Crown Park work set to begin

Long-awaited improvements to the “crown jewel” of Camas’ parks system — the City’s historic Crown Park – are slated to begin this summer.

“At 90 years old, this park is ready for a rejuvenation to provide new amenities and repair the aging infrastructure,” the City stated in a news release. “The Crown Park Master Plan is a vision of the park for the next generation.”

The improvements will add an interactive water feature, inclusive playground, nature play area, permanent restrooms, an upgraded irrigation system, flexible lawn area and improved pathways and parking spots that meet the requirements of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The city of Camas will host a groundbreaking ceremony at 1:30 p.m., Friday, June 14, at Crown Park, 120 N.E. 17th Ave., Camas.

On Monday, June 3, the Camas City Council unanimously approved a $96,778 contract with GreenWorks, PC — the consultant selected by the City in 2017 to complete the Crown Park Master Plan and subsequently hired for design and engineering work on the Crown Park improvements. The new contract will pay GreenWorks to help administrate the construction work and will add the services of an on-call arborist to help protect the park’s 160 trees.

At the Council’s May 20 workshop, Camas Parks and Recreation Director Trang Lam told Council members that she and Steve Wall, the City’s director of public works, had been discussing the best way to manage the Crown Park Improvement Project.

“We want to make sure we build this park right with some eyes on it,” Lam said. “We have also asked for an arborist to be on-site. We have over 160 trees in Crown Park and want to make sure we’re not damaging the trees. The arborist would be (on-call) to manage that and to answer questions from the construction team.”

The Crown Park Improvement Project is funded in the City’s current budget, Lam added, and has been partially funded by a $500,000 grant from the state of Washington’s Recreation and Conservation Office as well as a $2,500 grant from the Parks Foundation of Clark County.

The 7.3-acre park is home to many of Camas’ annual events, including the City’s annual egg hunt on Easter Sunday and the summertime movies and concerts in the park series. To accommodate construction at Crown Park, the City has found temporary, alternative locations for its Crown Park events, including the annual CamTown Youth Festival, which took place at Dorothy Fox Elementary School this year on Saturday, June 1.

The City’s 35th annual Easter egg hunt, held March 31, was the last big event the City will host at Crown Park until the improvement project wraps up in 2025.

For more information about the city of Camas’ Crown Park Improvement Project, visit engagecamas.com/crown-park-improve ments-30-design-process.