The groundbreaking ceremony took place where the athletic fields will be and the skatepark is under construction nearby. 

City leaders, staff and even local skateboarding enthusiasts swung their shovels into the dirt to commemorate the groundbreaking of a new park in Lake Oswego last week.

Rassekh Park, located along Stafford Road, will include a skate park, trails and paths, a multi-purpose athletic field, a picnic shelter, parking, restrooms and more. The city is completing the skate park phase of the project first as it identifies funding for the rest of the project.

Parks Director Ivan Anderholm indicated at the event that the project may actually take place in three phases. The City Council agreed to break up the project in phases after it was determined there wasn’t enough funding to complete all of it immediately. The first phase will include the completion of the skate park along with grading and the installation of public utilities. The future athletic fields will look like a meadow in the meantime.

“Though we are doing a phased approach, I want to make an emphasis that this first phase is consistent with our community vision for the park. We have not changed the design for the park,” Anderholm said, later adding: “Building this park in phases reflects the city’s continued fiscal responsibility to do things in a fiscally responsible way.”

Mayor Joe Buck noted that the skate park being added to the project was a way to provide a place for skaters after the previous skate park in town was removed to make way for a maintenance facility.

“It may not be at the top of the list of the most popular activities, but for a segment of the population it is a safe outleft for socializing and outdoor recreation,” he said.

Buck added that he was amazed at the work that has already been done at the site. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed next year.

Sewer installation concerns neighbors

Homeowners association neighbors near the future Rassekh Park site are concerned about construction within the association’s common area and the removal of 23 trees associated with a sewer line connection project by the Lake Oswego government.

Neighbors within the Bella Terra Homeowners Association sent a letter this month and appeared at the Tuesday, Sept. 19 City Council meeting expressing concern about this issue, stating that they want a strong mitigation plan to replace trees and revitalize landscaping.

Robert Heape, a former planning commissioner and association resident, said that neighbors were blindsided by the news of the city planning to bore under the homeowners association private property and impact its landscaping. They are also concerned about harm to sensitive lands at Pecan Creek and want the city to consider additional measures to protect the natural habitat and trees.

The city’s parks and recreation department clarified that the open space area within the HOA had long included a public utility easement with the intention of serving Rassekh, and that no work will be conducted within the sensitive lands area.

“The project team is using a directional boring method rather than trenching to install the sewer facilities. While more costly, this method is commonly used to minimize disturbance in ecologically sensitive areas such as creek corridors. In addition, the work area is surrounded by tree protection fencing to avoid damage to nearby trees,” project manager Kyra Haggart wrote via email.

The city plans to replant trees of the same species to replace the ones that will be removed (or choose trees based on a list provided by the HOA if the species isn’t available), reseed grass and replace any damaged irrigation, along with additional planting.