Proposed Design for the Rochesster Community Center Park

Proposed Design for the Rochester Park

The objectives, development, and final draft production of the Rochester Park Concept over the past year is made available to you for comment on this web site. This draft plan is nearing completion and we are now in the fine-tuning stages before ratification after many hours of review(s) and input at our monthly public meetings. The general public, local volunteers, Rochester Weed & Seed members, Thurston County Commissioner Bob Macleod, Director of Thurston County Parks & Recreation Dept. and Thurston County Development Services Michael Welter, as well as a local consultant in Rochester (Arch-Eco Design-land.arch & arch services) have all had input and have participated in creating the concept plan.

The concept strives to balance and mesh many layers with the aim of producing a free flowing organic design meeting the various requirements of general safety, emergency access, active and passive recreational use, project phasing, maintenance and operation and other objectives. Many compromises and sacrifices were made by all participants in the process to allow the plan to go forward. In other words certain activities, infrastructure or products/materials may have been presented but were dropped to make this plan workable. This most recent alternative is the sum result of previous concepts reworked. The following is an explanation of the “layers” built in to the concept but is not limited to these alone:

	Two open space areas with a perimeter path around the site
	Play equipment & play-structure sites for both new and old equipment centrally located with adult seating areas for supervision. This also includes a second area at the far end of the park with its parking area and accent planting.
	Active recreation sites for teens near the community hall: half courts, volleyball over the septic field, freestanding play wall, etc.
	Picnic areas with parking off the existing lane
	An open shelter structure centrally located
	Shade trees throughout and clusters of evergreen trees
	Minimal shrub plantings however they are clustered near the picnic areas
	Grass covered raised berms to bring more 3D into the picture and to enclose or define activity areas
	Lighting throughout
	Street pavement treatment in the pedestrian-slow traffic mall area on Bend St.

Note that in the concept stages compatible ideas (no matter the cost) are brought to the table to seek the highest possible standard, quality of play and enjoyment/beautification for the citizens of Rochester. This public space becomes a key component to building the town fabric and core of the community which otherwise is susceptible to becoming a non- descript traffic oasis in the long term. Rochester Park is a fundamental step we need to take and participate in (now) for a better community of the future.

Please look over the enlarged views which include text explaining some of the features.
They can be viewed by clicking on these three links:

Overall View

Center Section View

North Section View

After viewing these pages, are there specific comments you wish to offer or questions you wish to ask?
If so, please e-mail those comments or questions to us.

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