Buckley planning new park, wants public input

There will be several ways for Buckleyites to give their opinion on Miller Park in coming weeks and months.

By Ray Miller-Still • September 30, 2020 9:30 am
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One of the three designs for the future Miller Park includes a a playground with a “hill play” and “log scramble” area, a covered pavilion, a basketball and volleyball court, and trails. Image courtesy the city of Buckley
One of the three designs for the future Miller Park includes a a playground with a “hill play” and “log scramble” area, a covered pavilion, a basketball and volleyball court, and trails. Image courtesy the city of Buckley

The city of Buckley is hoping its residents will share their thoughts on a new park to be built next year.

The park — to be called Miller Park — will be built on 3.5 acres between Jefferson Avenue and Rose Place, right next to the White River Senior Housing complex.

There are currently three park designs the public can review during upcoming open houses, council workshops, and surveys. All three proposed designs contain similar amenities like a volleyball and basketball court, a playground with a “log scramble”, an open lawn and benches, restrooms, a nature lookout, both a loop trail and connections to other trails, and parking.

Some options also include a “hill play” area for kids, a dog run, an entry monument, and a covered pavilion.

From this month through November, the city expects to start gathering public comments through informational mailers (with a survey), posts on the city’s website and Facebook page, emailing important stakeholders, and holding open houses around the community.

Those survey results and additional comments will be posted on a new website for Miller Park — which was expected to go live at the end of September, said project lead Kevin Caviezel — where people can also learn of upcoming events. Once the website is up, a link will be posted on the city’s website, www.cityofbuckley.com.

At least one open house is being planned for sometime in October at the Multi-Purpose Center at 811 Main Street, the draft public participation plan reads.

“The City will also conduct Pop-Up Open Houses throughout the community in places such as Post Office or Buckley Public Market,” the document continues.

These events may be held virtually or outside in order to accommodate social distancing guidelines.

December, then, will be spent analyzing data collected during these events and updating the both the city and Miller Park websites.

Around the turn of the new year is when the city hopes to have the state review their site plan, with a State Environmental Policy Act hearing to be held in February or March 2021.

Then comes the fun parts — grading and clearing are currently scheduled to begin that spring, bids for construction are planned to go out that June or July, and finally, construction to begin late summer.

The current plan calls for the parking lot and a playground to be installed around August or September 2021.

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