Hillsboro Parks & Recreation (HP&R), in partnership with Metro and the Trust for Public Land, completed the purchase of the 42-acre former Orenco Woods Golf Course in December 2011. This natural resource jewel, currently home to coyotes, frogs, hawks and other wildlife, is an ideal location for a nature park. The property, north of Quatama Road and west of Cornelius Pass, next to Orenco Elementary, has been largely unused in the six years since the golf course closed.

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) negotiated and purchased the parcel for $4 million from US Bank, and the City and Metro then purchased it from TPL. The City funded roughly half of the purchase price from parks system development charges in combination with its allocation of the local share of the Metro Green Spaces Bond. The remainder of the funding came from Metro through the voter-approved Natural Areas Program. Metro and the City co-own the property and Hillsboro Parks & Recreation will manage the park. An adjacent 11 acres that were already owned by the City will be combined with the recently purchased property to form the new park. Approximately 10 acres in the SE corner of the site will be sold to help offset the cost of planning and developing the Orenco Woods Nature Park.

A master planning process for the new Orenco Woods Nature Park began in September 2012, with the public invited to learn about the site and enjoy a tour. In November, the planning team presented a variety of alternative concept plans. On April 24, the draft master plan was presented to the public at an open house. Comments on the draft master plan are encouraged and should be submitted by Wednesday, May 8, 2013. Submit comments here.

If you would like to be kept informed about the master planning process for Orenco Woods Nature Park and opportunities to provide input, sign up for our e-list.

Shute Park Improvements

Construction at Shute Park began in September 2012, and is anticipated to wrap up by early 2013.

The improvements at Shute Park include playground renovation, which is a project that has been funded by the Washington County Community Development Block Grant Program, and a new picnic shelter and overflow parking renovation, which have funding from a Land & Water Conservation Fund grant.

The existing main playground area will have new play equipment, with a nature theme that will work well with the character of Shute Park, and will provide new play experiences, including a sand and water feature. The layout will have separate play areas and equipment for both 2-5 years as well as 5-12 years, which will improve enjoyment for all ages of children.

The new shelter will offer picnicking in a quiet area of the park, with its own lawn space for games and activities. The park has only one other picnic shelter, which is very popular. This will be a nice alternative, and will attract use to this currently under-utilized area of the park.

The grass parking area south of the Senior Center will be turned into a porous paving parking area, and will provide for year round parking.

We will also be adding benches, trash receptacles, barbeques, and a drinking fountain. All of the new site furniture will match what is already in the park.

Aerial photo

Photographs of the project sites

Rock Creek Trail Mid-Block Crossing on Evergreen Parkway

A project to install a fully signalized crosswalk on Evergreen Parkway at the City of Hillsboro’s Rock Creek Regional Trail entrances on Evergreen Parkway between Aloclek Drive and John Olsen Avenue was completed in late December. The crosswalk now provides a safe bicycle and pedestrian crossing for trail users.

This project is a partnership between Washington County's Department of Land Use and Transportation, Oregon Department of Transportation and the City of Hillsboro Parks and Recreation Department. The project is funded through the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Program. View a press release with more information here.

Rock Creek Trail Extension

The Rock Creek Trail is a bike / pedestrian trail now extends from Orchard Park to the north side of US 26 and Rock Creek Blvd. The trail is considered the primary component of the City’s Trail Master Plan, and provides scenic views of the Rock Creek Greenway. With help from a $1.275 million federal grant, the trail extension south to NW Wilkins Street is complete.  The extension adds a distance of about two-thirds of a mile to the existing trail.

The Design Option phase was initiated in 2009, and resulted in the selection of a preferred alignment which places the majority of the trail on the west side of the creek. This alignment was selected as it was preferred in public feedback during the planning phase and will be less expensive to construct and maintain. It has a greater setback from the creek and from adjoining residential properties, providing for improved habitat and privacy values.The trail is a paved 10’ wide surface and designed in accordance with federal standards for accessibility as well as pedestrian and bicycle safety. The majority of the trail is asphalt, with 1 bridge crossing over the creek and connecting boardwalk. Some scenic overlooks were developed along the trail route. The trail provides a connection to NW Cherry Lane, enabling trail users to continue west toward Cornelius Pass Road. The trail ends at NW Wilkins Street, and includes a pedestrian activated signal to facilitate crossing the street to sidewalks or bike lanes on the south side of NW Wilkins. The ultimate vision for the trail is to extend from US 26 in the north all the way to the Tualatin River in the south part of Hillsboro. Presently, the trail extends from just north of US 26 south to Orchard Park.

This drawing shows the profile of the typical trail section (upper right hand corner) and the elegant profile of the bridge and boardwalk where it crosses Rock Creek, going from the Cherry Lane site as it heads toward Wilkins, giving users the feeling of being in a treehouse as the trail gently slopes toward the creek. The colors in the drawing indicate both the normal ordinary high water level (OHW) and the 100 year flood elevation so the viewer can see that the boardwalk is above flood levels.