Although it is over $2 million short on funding, Tigard plans to proceed with acquiring property for the Ash Creek Nature Link project anyway. After Metro councilors rerouted funding for the project in July, Tigard city staff had to reassess their path forward for a time-sensitive land acquisition.
“Once we did a revised cost estimate based on the funding that we have secured to date for the trail component, which totals $2.32M, we determined that we could build the heart of the project,” Tigard Communications Manager Kimberlee Ables told Tigard Life. “This all happened in the time since the Metro funding change was announced.”
The “heart of the project” is a proposed 2,400-foot-long, ADA-accessible “greenway” through approximately 12.82 acres of restored urban wetland wildlife habitat between SW Oak Street and SW 95th Avenue.
The crucial “link” of the project is the Metzger and Washington Square area; the greenway trail project also includes plans to cross Highway 217 via an overpass and eventually connect to the Fanno Creek regional trail.
On July 14, Tigard came before Metro councilors to ask for $3.9 million to fully fund the project. At the session, councilors defied staff recommendation and reduced Tigard’s allocation to $1.5 million, leaving the city $2.4 million short.
“I spoke up for the Ash Creek Nature Link during Metro’s grant process because I believe Tigard needs more ways for people to reach schools, parks and nature,” said Mayor Yi-Kang Hu in a press release. “I’m proud of our staff and partners for finding a way to move the first phase forward while protecting valuable wetland habitat.”
According to Ables, Tigard reviewed its resources after the meeting and, deciding the project was too important to shelve, modified its plans with sewer provider Clean Water Services (CWS).
“Without the partnership with CWS, the project would not have been possible,” Ables said. “We met with CWS and discussed our options and came up with our course of action.”
The first phase of the project will include property acquisition, which Ables said the city would begin “in earnest” in October. Additionally, the city will continue seeking out additional funding, which Ables said could purchase more amenities like “boardwalks, viewing platforms, interpretive signs and secondary trail connections.”
“Per Metro Council’s recommendation from their July meeting to seek additional funding mechanisms for the project, we are exploring other Metro grant programs to fund future phases of the Ash Creek Nature Link project,” Ables said.
While a construction timeline is not yet available, the project is scheduled to wrap in 2029.
