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Vision Plan

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Guiding Principles

  1. Provide a welcoming and safe space for all members of the community

  2. Prioritize accessible entrances, circulation, and pedestrian connectivity to the park

  3. Offer a balance of active uses and spaces that encourage community gathering and enjoyment of nature

  4. Promote maintenance practices and community involvement that control invasive plants and enhance the natural ecosystem/maximize usable park space

  5. Support ongoing community input, information, events, and local history

​The vision plan above is built on five core guiding principles, which were developed based on the results of the community survey, as well as the first public meeting.

 

Provide a welcoming and safe space for all members of the community

  • Open sightlines internally within the park and externally to the neighborhood

  • Increase connections and accessibility to the neighborhood on all sides to encourage more frequent park use

  • Upgrade/repair facilities to provide a place that feels inviting

  • Provide benches and gathering places throughout the park

  • Lights the park with pedestrian-scale lighting that is activated by motion after dark.

Prioritize accessible entrances, circulation, and pedestrian connectivity to the park

 

  • Remove steep paved slopes (those greater than 8%) and replace with steps or ramps where possible

  • Repair sidewalks on perimeter and entrances

  • Recommend traffic-calming devices (warning lights or speed bumps) on Cedar St.

  • Improve ramp conditions and include surfaces that are wheelchair accessible throughout active areas of the park (NW section)

  • Provide unpaved walking trails around the open field and along the creek.

 

Offer a balance of active uses and spaces that encourage community gathering and enjoyment of nature

  • The park is diagonally divided in half by use, with the NE portion containing active uses and the SE portion highlighting contemplative, nature-based experiences

 

Promote maintenance practices and community involvement that control invasive plants and enhance the natural ecosystem/maximize usable park space

  • Introduce green infrastructure solutions to contain stormwater run-off and minimize erosion, including boulder barriers, natural lawn to improve sheet flow, and natural stormwater diversion in bioswales and raingardens

  • Recommend the eradication and restoration of the streambank and slopes descending to the stream, regular removal of any vines growing on tree trucks, replacement of canopy trees

 

Support ongoing community input, information, events, and local history

  • Friends of Cedar Park will facilitate and maintain ongoing community engagement, events, and information-sharing through the most effective method to access the community at large. This currently would include a maintaining a website or other online presence but could use other methods in the future.

The vision plan prioritizes efficient and enjoyable circulation, views, neighborhood connections, and inviting stopping points throughout the park. From Cedar Street, a series of “overlooks” joined by steps leads park-goers into the park, revealing views framed by new canopy trees. The central focus of the park is the new, relocated playground, visible from the north and south ends of the park. An additional 2 to 5-year-old playground is connected via a hillside slide and boulder scramble; benches are provided throughout. Both play areas are adjacent to new internal parking at the Third Street entrance and easily accessible with strollers, bikes, and on foot.

 

ADA-compliant parking and walkways from the Third Street entrance allow visitors with mobility challenges, or with strollers, etc., to comfortably access the playground, adult fitness area, the community pavilion, tennis court and basketball courts. There is an accessible picnic area next to the parking lot overlooking the open field. In the northeast corner, formerly the playground, is reconfigured as a large community gathering space. A large pavilion anchors this corner, flanked by a master grilling area, a space for lawn games such as cornhole, and tables. The basketball courts are up a gentle incline from the community pavilion. The ramp below the community pavilion area is updated as a woodland garden experience with bird houses, native plants, and seating along a widened ramp around the existing canopy tree and down to the playgrounds. Just below the playground is a new adult fitness area with its own entrance.

 

The open field, along the eastern edge of the park, is large enough for U-8 youth soccer games. Walking trails form a loop around the field to a covered pavilion “field house” where the loop trail joins the Creighton Street connection trail. An extension of the loop trail runs parallel to the stream, connecting Third Avenue’s north and south ends to the park. These trails could be constructed in phases.

Project Priorities

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Now that you've had a chance to think about the vision plan, we'd really like to know what you would like to get done first. Click the button to take the survey and let us know your priorities before December 15!

Update: This survey is now closed

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