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Kiana Ballo
11/29/17
CEP 490
Task 4
Senior Project Proposal: Pacific Ave Park

Abstract
The City of Westport recently finalized its Comprehensive Park and Recreation Plan.
Within the plan, the Pacific Ave Property is zoned as a park, but is not currently used as
a public park and has no intention of redevelopment by the city in the near future. The
underutilized site was historically used as the location of the Westport ferry and fleet
dock, and is located on the shore of the Elk River with a beautiful panoramic view of the
bay and the mountains. This project aims to create a master park plan for the
transformation of this property into a functional public park by utilizing principles of
ecological restoration and community-based restoration. Information for the master plan
will be gathered by conducting research about site restoration, by conducting site
evaluations, and by gathering and incorporating community input. This information will
be synthesized into a master park plan for the Pacific Ave Property that will be
presented to the Westport City Council. This parcel holds historic value, and with
restoration, it can be turned into a unique and valuable asset for both the city and the
community.

Product / Goals / Significance

My idea for my senior project is a product of my internship at the city of Westport
this summer. My advisor, the Public Works Director, Kevin Goodrich, proposed that I
create a park plan for one of the city’s vacant properties. Westport just finalized a new
parks plan during my internship at the municipality, and although this site is zoned as a
park, there are no plans for the city to develop it. The product of this project will be a
proposal for the transformation of Pacific Ave property from a closed, vacant parcel into
a public park that would be operated and maintained by the city. The proposal will be a
master plan that focuses site evaluation and restoration, rather than creating an explicit
park design. I will present to the final proposal to the Westport City Council for them to
vote on. If the council approves my proposal, they will pursue funding for the
implementation of the plan.
My goal is to create a plan that will revitalize the property to be a clean and
accessible space, that will provide the community with opportunities for recreation,
socialization, and contact with the natural environment. Within this overarching goal,
there are two main foci; the improvement of the physical condition of the site and the
consideration of the relationship between the site, the city, the master plan and the
community. In my opinion, this property is a valuable, historic and unique asset that has
been underutilized by the city in recent decades. I believe that with some restoration
and landscaping, this site could be transformed into a functional and enjoyable public
space that will strengthen and benefit the community as a whole.
This project holds personal significance to me, as I will be working in my
hometown, in an area where many of my family and friends reside. Peter Leigh from the
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said, “Restoration,

community-inspired, offers reciprocity and redemption to give back to nature for what
nature has given to us and for what we have taken from it.” (5) I want my project to
embody this sentiment, not only in restoring the Pacific Ave Property, but to give people
a chance to engage with a beautiful and historically relevant location. Furthermore, I
want to incorporate the concept of reciprocity by dedicating my project to my community
that has supported me with this incredible opportunity.

Context / Background / History

The site itself is located at the end of Pacific Ave, a few blocks east of
Montesano Street, the main road that runs north through the city. The property reaches
to the shore of the Elk River facing west. The waterfront parcel is approximately one
acre in size with a beautiful, sweeping view of the mountains, the south bay,
surrounding wetlands and oyster beds. There is a trail running north along the east
edge of the park and a gravel road running east toward the water on the south edge.
The topography of the property is uneven, and it is generally sloped so that the lowest
point is around half way on the south edge of the park. There are a couple puddles
along the road, it is clear this is where the water drains from the property into the
wetlands below. Currently, the site has two large burn piles, a few piles of large of logs,
and a couple piles of large pipes used for storm drainage. Due to erosion of the
shoreline, there is a drop off about two feet down from the rest of the property with
chunks of concrete and debris littering the ground. Throughout the site there is broken
glass, miscellaneous garbage, unkempt grass and brush.
Access to the park is currently restricted to official city use. Public vehicle access
is blocked by a gate, but pedestrians can enter the site from a trail or by simply walking
around the gate. The city does not advertise or encourage public use of the site at this
time. The parcel is currently zoned as parkland by the city, although they currently have
no plan to develop the site into a public park. Explicitly, the city’s intentions for the
Pacific Ave site is described as follows in the Park and Recreation Plan:
“The site has the potential for multiple waterfront opportunities. At the time of the
writing of this plan, the site was not open for public use. The City intends to
decide on the future use of the site. Whether it will be developed for passive or
active recreation use or have some other specific use needs to be determined. A
site evaluation study would help to determine the best use of the site.” (2)
Additionally, through my conversations with my advisor and city official, Kevin Goodrich,
the site’s current use is confirmed as “burn site.” This means the Public Works
department utilized the location to burn yard waste from other city projects. Part of my
proposal will need to include a plan to mitigate the city’s loss of a burn site if the Pacific
Ave Property is turned into a public park.
The Pacific Ave Property is historically significant to the city of Westport. It
served as the original location of the Westport fleet dock until WWII. According to the
Westport Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Plan, “The site is currently
undeveloped and is the site of the first passenger ferry to dock at Westport. The
sternwheeler Enterprise was owned and operated by the Chehalis Steamboat
Navigation Company circa 1859.” (2) The pilings from original dock still stand in the river
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in front of the site. Outside of the Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Plan, I have
gathered historical information about the site from John Shaw, the manager of the
Westport Maritime Museum. He confirmed its original use for sternwheelers and ferries,
and also provided information that the use of the dock at the Pacific Ave Property ended
around 1912-1914, when the Aberdeen railroad was built and the road from Aberdeen
to Westport was constructed. My hope is to reconnect Westport with part of its history
by providing access to and information about the old fleet dock.

