The Newberg Graphic Online

Historic trail system moves forward

Recreation — Public invited to give input at Nov. 18 meeting at the Chehalem Armory Center’s youth building

• By: Amanda Newman  
• Published: 11/6/2009 3:37:39 PM

    A network of trails running through the Chehalem Valley, connecting parks, historic sites, schools, wineries and more, could soon be a reality ... but the plan needs the public’s help.
    Chehalem Park and Recreation District will host a Nov. 18 community meeting to gather input on the Chehalem Heritage Trail Strategic and Master Plan Effort. The meeting will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the youth building at the Chehalem Armory Center at 620 N. Morton St..
    The proposed multi-use trail network, weaving for more than 50 miles throughout Newberg, Dundee and the surrounding areas, is anticipated to contribute substantially to quality of life in the Chehalem Valley, a press release from Vigil-Agrimis Inc. said. The Portland-based design firm is leading a consulting team in assisting CPRD with preliminary planning. But they’re also looking for guidance from those who will benefit most from the Chehalem Heritage Trail: local citizens.
    “We are looking forward to citizen input on how to make the Chehalem Valley a better place to play, live, work, learn and shop,” CPRD superintendent Don Clements, the project director, said in the release. The project has been a CPRD vision for more than 15 years.
    “We are looking forward to local residents telling us what points of interest they would like to see connected to this system,” Vigil-Agrimis vice president Paul Agrimis added. “For this system, the basis of our initial plan will be to identify points of interest and then find potential safe and cost effective routes between them.”
    Those points of interest will likely include parks, historic sites, natural areas, schools, employment areas, the Willamette River and tourist sites, such as wineries and resorts. The trail is also intended to connect to existing regional trails throughout Newberg and Dundee.
    The trail should be available to walkers, cyclists, canoe and kayak paddlers, boaters, naturalists and equestrians, according to Agrimis. Major nodes are anticipated to include Champoeg Park, Roger’s Landing, Ewing Young Park, Ash Island, the Chehalem Cultural Center, other parks and civic features in Dundee and Newberg, and George Fox University.
    Interpretive themes, based primarily around the area’s history, will include the Willamette River, Yamhelas Indians, Northwest Fur Company, British and French settlers, Quakers, Ewing Young and Herbert Hoover, as well as wine making and agriculture.
    In addition, the project will help conserve more than 1,800 acres of land throughout the area, by restoring native plant communities, integrating streams and other greenway corridors, and more.
    As the plan is still in its early stages, definitive scope, cost, funding and schedules have not been established. Phase One — the strategic plan — will define scope, cost and funding options, partially through public open houses such as the Nov. 18 event. Phase Two will include a master plan that identifies all nodes and connections and identify costs for land/easement negotiations and acquisition, design and construction.
    Design and initial construction of priority segments could begin as early as summer 2011 and could continue through 2020 or later, depending on funding availability. Potential partners include Oregon State Parks, Yamhill County Parks, George Fox University and local landowners.

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