Parks District Locks in Westside Park

Woohoo! We just heard the great news that Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District has entered into a two-year option agreement to purchase 20 acres on Fairview Drive for a future park.  The site is catty corner from Westside Elementary and bordered by the Westside Community Trail. For many years, we’ve considered the property Hood River’s last best hope for a sizable community park on the west side of town.

This has been a long time in coming! In 2015, Thrive got a team of graduate students from Portland State University’s Masters of Urban and Regional Planning to conduct a six-month long public outreach and park design process culminating with a Concept Plan and Technical Report. With input from over 800 Hood River residents, PSU’s work showed strong local support for Westside Park. Unfortunately, the the Parks District wasn’t ready to make a move then but four years later with several changes of Park board members, we’re delighted that the District has decided to make this investment in the future.

The site, which boasts views of Mt. Adams and Hood, is large enough to be a true community park with a range of facilities for all ages and abilities. “With the limited opportunities for large-acre parcels, as well as the rising costs of land in the area, we wanted to be forward thinking and secure a parcel before land becomes too scarce or becomes too expensive,” said Nan Noteboom, Parks District Board President.

During the option period, the Parks District will conduct an in-depth study (including applying for a permit) on the feasibility of building a park located in the National Scenic Area.

There’s still a lot of work to be done in planning and funding park purchase and development. But it’s important to celebrate life’s victories, and this week we are one step closer to a much needed park. Champagne corks are popping here at Thrive and we want to extend our gratitude to the many, many people who advocated for this park over the years.