 Bluffs Park expansion adds new trail to Bonny Slope School
On August 23, 2013, Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District acquired a 1.82-acre parcel adjacent to the eastern segment of The Bluffs Park and north of Bonny Slope Elementary School. The property was purchased from the Singh family, using bond measure funds. This acquisition will allow for eastward expansion of the Bluffs Park. It will also allow the district to fulfill a commitment made to the Beaverton School District several years ago (through an intergovernmental agreement) to build a trail connecting the end of NW 117th Dr. to the north end of the elementary school. The trail will enable children from the neighborhood north of the school to safely walk to school.
The district will build a temporary soft-surface trail to connect NW 117th Dr. with the existing trail coming from South Drive. Construction is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 10. THPRD’s Director of Communications, Bob Wayt, says, “Our goal is to finish the project before Walk-to-School Day on October 9 (as requested by a local resident). In 2014 or 2015, we will build a paved trail to the north end of Bonny Slope Elementary from both South Drive and 117th. The timing will depend on how long it takes to do the planning and design work and get permits.”
This is great news for the neighborhoods just north of Bonny Slope Elementary, (Ironwood and Bonny Slope), as it will be a short route for children who can benefit from both the exercise and the friendships that occur while walking to school. Parents can participate by forming “walking school buses,” where one or two adults accompany groups of kids on their daily trips. |
