Yachats commission asks City Council to allocate funds for open space design, pocket parks and bike rack projects

 

The Yachats Parks & Commons wants the city to keep moving on some projects.

The commission voted unanimously Tuesday to recommend to the City Council that it:

• Release up to $60,000 in the Commons capital reserve budget for the landscape design and engineering of the green space area behind City Hall;
• Release up to $25,000 from the city’s visitor amenity fund to develop two “pocket parks” on Ocean View Drive near West Sixth and Fourth streets; and
• Authorize spending $3,320 to install bicycle racks at three spots near the Commons and City Hall.

The recommendations come after the commission decided to push forward with new ideas on how to possibly best use the large grass field between City Hall and the wetlands to the west. It surveyed the community, and got 234 responses which generally favored additional plantings and landscaping, gathering areas and shielding the north border near Yachats Presbyterian Church with a berm and trees.

Commission member Craig Berdie, who organized the study, said in a memo to the commission that the plans would include topographical and geotech surveys, landscape design and layout, plant selection, and construction plans. While not included, his memo said the work could be expanded at additional cost to include a study to determine the status of the wetland pond and associated costs to maintain its health and engineering evaluation and costs for boardwalk rehabilitation.

The commission also wants the city to proceed with creating two small parks along Ocean View Drive now that Lincoln County is about ready to turn the street over to Yachats. The unimproved areas — both about 1,200 square feet — are on the bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and are now protected from vehicle traffic by delineators separating the 804 Trail from the driving area, new guardrails and large boulders.

The proposal would move and add benches including cutting paths through grasses and salal to new sitting areas, scrape off or level areas of gravel, and install native plants.

The bike racks recommendation come after Yachats resident Jocko Doss approached the council and commission and did hours of legwork to work up estimates and locations to add them on city property – there is just one now at the library. He’s also working with the Oregon Coast Visitors Association and some Yachats businesses to get several installed around downtown.

“I see this as a first step, but a very important one,” Doss told the commission.

The recommendations are expected to come before the City Council at its next meeting Oct. 20.