Felida Neighborhood Association has lofty goals for area parks

Dr. Milada Allen’s eyes scanned the 20 people filling Felida Fire Station’s meeting room Tuesday evening. She was searching for a few willing community members to serve as Felida Neighborhood Association board members. After some prodding, the association president eventually found her people: Brad Inman and Ian McIntosh, pastor at the Summit View Church. They’ll now be responsible for helping more than five committees and projects, most of them involving parks.

Parks, Parades and More Parks

For more information about donations or volunteering, call Milada Allen at 360-573-4030.

Neighborhood volunteers will lead a tour of the proposed Cougar Creek Woods Community Park, formerly zoned to be a subdivision, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on June 12. Clark County purchased 10 acres at 11515 N.W. 16th Ave. for the proposed park in 2009, but cannot continue with design and construction until funds are available.

From noon to 3 p.m. on June 17 on the 6th floor of the Clark County Public Service building, the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee will present a draft concept plan for Sorenson Neighborhood Park, which will remain a barren slope until the housing market recovers.

“We’ve been watching a lot of people and dogs utilizing the parks – mostly dogs,” said A.J. Sallee, a parks committee member and a nearby resident.

Allen and Al Jaffe from the Salmon Creek Lions Club also reminded attendees about the upcoming Fourth of July Children’s Parade that ends in Felida Community Park. They expect 5,000 kids to attend the non-motorized parade, said Jaffe.

Allen Jaffe said she’s still selling memorial bricks for the community park, although the engraver won’t proceed until 10 are sold. She and the association are also still seeking donations for memorial features at Sgt. Brad Crawford Neighborhood Park, including waves of river boulders creating auditorium-like seating surrounding a pavilion with ocean-washed concrete paving.

Port Update

Andrew Ness from the Port of Vancouver dropped by to inform attendees that his agency experienced growth in all imports and exports over last year, save for Japanese auto imports stunted by the country’s recent earthquake.

He also updated the neighborhood on the progress of the West Vancouver Freight Access project, in which a rail loop has been completed to reduce congestion on the tracks around the port. There is still a $70 million funding gap to complete the $150 million project.

He also announced that BHP Billiton, the sixth largest company in the world, will move its potash export facility to the port’s Terminal 5 facility, potentially tripling its output volume in the next five to 10 years.

Overhead Lines

Lisa Timmerman, spokeswoman for the Bonneville Power Administration‘s I-5 Corridor Reinforcement Project, stopped by to update people on the project, still in the draft environmental impact statement phase.

She said BPA will complete the statement, which is required to start construction, in late 2011. One of its possible routes could follow an existing BPA line over Salmon Creek. Many Southwest Washington residents oppose the route and want BPA to run their new transmission line through Oregon.