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QuickTake:
From Mount Pisgah to the Oregon Coast, maintenance crews are adding stairs, accessible campsites and freshly paved lots to some of the county's most popular parks.
Lane County Parks has been completing six park improvement projects this summer, with four more in the works — from new hiker and biker campsites to a nearly $1 million parking lot rebuild.
The projects are funded by a five-year $31.5 million parks levy that voters approved in November 2022.
Crews recently completed paving work at parks throughout the county, including parking lots at the Armitage Park entrance and at the Farnham, Helfrich, Linslaw, Schindler and Westlake boat landings.
Four larger projects are under construction this summer as well. One is at Howard Buford Recreation Area at Mount Pisgah. Construction started July 22, and is expected to run about three months while crews make improvements to the arboretum and main trailhead parking lot.
The three-tiered lot will have periodic closures and limited access, but according to the Lane County Parks website, at least one tier of parking will remain open for visitors during the construction.
The other three projects include parking lot renovations at North Jetty Park in Florence, expected to wrap up in September; new hiker and biker campsites at Harbor Vista in Florence, expected to be completed Aug. 1; and safety and site improvements to Osgood Park near Lowell, which will have construction continuing into the fall.
Ed Lutz, park supervisor for Lane County Parks, said the North Jetty lot overhaul is roughly a $1 million project, while the Mount Pisgah lot will include new stairs connecting each of its three tiers once complete.
Additionally, some projects have an accessibility focus. Examples include mobility mat installations at Heceta Beach, track chairs at Howard Buford Recreation Area and ADA-accessible trail work throughout the county’s parks.
Laura Linn, communications and volunteer coordinator for Lane County Parks, said the best place for residents to track the progress of these and other levy-funded projects is through Lane County’s interactive project map.
Levy history and possible 2027 renewal
Before 2022, Lane County had identified about $21 million in deferred maintenance across a sample of its most popular parks. The increase in deferred maintenance was tied, in part, to the decline of timber revenue that once helped fund Lane County Parks, Linn said.
A task force that examined the issue reported, “If you sit on that for 10 more years, it’ll be up to $38 million,” Linn said.
The funding from the 2022 levy is split into four categories by Lane County Parks:
- maintenance and staffing
- park amenities and facilities
- special projects
- conservation and education
Since 2022, Lane County Parks has also grown its staff from 17 full-time employees to 27, Linn said. That expansion allowed for new evening and weekend patrol shifts along with security cameras at more popular locations like Howard Buford Recreation Area.
No formal decision has been made on a levy renewal, though the Lane County Board of Commissioners will have the opportunity to consider one in 2027, said Devon Ashbridge, Lane County public information officer.
Linn said Lane County Parks plans to ask for the same amount of funding or less, not an increase, if the levy makes it to the ballot.