Preliminary Literature Review

In my literature review, I analyzed a diverse range of sources of information
including city planning documents, recreation area planning and design textbooks and
scientific scholarly articles. The information I have gathered from these sources is
focused around the park planning process, ecological restoration and community
engagement.
One main resource for creating my proposed master plan is the third edition of
“Anatomy of a Park” by Bernie Dahl and Donald J. Molar, both of whom are Horticulture
and Landscape Architecture professors at Purdue University. The function of this
textbook is to provide a complete overview of the park planning process, although for
my purpose I focused my research in four specific chapters: the functional
considerations, plan interpretation, site design process and plan evaluation. These
chapters discuss advice for planning practices to create a plan with function, efficiency,
reason and quality. “Good planning has to be flexible planning, with constant effort
being given to turning problems into opportunities.” (1) It also provides dialogue about
important considerations that are relevant to my project like appropriate plant materials,
utilizing existing resources and the delicate balance of needs and budget. Most
importantly, this book defines and explains the critical elements involved in creating a
master plan. “The master plan shows the essential organization of the part including
commitments regarding circulation and major relationships.” (1) I will be using this book
as a foundation of information, utilizing its structural park planning principles as a guide
when creating my own master park plan. Although this book is a great resource for park
planning, it does not address the second half of my project, which is restoring the
ecological condition of the property.
In order to conduct an ecological restoration, I have utilized the scientific article
International Primer on Ecological Restoration, published by the Society for Ecological
Restoration (SER). As defined by SER, “Ecological restoration is the process of
assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or
destroyed.” (4) This article also discusses the important elements of a restoration plan
and attributes of restored ecosystems that will be fundamental to include in my master
plan. When I am developing my master park plan, I will rely on SER’s fundamental
concepts of ecological restoration to educate my decisions around potential changes to
the current and future state of the natural environment at the Pacific Ave property.
Beyond the physical restoration of a site, community engagement is an important
topic discussed by SER in order to conduct appropriate restoration. “Ecological
restoration encourages and may indeed be dependent upon long-term participation of
local people.” (4) It is crucial to remember that the location of restoration does not exist
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in a vacuum, it has major influences on its surrounding environment and the people who
live and interact with or near the site. I want to ensure that the community feels included
in the decisions around the future of the Pacific Ave property.
The idea of “community-based restoration” is presented in a paper written by
Peter Leigh, for the Office of Habitat Conservation at the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He establishes his argument in the growing
dissociation of humans and our natural environment, and concept of ecopsychology. He
describes the relatively new scientific discipline of ecopsychology briefly as “the
recognition that human health is intrinsically connected to the health of the planet and
that both are mutually inclusive of the other.” (5) Within this idea of ecopsychology, my
project will address both the benefits of restoration for the site and the benefits for the
public. Based upon the principle of ecopsychology, he goes on to define
community-based restoration as a form of active, grassroots community engagement.
“The practice (community-based restoration) brings communities together, promotes a
conservation ethic, and develops a sense of place. By this action, humanity reconnects
with the environment, often in meaningful ways, to heal a segment of an impaired
earth.” (5) The idea of community-based restoration is important for my project in
ensuring that the development of the Pacific Ave property is appropriate and fits the
community’s current needs, while also establishing the public’s initial interaction and
continuous participation with the site.
Involving the community in the planning process is essential in creating a space
that fits the needs of the people it serves. The people who choose to engage in
community meetings and public processes are often very invested in the well-being of
the community and can provide useful insight concerning what the community needs
and desires from the project. Every document I have referenced so far has included
discussion around the importance of including community input. Specifically from a
restoration standpoint, working with community members is not only beneficial for the
project itself, but it gives people an opportunity to be invested in their community, to
identify and interact with their surrounding environment and to have a sense of self
accomplishment. I will incorporate the community’s needs into my master plan by
conducting several forms of public outreach. First, I need to educate the public about
my project through publicising my proposal and by posting on social media to spread
awareness. Then I need to acquire information and feedback from the community. I plan
on sending out a survey to residents of Westport to assess the needs, wants and
interests of the community. I will hold at least one meeting with City Council to open up
a public discussion about my project. Once I have compiled significant feedback from
the community, I will synthesize the general themes and responses from the public and
integrate my findings into the master park plan.
I have already briefly introduced the City of Westport Comprehensive Park and
Recreation Plan and its importance to my project. Within it is information about the
vision for the future of public parks in Westport with descriptions, figures, and the plan
for each park parcel. The Comprehensive Park and Recreation plan is an important
guiding document to refer to throughout the process of creating my proposal and will be
key in creating an appropriate plan for the site with the city’s vision in mind.
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To accompany the City of Westport Comprehensive Park and Recreation Plan, I

