilities. “It’s not like we have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars,” one member said; “can we spend $1,000 putting in new concrete?”
Council also discussed multimodal transportation objectives, including establishing a hyperlocal shuttle route or exploring scheduling changes to make the existing bus more useful to residents who otherwise must travel through Corvallis for short local trips. Members raised wheelchair-access constraints on buses and suggested testing shuttles or scheduling tweaks as action items under the mobility objective.
On safety, council reviewed transportation-safety action plan priorities, including targeted enforcement on Highway 20 near schools, transferring 19th Street ownership to the city, and installing radar enforcement technology. Members emphasized speeding complaints on Main and Applegate Streets and asked staff to consider prioritization and staffing for enforcement. No formal votes were recorded; staff will incorporate council direction into the draft plan and return with more concrete action-item proposals.
