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Current Status
Construction is substantially complete, and the park is now open to the public. Please note that construction and maintenance crews will continue to finish up remaining work in the park through the month of July. The restrooms are not open yet, but portable toilets are available. The restrooms will open later this summer.
A special, day-long dedication event for the park will occur on Saturday, August 2, 2008. This event will feature a variety of activities throughout the day, including:
- Doggie olympics and fashion show in the dog park
- Skateboarding contest
- Guided tree identification walks
- Children's activities presented by Firstenburg Community Center staff
- A free community picnic sponsored by a number of local businesses
More information about this event will be mailed to park neighbors, posted on this Web page and sent out through our project e-mailing list later in July (sign up using the form at the bottom of this page).
Click the following links, or scroll down the page, to access additional project information:
Project Description
Pacific Community Park is located on the south side of NE 18th Street between NE 164th and NE 172nd avenues in the East Evergreen area, and is 56-acres in size. The park currently features:
- One playground on the west side of the park
- One restroom on the west side of the park, and one on the east side of the park
- One covered picnic shelter on the west side of the park
- Phase 1 of the Extreme Sports Park (10,000 square feet)
- 8-acre fenced off-leash dog park
- Two half-court basketball courts on the west side of the park
- All the parking lots on the west side of the park, and half of one lot on the east side
- All the trails
- Benches
- Picnic tables
- Landscaping
The approved long-term master plan for this park includes additional features that will be added to the park in the future as funding allows.
Off-leash Dog Park Update
In March 2008, the dog park at Pacific Community Park was temporarily relocated to Fisher-Mill Plain (Vandervort) Park about a quarter mile south of Pacific Park on NE 172nd Avenue.
On July 7, 2008 this temporary dog park will move to its new, permanent home at Pacific Community Park, and off-leash use at Vandervort Park will no longer be allowed.
For more information about dog parks in Clark County, please visit the DOGPAW Web site.
General Information
In 1995 the Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation Department acquired Pacific Park as a
community park, with the intent of primarily serving the people living in approximately a
3-mile radius from the park, generally bound by the Columbia River, 136th Avenue, Burnt Bridge
Creek and the Urban Growth Boundary. At the present, 30,000 people live within the Service
area for Pacific Park. That number will increase to approximately 40,000 as the area grows.
The Vancouver Urban Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan outlines the development of
community parks to have multi-purpose playfields and open lawn areas, universally accessible
walking trails, play areas, picnic shelters, basketball courts, community gardens, restrooms,
and parking. Pacific Park's master plan also includes the following additional components: skateboarding/BMX park,
in-line hockey rink, off-leash area, caretaker's residence, and equipment storage area.
Additionally, space will be reserved for a future fire station for the City of Vancouver.
Project History
In November of 2000, the master plan process for this park began with a design committee consisting of Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission members, neighborhood association representatives, special interest groups, and park neighbors. Three public forums were conducted with approximately 100 people attending each of these meetings.
In April of 2001, Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation staff, the Design Committee and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission approved the Master Plan. Unfortunately, development was delayed indefinitely due to lack of county maintenance funding. Also in 2001, Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation began negotiations with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) on an agreement that would add 12 acres adjacent to the park, between the park and NE 18th Street, for park use. BPA restrictions were: no structures, and a 10-foot height limit for any activity in the right-of-way, including tree height, metal infrastructure for sports fields, etc.
2004
In 2004, Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation received direction to resume development per the 2001 master plan program elements, with some modifications allowed. Parks and Recreation then initiated a master plan revision process to reassess the 2001 master plan and update it as needed.
Additional meetings were scheduled with neighborhood association representatives, the fire department, county maintenance personnel, sports groups, skateboarding/BMX groups and BPA. Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation also held five meetings with Clark County's Dog Owners Group for Park Access in Washington (DOGPAW).
Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation staff received direction from the Parks Commissioners and the Board of Clark County Commissioners allowing the off-leash area to be expanded from the 2001 plan, with the condition that it primarily be located within the recently added BPA property. Additionally, the County Commission approved pursuit of partnerships with BPA to secure additional non-park lands for off-leash areas in other parts of Clark County.
In the summer of 2004, Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation staff hosted three public open houses to solicit input on revising the master plan and receive comments on revised draft concepts for the park. The changes made to the original 2001 master plan included the following:
1 youth soccer field instead of 5
2 picnic shelters instead of 4
368 parking spaces instead of 300
8.5 acre off-leash area on BPA and park land instead of only 3 acres on BPA property
Significant conservation of the existing mature forested areas over the previous plan
The revised master plan was approved by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission and the Board of Clark County Commissioners in fall 2004.
2005-2007
Design and permitting of the project was completed in 2005 and the contract was advertised for bids from interested construction contractors in January 2006. In March 2006, the Board of Clark County Commissioners rejected all the construction bids received for the park development project because they exceeded the original project budget. Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation and Clark County Public Works then re-examined the contract documents and adjusted the work where possible to reduce costs. The contract was awarded to Thompson Bros. Excavating Inc. in December 2006. Construction began in February 2007.
Project Documents
Project Funding
Design and construction of the Pacific Community Park development project is being funded by Park Impact Fees, which are paid whenever a new home or residential unit is constructed, and the Real Estate Excise Tax, which is paid whenever a property is sold. Maintenance and operation of the park after construction will be funded by the Greater Clark Parks District, a property tax-based special district passed by voters in the unincorporated urban area of Clark County in February 2005.
Contact Information:
Jilayne Jordan, Communications Specialist - 360-397-6118 x. 4949
If you would like to be added to the mailing list for this project, please provide the following:
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