Work began recently on new walkways in Yakima's Randall Park.
Workers started the project by removing sod to make room for the new walks, and relocating some of the park's irrigation lines. Plans call for the city's Streets Division to start laying asphalt early in April, which will mean closing parts of the park as the work continues.
Ken Wilkinson, the manager of the Parks and Recreation Department, said the closure will no doubt inconvenience some of the park users, but the improvements are necessary and disruptions should be short-lived. He added that the walks were beginning to deteriorate and become bumpy, and in some cases, roots from nearby trees were causing damage. To avoid this happening again in future, the new walks will be placed further from the trees, Wilkinson said.
Not only will current walks be replaced, additional short pathways will be built to connect the new walks to the playgrounds, wildlife observation deck, basketball court, and the new picnic shelters. The improvements are part of the Randall Park Improvement Project, which has been funded by a state grant as well as some funds from the Parks Capital account. Private donations, city workers, and volunteers are also all helping with the project.
Projects like this could interest lots of people, so officials might consider working with a brochure printing company to create a booklet that shows what the finished work will look like.
