About the Project.
The City is creating a new sports field.
The City of Lake Oswego is developing a new multi-purpose sports field and play area at the Rassekh Property. Athletic fields in Lake Oswego are in high demand and this new park will help fulfill the vision of the Parks 2025 Initiative as well as the City Council’s goal of implementing bond-funded Parks & Recreation projects. When completed, the park will be a place for young athletes, sports fans, families, and neighbors to play and compete.
Community feedback will help shape the park design and facilities. Visit the “Get Involved” tab to learn about opportunities to provide your thoughts and ideas.
Introduction from the Project Manager.
Video tour of the site.
Information about public outreach.
Schematic Design
The schematic design of the park is intended to show the general geometries and spatial relationships of the park features based on known community feedback, code compliance and available budget so far in the process. It is not the final plan and will evolve based on continuous design advancement and input.
Frequently Asked Questions.
What is the intended purpose of this park?
The property was originally acquired by the city in 1996, as a result of the 1990 Parks Bond, with the intention of being developed as a park with athletic fields. Subsequent area plans have all identified the property as being developed for the purpose of active recreation. More recently, the specific direction provided by City Council in their 2020 Goals and Initiatives was to develop this park as a ballfield. While that is the primary purpose of the park, there is space to accommodate other park features, like playgrounds and trails for example.
Does our community need another athletic field?
In 2019, Lake Oswego Parks & Recreation conducted a study to understand the current demand on the city’s sports fields. The report indicated additional sports fields managed by LOP&R were needed to serve the city. Conflicting practice times & sports season overlap are driving this need. While the school district also operates fields in the community, they are generally unavailable and have frequent scheduling conflicts. Rassekh Park will accommodate more practice and game times for youth team sports in Lake Oswego, address demand for increasing participation in soccer leagues and potentially allow increased field availability for local, non-league users. The report is linked at the bottom of this website.
How can I be involved?
Stay informed at this website. Updates will also be posted here: Rassekh Park Development | City of Lake Oswego for the duration of the project.
Attend the community meeting. There will be a live online community meeting on September 30 to hear the latest about the park development and provide feedback.
Reach out to a Project Advisory Committee member and show your support or share your concerns! Click the link at the bottom of the website for a list of PAC members.
What outreach has been done so far?
Project outreach has been primarily online due to the pandemic. The initial online open house solicited feedback on the community vision for the park. The second online open house put forth three separate conceptual plans with survey questions focused on the distinct characteristics of each plan. The survey results can be seen below.
One in-person neighborhood meeting took place on August 17. A video of that meeting is posted at the bottom of this website. A second nearly identical meeting will take place virtually (online) on September 29th for those who were unable to attend in person. Check with your neighborhood association for the time and link to this meeting.
Additionally, the project team has met with the Project Advisory Committee (PAC) three times to review design progress and gain feedback from a diversity of stakeholders. Click the link at the bottom of the website for a list of PAC members.
Can we protect the wildlife and stream?
Yes! The existing stream corridor will be protected and preserved. The development of the park will stay outside of the stream corridor which is designated as “Sensitive Lands.” During construction, erosion control measures will be put in place to ensure the protection of this area.
Over the last six (6) years, LOP&R’s maintenance staff have made significant progress on the removal of invasive plants as well as planting over 6,000 native plants within the Pecan Creek corridor. Restoration efforts are a part of the city’s Invasive Removal Program and the Habitat Enhancement Program. The City welcomes volunteers to support habitat enhancement and watershed protection in this area.
What about the historical significance of this site?
A cultural resource assessment of the land has been conducted. Check the links below on this website for the final report.
Why can’t the park be accessed from Stafford Road?
Vehicular access to the park is required to come from a lower classification street, Atherton Dr. in this case, per city code. Stafford Rd. has higher volumes of traffic that operate at higher speeds. It is safer for traffic to enter and exit the site from Atherton Dr. than off of Stafford Rd.
Along with a parking analysis, plans, and neighborhood comments, the traffic impact analysis will be submitted to the City for Land Use Review following the requirements of the code for access. City engineering and planning staff will review these items together for compliance with applicable codes and identify if any changes can be made.
What will the traffic impact be from this project?
The impact to traffic on Stafford Road and the roundabout at Atherton Dr. from this project is expected to be minimal. It is understood that Stafford and the roundabout are sometimes congested at certain times of the day. Stafford Road and the roundabout will continue to operate within city standards for weekday morning trips and Saturdays after this park is implemented. Currently, the roundabout is operating below it’s intended level of service on weekday evenings.