analyzed the City of Mountlake Terrace Ballinger Park Master Plan as a case study and
strong model for my proposed master plan. The Ballinger Park Master Plan provides a
well founded example of waterfront, wetland restoration project and provides the City’s
approach to public engagement. In these two aspects, I can utilize the Ballinger Park
Master Plan as a model for ecological restoration and as inspiration on how to involve
and get feedback from the community. Although Ballinger Park is much larger and more
urban the the Pacific Ave Property, they have many similar physical characteristics.
They are both located in sensitive wetlands with shoreline access, they both have
similar vegetation and both provide important habitats for birds and wildlife. Specifically,
in the Ballinger Park Master Plan, the 42 acre park is divided into four sections. The
portion of the park named the West Side is the most similar to the Pacific Ave Property.
The West Side one of the two areas of Ballinger Park with shoreline access and has
similar rolling, uneven topography with wetlands, shoreline and trail connections.
Additionally, similar to the Pacific Ave Property, Ballinger Park needed ecological
restoration to transform the site from its previous use to its new state as a public park.

Methods
1. In order to create a master plan, I need to ​review existing conditions ​to
understand what improvements and interventions need to be made. This
includes:
a. Researching the site history and evolution, as well as the context of the
site in the surrounding environment.
b. Researching the best practices and tools for conducting public outreach
and community engagement.
c. Researching the best site restoration methods for wetland and shoreline
conservation.
d. Creating a site inventory historical features, soil conditions, vegetation,
wetlands, topography, floodplains, and potential environmental issues.
e. Identifying any restrictions to access for people of various abilities
according to the American Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards.

2. To ensure my master plan appropriately meets the desires of the city and the
community, I need to ​analyze needs and preferences. ​This includes:
a. Reviewing important planning documents such as the City of Westport
Comprehensive Park and Rec Plan.
b. Researching estimates for costs of restoration.
c. Identifying assets and deficiencies and create a map of the parks assets
and areas that need improvements.
d. Assessing community needs through a survey, public meetings with city
council, and outreach on social media.
e. Synthesizing the information gathered from the first three steps into a
needs assessment that summarizes the ideals from the Comprehensive
Park and Rec plan with the feedback from the community.
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3. The final step is to ​develop a prioritized plan​ that organizes all relevant
information about the site and proposes a strategy for restoration. This includes:
a. Summarizing key findings.
b. Developing a vision statement, goals and objectives for the plan.
c. Identifying the property’s assets and necessary improvements.
d. Creating a plan for the City of Westport on where to relocate the current
activities they conduct on the property.
e. Creating a plan for ecological restoration.
f. Outlining a cost estimate for restoration and potential implications for city
staff in charge of future maintenance.
g. Creating a list of recommendations according to the feedback from the
community.

Assessment
The success of this project will be determined by how well I can balance the
ideals of the city and the community in realistically feasible and thorough park master
plan for the Pacific Ave Property. The final product should be a clear and
comprehensive proposal that outlines the logistics of restoring the site in a professional
planning document format that will be presented to Westport City Council.
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Bibliography (Appendix 1)
1. Dahl, Bernie, and Donald J Molnar. ​Anatomy of a Park: Essentials of Recreation
Area Planning and Design​. 3rd ed., Waveland Press Inc, 2003.
2. City of Westport Comprehensive Park and Recreation Plan 2018-2023​. City of
Westport in association with the Grays Harbor Council of Governments, 2017.
3. City of Montlake Terrace, and Partnership Berger. “Ballinger Park Master Plan.”
Ballinger Park Master Plan​, 28 Aug. 2015
4. Society for Ecological Restoration International Science & Policy Working Group.
2004. ​The SER International Primer on Ecological Restoration​. www.ser.org &
Tucson: Society for Ecological Restoration International.
5. Leigh, Peter. “The ecological crisis, the human condition, and community-based
restoration as an instrument for its cure.” ​National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, Office of Habitat Conservation,​ 2005.
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Timeline (Appendix 2)