Here’s an unanticipated benefit from the failure of the Bank of Clark County: Ridgefield residents will one day have a new community park to throw a Frisbee, walk on a trail or perhaps watch a baseball game. But it could take as long as 20 years before the park is developed and ready for use.
The city of Ridgefield recently took one giant step toward making the park a reality, though, when it purchased 17 acres of land that was forfeited to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. after the bank was closed by regulators.
“It’s a challenge to get new park land, and in this case we felt it was a really good opportunity because it was going through the FDIC and we were able to purchase more land than we probably would have otherwise,” Ridgefield Mayor Ron Onslow said.
The parcel of land, which sits along 45th Avenue near where it becomes South Royale Road, was acquired by the Bank of Clark County when the property went into foreclosure. When the bank collapsed last year, the land was handed over to the FDIC.
When the opportunity to purchase the land arose, the city couldn’t pass it up, City Manager Justin Clary said.
“It was a steal,” he said. The city used park impact fees collected from developers of new residential areas to pay the $575,000 price tag.
During the development boom in 2006 and 2007, undeveloped land zoned for residential use, such as the property acquired for the park, would have sold for $200,000 to $250,000 per acre, Clary said. Now the cost is closer to $75,000 to $80,000 an acre, he said. The city acquired the park land for less than $34,500 per acre.
The cost wasn’t the only deciding factor in the land purchase. The city’s 20-year parks plan created in 2008 calls for the development of a new community park in that area. The Ridgefield parks board and city council set a goal to acquire the land within the first six years of the plan. That goal was met by the land purchase on Dec. 31.
Prior to the purchase, the land was used as cropland for cattle feed. Onslow said the city may lease the property for agricultural use until the city is prepared to develop it. That way the land is cared for while the city rounds up enough money to move the project forward and the neighborhood develops, he said.
Discussions between the council and parks board about how to develop the land haven’t taken place yet, but Onslow expects them to begin soon. The city will also be looking to the community for input, he said.
The property is primarily buildable land with some rolling hills. It backs to a forested stream corridor, which the city does not own, Clary said. The land may be suitable for a baseball field or two, a dog park or perhaps an amphitheater, Clary said.
Onslow said the city hopes to purchase the stream corridor in the future and create a waterfront trail. The trail segment could then connect to the city’s trail system that will link Abrams Park, downtown, Ridgefield High School, and, eventually, the industrial part of town, Onslow said.
The city currently has one community park — Abrams Park — a skate park and seven neighborhood parks. Onslow is excited about adding another park, which he said makes communities livable.
“When you’re walking through a community and you’re on a trail or a bike path, it just seems everybody becomes your friend,” Onslow said. “That’s when neighbors meet neighbors. … It’s all part of developing your community.”
Marissa Harshman: 360-735-4546 or marissa.harshman@columbian.com.
