City of Camas Answers FAQ’s Regarding New Plans for Crown Park
The following Crown Park information was prepared by the City of Camas:
Why not just replace the Camas Municipal Pool at Crown Park?
We understand that many people loved Camas Municipal Pool and have fond memories of their time there. However, through public outreach, the majority of Camas citizens have expressed interest in a community facility that is usable year-round and provides multiple recreational amenities. The Crown Park location cannot accommodate the size of such facilities or the parking and traffic enhancements that would be needed with them. Construction of another outdoor pool at Crown Park, though less in cost, would only provide use for roughly 10 weeks each year and would only fulfill a fraction of the features and programs sought by most Camas residents.
What’s the plan for Crown Park?
Public input gathered from 2017 to 2018 helped create the Crown Park Master Plan, which was presented to Camas City Council at its Nov. 5, 2018, workshop. Today, the plan serves as a vision for the park and a framework for future funding decisions. In 2019, we’ve been seeking bids, firming up costs, and starting to schedule work. Most improvements will be subject to the 2021-2022 budget cycle that begins next year. Here’s an overview of the proposed features included in the Crown Park Master Plan:
- Interactive water feature
- Large destination playground
- Permanent restrooms
- Outdoor amphitheater
- Sports court
- New ADA accessible pathways
- Access improvements to Scout Hall
- Flexible lawn space
- New site furnishings
- Upgraded irrigation system
- Stormwater management gardens and updated plantings
Portions of these elements are already in the works:
Sports Court – In May 2019, an aging concrete slab that served as a basketball court was removed. In the upcoming months, we will be replacing it with a new multi-use sports court closer to Scout Hall and the play areas. Construction is anticipated for fall.
Upgraded Irrigation System – To ensure that new grass grows and thrives around the former pool site, an irrigation system is planned for installation in late July 2019, then the area will be reseeded. The orange fencing will remain until the grass is established, around late August 2019. Irrigation upgrades in other areas of the park will be made throughout the course of the project.
For more information on, please visit http://www.cityofcamas.us/parkshome/68-parkscat/819-parksprojects. Questions may be referred to Parks & Recreation Manager Jerry Acheson at jacheson@cityofcamas.us or 360-817-7990.
How does the Crown Park Master Plan relate to the proposed community aquatics center and sports fields?
When the Parks Commission and City Council approved the proposed features set forth in the Crown Park Master Plan, they made the requirement that the City continue to actively pursue options to fund and develop a year-round aquatic facility. Based on that requirement, we’re working on plans to bring a year-round community aquatics center to Camas at a location that can handle more amenities, parking, and access. The design for the proposed community aquatics center includes skylights and roll-up doors that will provide an open air experience and connection to nature.
Will any trees in Crown Park be removed?
No trees have been identified for removal. However, if a tree becomes identified as hazardous or bearing disease, it may be removed.
Here’s a link to a past article: https://lacamasmagazine.com/2018/06/city-of-camas-to-hold-public-hearing-on-crown-park-redesign.html
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I am really excited for a splash pad- I think it is a great way for toddlers to enjoy water! Are pickle ball courts being considered?
It is patently untrue (aka “a lie”) that “majority of Camas citizens have expressed interest in a community facility that is usable year-round and provides multiple recreational amenities.” The majority of Camas citizens have asked for NOTHING. They certainly have not asked to be taxed even more than it would cost to join a private facility or club ($500 per year per family, assuming absolutely no usage, plus approximately $15 per person per swim). Fewer than one family in ten has gone swimming at a pool in the past year, despite the presence of many facilitiesbin the area, including several that have no joining fee and per swim costs as low as $2 per person, or have low cost seasonal joining fees but unlimited usage . Given that their pools, like all pools, are urine-filled it seems like a good call to me. They didn’t seem to use the Crown Park pool either, that is when the city even bothered to open it (given that not a lot of people want to swim, or on sunny days prefer to swim along the Columbia at Captain William Clark Park for free rather than paying to swim inside) was not often. This pool is an incredibly expensive (the better part of $100 million, maybe more after the inevitable cost overruns and the cost of the land itself are taken into account) and I’ll advised idea. And again, just to be clear, the majority of Camas citizens have not been asked any opinion, and when they are will resoundingly say no. That the city is wasting public tax dollars on unapproved projects is an insult to all of us that pay taxes. Our property tax rates have already gone up by about 50% since we moved here jist over five years ago. That there is an unelected mayor that wants her pet project funded is irrelevant to me. For my family, it’s not worth the $800 or more dollars it will cost us, my guess is that it’s not worth the additional hundreds it would cost your family either. We have strong local businesses providing these services efficiently and cost effectively. Let’s not destroy them, or their new owners. In fact, the city even looked at buying one of these facilities. The cost would have been around $5 million, not that I would have been in favor of that either, but that’s a tiny, tiny fraction of the huge, nearly $100 million, that the unelected mayor wants to build a green field project from scratch, raising everyone’s property taxes by hundreds to thousands of dollars per year.
Ive lived here my entire life,I have seen alot in the 50 yrs of being here and i have to say , that all these people from califormnia ,or texas and many other states are overwhelming our community, we were once a small town where everybody new one another and there was hardly any crime .Now we have murder,and violent crimes,its sad to see my town be overrun by people with no regard for the beauty of the land or the camas natives. We were once a happy town ,but if you pay attention to the natives i think you will find that ,people aren’t as happy as they used to be .As far as the new crown park purposal is concerned, its the worst idea yet,homeless will start to camp there and cuase more problems for the community. My parents live 1 block south of the park and i don’t need to feel worried about their safety or the safety of their home.