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Current Status
The Phase 1 development plan for Hockinson Community Park will be advertised for bids from interested contractors in early May 2008, with construction expected to begin in June 2008.
Starting in March 2008, the county will install fencing around the park site in preparation for the start of construction later this spring. Removal of vegetation along the fenceline will start in February 2008. Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation has sent a letter about this work to immediately adjacent neighbors.
In late August 2007, the county hauled fill dirt into the park for use in developing the sports fields included in the plan. This preliminary site preparation work was completed in October 2007.
Long-term master plan (483 kb JPG)
Phase 1 Development Plan
The Board of Clark County Commissioners has established a Phase 1 construction budget for Hockinson Community Park of approximately $9.3 million.
The cost to build everything included in the long-term master plan is estimated at more than $25 million, which means that some of park features cannot be built initially. As a result, staff created a Phase I development plan for the park. The park elements that will be built as part of Phase 1 include the following:
- Eight Little League ball fields (some of these fields will also be used for soccer in the fall)
- Playground area with equipment
- Walking, jogging and biking paths
- Picnic areas including one covered picnic shelter
- Restroom facilities
- Parking lots
- Preserved and enhanced wildlife habitat areas
- Stormwater treatment facilities
- Wetland mitigation and enhancement (the design for Phase 1 minimizes development within the wetlands, and puts most of the improvements in the drier upland areas)
In addition, NE 172nd Avenue will be widened at the park entrance to provide for a new left turn lane.
Click the following links, or scroll down the page, to access additional project information:
Location and General Description
Hockinson Community Park, also known as Hockinson Meadows and 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 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.
The Long-Term Master Plan
The long-term master plan (483 kb JPG) for Hockinson 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 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 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.
October 2007 Play Experiences Public Comment Process:
September 2007 Fact Sheet (76 kb PDF)
December 2004 Public Meeting:
February 2005 Public Meeting:
March 2005 Public Meeting:
July 14, 2005 Public Meeting:
July 28, 2005 Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission Public Hearing:
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.
Spring 2008: Construction scheduled to begin.
Spring 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.
Traffic Concerns
A traffic study must be completed before this project can be constructed. Any road improvements resulting from this study will then be built at the same time as the park development. A preliminary traffic study was completed in conjunction with the master plan. A final traffic study is currently underway.
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, 360-397-6118 x. 4225
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