Yachats Commons Park

Task Force Meeting Minutes:
January 6, 2004:
February 23, 2004:
March 23, 2004:
April 19, 2004:
June 21, 2004:
August 17, 2005:

Conceputal Master Plan (page under construction)

Yachats is being afforded an extraordinary opportunity to create a unique park experience in the open land that is part of the 4.3 acres that makes up the Commons. In memory of her husband Jerry, Cheryl Kraft is making an extremely generous donation for the purpose of development of Yachats Commons Park. To augment this donation, other individual donations, which are tax deductible, should be made to the Friends of the Commons Park Fund and be sent to P. O. Box 435, Yachats, Oregon 97498 or dropped off at City Hall. This fund will allow for a concerted effort to acquire additional grant monies in addition to a potential allocation from the Visitor Amenities Fund. The combined funding should be sufficient to truly bring to reality the dream that Jerry and others have had for several years for this area.

This is an undertaking that will likely take several years and involve many people to fully complete. Jerry visualized the following general objectives:

Preserve the Spruce forest west of the Commons (approximately 1.3 acres).
Develop a natural park / educational wetland meadow area to complement the Commons landscape, and improve the general appearance of the Commons area.
Establish trails to access and traverse the area, and to connect the west side of the Commons Building to the west end of 6th street and the Library area. These trails become part of the Village Circulation Plan connecting Ocean View with the Commons, as a trailhead, and the center of town.
Modify the shrub-covered area west of the commons (approximately 2.36 acres) in three phases over three successive years (or more).

Creation of an agreed upon plan, incorporating extended public input, will be an important beginning. This plan will need to stand formal review and approval by the Parks & Commons Commission and the City Council before work begins. To assist with this process I am asking a diverse group from the greater Yachats Community to form a Task Force that will assist with fund raising, selection of a professional landscape architect, providing input for the design process, and who knows, perhaps even cutting blackberries. The goal of this group will be to see a completed Yachats Commons Park in the foreseeable future. If this is of particular interest to you, please call me at City Hall, 547-3565 or my home at 547-4101.

Also, please consider a donation to:

Friends of the Commons Park Fund
P. O. Box 435
Yachats, Oregon 97498

-Yachats Mayor Lee Corbin

Reprinted from the Yachats City Newsletter

Photo Gallery - Winter 2004

(click on an image to view full-size, use your brower's "Back" button to return to this page)