NORTH BEND, Ore. — The Rotary Club of Coos Bay-North Bend is hosting a second community meeting focused on “Picnic in the Park,” presenting park revitalization concepts for the first time since the signing of a memorandum of agreement with the Coos County Airport District.
The Rotary Club said the team is developing a master plan for the park currently known as Airport Heights Park. While the plan is being developed, the Rotary Club has painted the playground equipment and the district has repaired the swing sets.
The North Bend Independent Youth Baseball Program also helped maintain and improve the baseball fields. CCAD maintenance crews installed playground equipment, cleaned trails, and removed trees. They also added paint details and set up animal waste stations.
The Rotary Club hired Groundworkshop as a consultant to develop the master plan for the park. In May, they held a meeting where they invited community members to offer suggestions for what they would like to see in the park and to share stories and other connections to the park.
The park has been part of the Airport Heights neighborhood since it was developed by the city of North Bend. Previously, the property was part of a military base built during World War II. It was part of the government’s development of airports across the country.
The 13-acre park is located on the property line currently owned by the Coos County Airport District. CCAD has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Rotary Club to revitalize the park in May 2023. It currently includes a playground, two baseball fields, a basketball court, a tennis court and a sand volleyball court.
After several meetings, Groundworkshop will present options to the public at Airport Heights Park. In addition, Northwest Natural and Rotary will provide free hot dog or hamburger meals to those in attendance.
The meeting is open to all members of the public as the Rotary Club seeks further input on the designs. The meeting will take place on Thursday, September 5th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
For more information about the park project, visit the Rotary Club website here.
