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Current Status
Construction of phase 1 began in July 2008. Most of the new sports fields are currently open for Evergreen Little League's 2009 season. Construction is scheduled to be completed in mid-June 2009 on the rest of park features included in Phase 1. Some areas of the park will remain blocked off until the grass is better established.
Click the following links, or scroll down the page, to access additional project information:
Construction Information
Phase 1 Construction Site Plan (977 kb PDF)
June 1, 2009 Progress Report: The contractor is finishing up remaining major construction activities in the community park area (playground, picnic shelter, trails, etc.). This area of the park will remain closed until after June 15. Minor finishing work will continue into July. Some lawn areas of the park will remain fenced off until the grass becomes more established.
Description
Hockinson Meadows Community Park, also known as China Ditch, is located on the southwest corner of NE 119th Street and 172nd Avenue.
It is 240 acres in size, with nearly half of the site consisting of wetlands and wetland buffer areas (+/-105 acres). The extent of the existing wetlands provides very few suitable areas that are large enough to accommodate the park and sports field elements that are part of the park's long-term master plan. The largest single area that is suitable for active use is about 30 acres in size and is located on the south side of the park. Initial Phase 1 park development efforts will focus on that area.
There are two ditches running across the site that drain into China Ditch, which is located across NE 172nd Avenue from the park. Historically, the property was logged and is currently being used to graze livestock belonging to tenants leasing the property.
Phase 1 Development Plan
The park elements that will be built as part of Phase 1 include the following:
- Eight sports fields
- Playground area with equipment
- Walking, jogging and biking paths
- Picnic areas including one covered picnic shelter
- Enclosed portable restroom facilities
- Parking lots
- Preserved and enhanced wildlife habitat areas
- Stormwater treatment facilities
- Wetland mitigation and enhancement
- Ditch crossing
- Landscaping
- Benches, garbage cans and signage
- Entrance from NE 172nd Avenue just north of NE 109th Street
In addition, NE 172nd Avenue will be widened around the park entrance to provide for a left turn lane and wider shoulders.
The Long-Term Master Plan
The long-term master plan (483 kb JPG) for Hockinson Meadows Community Park was developed in 2004-05 with extensive public input. It was approved by the Board of Clark County Commissioners in December 2005.
The master plan represents the overall park program, and is not meant to be a construction blueprint. What is actually built at any park is based on the amount of construction funding available. Any unfunded master plan elements can be added to the park in the future when more funding is available.
The long-term master plan for Hockinson Meadows Community Park includes the following park features:
- 16 Little League fields
- Eight soccer fields
- Playground area
- Picnic areas and picnic shelters
- Extreme sports area (skateboarding/BMX bicycling)
- Multi-use trails
- Basketball and tennis courts
- Off-leash dog park area
- Restrooms
- Parking lots
- Interpretive areas and vistas
- Caretaker facility
- Stormwater treatment facilities
- Wetland mitigation and enhancement
Guiding Principles
- Accommodate community based activities to meet the diverse needs of entire community, now and long-term.
- Provide a balance of passive and active park uses.
- Address access, security and adjacent uses.
- Preserve and enhance natural resources; Incorporate sustainability principles.
- Develop a plan which is financially responsible and viable for the long-term.
- Establish visual interest throughout the park: open areas, forested area, vistas.
Public Outreach and Involvement
Public involvement is an important part of planning and developing a community park. The unique understanding of the park and input that can be provided by neighbors and other future park users (sports enthusiasts, off-leash area advocates, etc.) during the development process are vital to the success of the project. Public feedback identifies what is most important to the community, and is used by project staff in combination with adopted park development standards to create the park's master plan.
Developing the master plan for Hockinson Meadows Community Park was a complex process. The public involvement effort was extensive due to the size of the park and the large number of stakeholders involved in the project. Between December 2004 and September 2005, Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation hosted four public meetings and multiple one-on-one stakeholder meetings. In addition, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission hosted a public hearing in July 2005, and the Board of Clark County Commissioners hosted another public hearing in September 2005 before approving the master plan as part of their consent agenda in December 2005.
In October 2007, the county invited neighbors to provide input on the types of play experiences they thought were most important to include in the new playground at this park. A summary of the comments received is now available below.
A letter announcing the start of construction and explaining what to expect will be mailed out to neighbors in mid-July 2008.
October 2007 Play Experiences Public Comment Process:
September 2007 Fact Sheet (76 kb PDF)
July 28, 2005 Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission Public Hearing:
July 14, 2005 Public Meeting:
March 2005 Public Meeting:
December 2004 Public Meeting:
February 2005 Public Meeting:
Timeline
October 2004: Master planning phase began.
July 2005: The Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission reviews and approves the master plan.
December 2005: The Board of Clark County Commissioners reviews and approves the revised master plan; master planning phase completed.
December 2005: Design and permitting began.
Winter 2007-08: Anticipated design and permitting completion date.
July 2008: Construction begins.
March 2009: Construction scheduled to be complete.
Environmental Benefits
More than half of this park property consists of wetland or wetland buffer areas. The preliminary State Environmental Protection Act (SEPA) checklist to protect these areas has been completed, and a second one is planned.
In order to minimize impacts to wetlands, planned park improvements have been restricted to the non-wetland upland areas of the property. In response to the concerns raised by the neighbors regarding the actual locations and significance of the wetland areas within the park, Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation hired a wetland consultant to prepare a full wetland delineation of the entire property. The results supported and validated the wetland pre-determination mapping previously conducted during the inventory and analysis phase of the planning process.
Any impacts to wetlands will require mitigation through creation of new or enhancement of existing wetlands. The regulatory criteria that will be applied to this project are based on the following sequence:
- Avoid impacts to wetlands (utilize dry uplands before disturbing wetlands)
- Minimize impacts to wetlands (limit impacts based on quantity and quality criteria)
- Mitigate for impacts (restore existing or create new wetlands on site for any impact)
In addition, the development project will enhance the existing habitat by restoring deforested areas; modifying drainage ditches to facilitate wildlife crossings; and increasing landscaping and buffer plantings throughout the site. Natural interpretive and educational elements also will be included in the park development including signs, sculptures, maps, viewing blinds, overlooks and boardwalks.
Project Funding
Funding to design and construct Phase 1 of this project comes from park impact fees, which are paid whenever homes are built; real estate excise taxes, which are paid whenever a property is sold; and a state grant.
Maintenance of the park after it’s built will be paid for with property taxes collected in the unincorporated urban area of the county through the Greater Clark Parks District, which was approved by voters in 2005.
Contact Information
Matt Hall, Project Manager
Clark County Public Works
Phone: 360-397-6118 x. 4225
E-mail: Matt.Hall@clark.wa.gov
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