The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department has decided to hold off on executing a grant agreement for Barrett Park while the state tries to figure out if Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District’s proposed development for the land still qualifies for funding — or if the money should be used to develop another site of HRVPRD’s choosing.
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On March 19, 2007, Hood River County Commissioners, including Ron Rivers and Les Perkins, who sit on the Commission now, signed a letter of support for Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District in support of a grant to acquire the land now known as Barrett Park.
The Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District has a well-deserved reputation for delivering a lot of public benefit on a small budget. Given that reputation, the District’s recent decision to spend $300,000 in local and state funds on a radio flyer field at its Barrett Drive property is perplexing. The district has identified ball fields as our community’s number one need while a radio flyer field doesn’t even appear on its master plan.
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The Hood River County Board of Commissioners has set Monday, Dec. 2 as the date it will hold a public meeting to make a final decision on Barrett Park.
The fate of Barrett Park now lies in the hands of the Hood River County Board of Commissioners after the Hood River County Planning Commission failed to make a decision on the park during a public remand hearing Wednesday night.
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Hood River Valley Parks and Rec has been awarded a $494,000 grant from the Oregon State Parks Local Government Grant Program via the State Lottery Commission for development of Barrett Park. The District is in danger of having to decline the funds if it cannot obtain the development permit previously approved by the County Board of Commissioners. Without a permit, the money cannot be spent and the land will remain in its current undeveloped state indefinitely.
The steps and bridges that help make up Indian Creek trail are a reasonable allegory to consider with this week’s news that LUBA has sent back to Hood River County the matter of Barrett Park’s future. The LUBA legal decision, rather than a divisive moment, provides an opportunity to come together over Barrett Park. No one at the county level, or in the community, is averse to parks in general.
The Hood River County Board of Commissioners recently overturned the County Planning Commission’s decision to allow the Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District (the Park District) to begin development of Barrett Park. The Park District plans to appeal the decision to the state Land Use Board of Appeals and is seeking community support to help persuade the BOC to allow development of the park. The facts on Barrett Park are as follows:
