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Keizer parks board tables decision on proposed indoor activity center after strong neighborhood opposition
Summary
After extensive public comment urging protection of Keizer Rapids Park's green space, the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board voted unanimously to table consideration of returning an indoor activity center to the master plan until April, directing staff to return with options and analysis.
The Keizer Parks and Recreation Advisory Board voted unanimously March 10 to table any decision on placing an indoor activity center in Keizer Rapids Park, after residents urged the board to preserve the park's natural character and asked that alternative locations be considered.
Residents who live on the park border and neighborhood association leaders told the board that the scale and siting described in recent consultant materials felt more like an indoor complex than the public's idea of a pavilion. "Please do not put a metal building in the center of our park," West Keizer Neighborhood Association president Rhonda Rich said, asking the board to prioritize green space, walking paths and open-sided picnic shelters.
The board's discussion focused on two narrow questions: whether to return an indoor activity center concept to the Keizer Rapids Park master plan, and where such a facility, if pursued years from now, should be located. Multiple residents and longtime volunteers urged the board to place any facility near existing vehicle access and parking — for example near Chemawa Road ("Site B") or adjacent to the dog park — rather than the park's central green.
Board members and staff emphasized that including a concept in the master plan is not an authorization to build. "A master plan entry does not mean it's going to happen," the board chair said, noting funding, environmental review and detailed design would all be required before any construction.
During deliberations the board discussed guardrails for future planning, including a suggested cap that no more than 10% of the park's roughly 147 acres be developed. Several members also endorsed the idea of identifying a single "activity center" boundary so future development is consolidated rather than spread through wooded areas.
Board member Lisa moved to table the item until April and asked staff, including the public works director and parks staff, to return with refined options, environmental considerations and parking analysis; the motion passed unanimously.
Next steps: staff will review the master-plan options, prepare analysis of parking and environmental constraints, and return to the board in April for a policy-level yes-or-no decision on whether an activity center should be included in the master plan. No funding or project design decisions were made at the March 10 meeting.
