Designing the Gorge

GreenWorks Unveils Three Designs for a Hood River Waterfront Park

By Susan Hess, 2-10-06

The landscape design firm, GreenWorks presented three alternative designs for Hood River's waterfront park this week. And, the Port of Hood River gave the City of Hood River the deed to the much-debated, seven-acre Lot 6.

GreenWorks landscape architect, Mike Abbaté, presented the plans to a crowd of almost 90 people in a meeting Wednesday. The purpose of the meeting and of a duplicate meeting Thursday night in Odell was to find out which of the three alternatives best meets the community's needs and wants. You can see the plans on the City of Hood River's web site. At the bottom of the page is a survey to vote for your choice. The plans and survey forms will be displayed at 11 locations around the county. Surveys must be returned by Feb. 20.

The Park Development Committee asked GreenWorks to meet five objectives in their designs for the waterfront:

•a year-round community gathering place

•a public place that reflects the diverse character of the community

•a park that visually and physically connects it with the downtown

•a public place that will be a catalyst for waterfront and community-wide economic development

•a park flexible to meet the changing community needs.

Each of GreenWorks' three designs incorporated lawn space, restrooms, a picnic structure, a waterfront trail from the Hook to the event site, a swimming beach, wind screen or buffer, large areas for events, a kids play area, parking, and restoring the natural shoreline.

Currently, the shoreline slopes steeply up from the Columbia. The riprap would be removed in all scenarios, creating shallows for fish. The material cut from the steep bank would be used to create berms, which would provide wind breaks and define the space. In one option, the material would be used to create a small island for launching windsurf boards. All the designs included trees to begin restoring this currently treeless and shrubless piece of land.

The three options ranged from a naturalist design to a geometric plan. During the question and answer session, audience response was positive and appreciative. To questions about whether the changes in the shoreline could be approved by the Corps of Engineers and NOAA Fisheries, Abbaté said it would take time, but that the firm had designed Drano Lake and other projects that had been approved. He added that the designs improve fish habitat.

Take a look at the designs and see what you think. Add your vote: the waterfront will only be designed once.

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