City of The Dalles Allocates $400,000 for Sorosis Park Improvement Project
Pictured: Sorosis Park Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
By Cole Goodwin
The City of The Dalles has approved an allocation of $400,000 from the American Rescue Plan fund for North Wasco County Parks and Recreation District (NWPRD) to put towards the rehabilitation of Sorosis Park which was previously devastated by pine beetles, resulting in the loss of 80% of the trees in the park. The City’s allocation has brought NWPRD’s total funding for the project to approximately $600,000.
“The city council unanimously approved the allocation of American Rescue Plan funds for the Sorosis Park Improvement Project ,” said Rich Mays, Mayor of The City of The Dalles, “We think it’s an important project for the community.”
The City has approved the funding but will not release the funds to NWPRD until after the plan for the project is drafted and approved.
The preliminary plan for the park is currently being drafted to include the input of 620 individual community stakeholders. NWPRD interviewed at least ten stakeholder groups for the project including YouthThink, Youth Athletics, Wasco County PRIDE Book Club, ODVA The Dalles, Fort Dalles Museum, 4H/OSU Extension, City of The Dalles Public Works, Disc Golfers, Gorge Pickleball Association, and The Dalles Girls Softball Association. In addition, 311 community members participated in the online public input survey, 246 people participated in the survey at local farmer’s markets, 53 people were surveyed at La Michoacana Store in The Dalles.
However phase one isn’t likely to include basketball courts, because what the community asked for more than anything were a new irrigation system and trees.
“Phase one is absolutely going to include new irrigation and planting and that is where we will begin,” said Parks Executive Director Scott Baker.
The preliminary plan for the Sororis Park Improvement project will be presented at the next NWPRD board meeting on October 20th, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. If the plan is finished prior to the regularly scheduled meeting, a special board meeting may be held.
Once the plan is completed a bidding process for contractors will begin. Following that, the plan will be presented to The City of The Dalles for approval of funding. NWPRD has also submitted a formal request to the Wasco County Commissioners for Sorosis Park Improvement project funding, although Commissioners have yet to discuss the request. The public can submit public comments about the project or contact their County commissioners about the project by visiting the county website.
