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Gladstone board weighs Meldrum Bar Park site-plan options, riverfront improvements and dog-park demand; resident urges protection for nearby natural area
Summary
The board reviewed the 2022 Meldrum Bar Park site plan (paths, riverfront platform, event space, dog park and RC track relocation), discussed funding and permitting constraints for restrooms in the floodplain, and heard from Bill Dugan urging care to protect the Rainierston Natural Area restored with public funds.
The Gladstone Parks and Recreation Board spent a major portion of its Sept. 8 meeting reviewing options for the 2022 Meldrum Bar Park site plan, including entrance and parking upgrades, paved paths and crosswalks, riverfront observation platforms, expanded event space, relocation of the RC/BMX track, a designated dog area and additional restrooms.
Staff noted the plan is large in scope and likely expensive to implement in full, so members discussed a phased approach and targeted grant strategies. Silas Richardson, public works director, summarized potential capital funding sources discussed in the meeting: Metro local share funding, Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) money for the Nature Park loop trail, potential state grant programs and private donations. Eric Butler highlighted the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development’s Community Green Infrastructure grant and Metro’s Community Choice process as near-term opportunities for project funding and community prioritization.
Board members identified several high-priority, more achievable items that could be advanced sooner: improved waterfront paths and crosswalks for pedestrian safety, a dog park in repurposed fenced space, restroom improvements and targeted erosion-control and restoration projects in partnership with watershed groups. On restrooms, staff cautioned that permanent toilets near Dahl Beach face wastewater and floodplain constraints, likely requiring pump stations and higher costs; staff said vault-style facilities or other lower-cost options are sometimes used in flood-prone locations.
The meeting included a public comment from Bill Dugan, manager for the Robin Hood Riviera Property Owners Association, who urged the board to avoid siting improvements that would harm the Rainierston Natural Area restoration: "We spent millions of dollars to develop this natural area into a natural area. We need to be careful in your planning for Meldrum Bar Park as not to put something right next to the natural area," he said. Dugan offered to give board members a tour of the restored area and stressed the site is intended primarily for habitat, not heavy public use.
Staff said they will continue to pursue grant options, engage potential partners (including watershed councils), and develop a prioritized short list of projects for the board’s next planning session. The board did not authorize construction at this meeting but asked staff to identify near-term steps and grant applications to support phased work.
