Thanks to community input, a vision lays out possibilities for the future of Blue Lake Regional Park: new water play opportunities, a new lake house for community events, stand-up paddle board rentals and a place to practice outdoor skills.
Nestled south of the Columbia River in Fairview, Blue Lake has been a public destination for more than 50 years. Metro has worked over the past year with the community to develop a master plan that guides future investments, making sure the park stays fun, safe and relevant.
Metro staff connected with hundreds of visitors at Blue Lake and brought an online survey to Portland metropolitan area residents to ask about their experiences in the park, what they love, what they would change and what they would like to see in the future. With this information, park planners developed a final recommendation reflecting the community’s ideas – slated for consideration by the Metro Council in late summer or early fall 2016.
The plan does not include swimming in the lake, reflecting Metro’s commitment to public health and safety. Regular visitors know about the challenges of frequent lake closures during warmer months due to bacterial growth.
Because water is a focus of the park, the final plan does allow water fun in a signature water feature that can be maintained for cleanliness and safety — keeping people splashing, cool and having fun. If the plan is adopted by the Metro Council, the parks team will begin developing a timeline to transition from lake swimming to an expanded water play area.
You can review the final plan now, send comments to the project manager and visit with Metro’s parks team at the Blue Lake splash pad June 18 to talk about the plan and enjoy a free popsicle.