The new Meadow Ridge Park was in use on Sunday afternoon.
The afternoon of Christmas Eve, the bike and I ventured east of I-5 to the northeast corner of Albany to take a look at the city’s newest park.
On Facebook last week the parks department reported on what it called the “soft opening” of Meadow Ridge Park. I think that meant they took the fence down. A more formal opening will take place when the weather is good in the spring.
The park is on Timber Ridge Street, between Timber Ridge and Meadow Ridge schools. The site is within a few minutes walk of hundreds of new apartments and single-family homes that have sprung up in recent years.
There was some mist in the air — or maybe it was a mild drizzle — on Sunday afternoon, and the temperature was in the 40s. Still, as I watched for a few minutes, the park proved an attraction to families and their children who had ambled over from the neighborhood.
Other than the usual swings and other gear, the park has an assembly of logs that invite children to climb as high as they dare. It’s a neat innovation, I thought.
The 1.8-acre park had been in the planning stages for more than a dozen years. In in June, the city council awarded a contract to build it to K&E Excavating Inc., Salem, the lower of two bidders at $922,277.
The money to pay for this project came out of the city’s fund that collects the systems development charges that developers and builders in Albany are assessed to pay for new parks.
Opening Meadow Ridge Park at Christmas may not have been intentional, but to the people of this neighborhood it’s a fitting gift. (hh)
The park has four sturdy bike racks, and I made use of one.
That’s quite a new addition to the area – a green space to enjoy. The SDC charges work well to create a functional space!
The logs to climb on are pretty kool. It would have been nice to have this in playgrounds 60 years ago. thanks for all of your reporting HASSO!