Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council weighs aggressive park land acquisition and parks master plan to keep pace with growth
Summary
With rapid growth forecast, Estacada council directed staff to run the parks master plan and a parallel program to identify and secure potential park sites (including interim parking uses), assess SDCs and funding, and consider buying strategic parcels before developers.
Staff reported a grant award from Oregon Parks and Recreation to update Estacada’s parks master plan and said an RFP has the city on track to select a consultant. The plan will include community outreach, surveys and checkpoints with council and planning commission and is expected to span roughly a year.
Councilors urged a parallel, action‑oriented path so the city can buy or hold strategically located parcels (including considering sites outside the UGB where appropriate) before developers acquire them. Members discussed interim uses for parcels (gravel parking, dog parks, interpretive spaces) and suggested leveraging SDCs, grants and private partnerships to accelerate acquisition. One councilor noted a four‑acre parcel recently listed and urged staff to evaluate partnership or below‑market opportunities.
Council emphasized the need for an implementation plan once the master plan is complete, including immediate steps to prioritize and fund the first round of acquisitions. Staff was asked to integrate parks planning with the city‑hall and urban‑renewal conversations and to return with an acquisition/prioritization and funding framework that can be considered in next year’s budget.