It is estimated that 75% of the vehicle trips related to this project will enter from the east and the remaining 25% will travel through the neighborhood from the west. At most times throughout the week, that equates to nearly zero trips / hour through the neighborhood. On weekday evenings, four trips / hour can be anticipated and on Saturdays up to ten trips / hour can be expected to travel through the neighborhood.
The function of the roundabout and Stafford Rd. will be evaluated by City and County staff at the time of Land Use Review. They will apply a thorough review of all the traffic issues related to this project as well as the golf course project and the recreation and aquatic center project.
Is this part of a larger plan to hold tournaments? Tournaments are noisy and generate a lot of traffic.
This is not intended to be a tournament style complex and it is not a part of a larger effort coordinated with the school district to host tournaments. These are youth fields and not programmed in conjunction with nearby high school sports fields. Prolonged peak level parking and traffic for organized tournaments is not anticipated.
What will the lighting be like and why do we even need lights?
LOP&R has a need to provide athletic fields within the parks system that are operational beyond the normal daylight hours based on current and anticipated demand for field use. While field lighting will be necessary, it will be directional, LED lighting, with minimal direct glare. For reference, George Rogers Park has a similar field lighting approach to what is anticipated for this project. The operational hours for athletic field lighting do not continue beyond 10pm.
Minimal park lighting is anticipated, but whatever lighting there may be for the park the team will consider cutoff angles, directional throw, and color temperature to bring the most benefit to neighbors, park users and wildlife while providing safety in the park. Street lighting will be added along Stafford Road.
What will the field surfacing be?
The athletic field will have a synthetic surface, which will enable year-round use. Compared to natural grass, synthetic surfaces have maintenance advantages, greater playability, and do not require fertilization.
Can a covered picnic shelter be added to the plan?
Potentially, yes. There are several aspects of the park design that are under consideration based on cost, and a shelter is one of them.
How can I stay up to date about the skatepark?
Updates on the skatepark and opportunities to get involved in its design can be found here: Rassekh Skatepark | City of Lake Oswego
Questions and comments about the skatepark can be directed to Kyra Haggart with the City of Lake Oswego.
Project Timeline.
1
Schematic Design
Spring 2021 – Summer 2021
The project team will develop conceptual ideas for the layout and program of the park based on feedback from the community and Public Advisory Committee.
2
Design Development
Summer 2021 – Winter 2022
Community members will have the opportunity to review the design progression at an open house. The approved design concept will be advanced through plans and details and submitted for land use review at the city.
3
Construction Documents
Spring 2022 – Summer 2022
The project team will present the project to Lake Oswego’s Development Review Commission and finalize the design to create drawings a contractor can build off of. Community members can stay connected to the project through this website.
4
Permitting & Bidding
Summer 2022 – Fall 2022
The project team will obtain the necessary permits for construction and a contractor will be awarded a contract to build the project.
5
Construction
Fall 202 – Spring 2023
A contractor will construct the park. Check this website for the latest updates!
1
Schematic Design
Spring 2021
The project team will develop conceptual ideas for the layout and program of the park based on feedback from the community and Public Advisory Committee.
2
Design Development
Summer 2021
Community members will have the opportunity to review the design progression at an open house. The approved design concept will be advanced through plans and details and submitted for land use review at the city.
3
Construction Documents
Fall 2021-Winter 2022
The project team will present the project to Lake Oswego’s Development Review Commission and finalize the design to create drawings a contractor can build off of. Community members can stay connected to the project through this website.
4
Permitting & Bidding
Spring 2022
The project team will obtain the necessary permits for construction and a contractor will be awarded a contract to build the project.
5
Construction
Summer and Fall 2022
A contractor will construct the park. Check this website for the latest updates!
Get Involved.
Online Open House
An online open house was held June 4th - June 13th. Thank you to everyone who visited. The survey questions are now closed, but you can still view the open house at the link below.
Public Meetings
A neighborhood meeting was held on August 17th at the Lake Oswego Maintenance Center and on September 29th virtually. A community meeting was held on October 13th and March 7th virtually.
Thank you to everyone who attended. The meetings can be viewed at the links below.
Project Advisory Committee
The Project Advisory Committee advises the project team. It is made up of neighbors, stakeholders, and Parks staff.
Documents.
Parks Plan 2025
Luscher Area Master Plan
2011 Athletic Field Requirements Study
2019 Athletic Fields Requirements Report
Visioning Survey Report
Design Options Survey Report
Cultural Resource Assessment
Stay Connected.
Questions? Comments? Want to sign up for our mailing list? Contact Bruce Powers below or use the comment box.
Project Contact:
Bruce Powers, RLA
Park Analyst / Project Manager
Lake Oswego Parks & Recreation
Phone: 503-697-6575
Email: [email protected]