The Coos Bay-North Bend Rotary held the second of three community meetings with its consultant in Airport Heights Park on Thursday, September 5th from 6 to 8 pm. The meeting was well attended with over 20 Rotarians, North Bend and Coos Bay officials, and a significant number of community members. The Rotary Club with the help of NW Natural and Salvation Army shared a Hamburger or Hot Dog meal with the district providing cookies. Overall, 100 to 120 meals were served, three park concepts were presented, and next steps were identified.
CCAD signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Rotary in 2023. It also established a Park Steering Committee to ensure the project moves forward. Since then, Rotary has hired Groundworkshop to gather community input and develop a master plan for the 13-acre park.
At a meeting in May, the community was invited to share their visions of the kind of park they would like to see in the future. From that low, medium, and heavy touch concepts were developed. The following three concepts were shown at the meeting and those in attendance had an opportunity to share their thoughts and ask questions.
The Runway is the lightest touch to the park area. It leaves the Baseball diamonds in the positions they’re in now. It includes a Teen Zone at the basketball court and a pump track**. There is some onsite parking and two linear plaza areas. The play areas are near the Senior Center and the basketball court is separated from the play area.
The Commons is a medium-touch proposal. It includes a regulation Little League field and one regulation Tee Ball Field. The play and sports courts are still located by the senior center. There is a single on-site parking lot. The concept includes two separate plaza areas, a medium-sized central lawn, and two pump tracks for beginners and advanced.
The Loop is the heaviest-touch proposal that reorientates the baseball fields. To do this would require the most movement of dirt to create the best topography for field construction. That would include building a retaining wall. There are three separate plazas (an athletic, community, and teen area).
There would be a large single pump track with two central lawns. This design has an accessible nature boardwalk, paved walking loops, and a pavilion with a lawn for community events.
The Meeting was an opportunity to talk about the concepts and get additional feedback. A survey featuring the concepts is available for those unable to attend. The information will be used to create a better design for the final master plan. One more community meeting is planned, that date will be set for the future.
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