THPRD supports city decision to cancel purchase of Cobb property parcel

Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District officials today expressed support for the City of Beaverton's decision to terminate a proposed agreement that would have conveyed a portion of the former Cobb property from THPRD to the city for a Bridge Meadows intergenerational housing development.

“We have met with and listened to numerous comments from neighbors of the property,” said THPRD General Manager Doug Menke. “We care what all of our district residents think, make decisions with them in mind, and are in agreement with the city’s decision.”

Using funds from its 2008 voter-approved bond measure, THPRD in 2010 purchased the former Cobb property at Murray Boulevard and Sexton Mountain Drive. The district plans to create a neighborhood park at the site. The size of the purchase was 8.6 acres, much larger than the typical neighborhood park of 2-5 acres.

In 2014, the city approached the park district about selling 2.5 acres of the site. As a condition of the sale, the city would grant the district a perpetual easement of about 2.3 acres, including a parcel of flat ground far better suited for THPRD’s plans to build an athletic field on the site. All proceeds from the sale would have been returned to bond measure funds.

The proposed deal with the city also would have paved the way for a first phase of the park to be built much sooner than originally envisioned. No funds are currently available for development of the park, which has yet to be master planned.

“We only entertained the proposed sale because it would have been to a fellow governmental entity – one that offered us directly adjacent land to use for park purposes,” Menke said.

Menke said the intent, as it has been all along, is to provide the best possible park site for neighboring residents. It is premature to say what the district's next steps will be, he added. It would be difficult and expensive (though not impossible) to site an athletic field on the Cobb property because of its sloped topography.

About THPRD

Formed in 1955, THPRD is the largest special park district in Oregon, spanning about 50 square miles and serving 230,000 residents in the greater Beaverton area. The district provides year-round recreational opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. Offerings include thousands of widely diverse classes, more than 90 park sites with active recreational amenities, 60 miles of trails, eight swim centers, six recreation centers, and 1,400 acres of natural areas. For more information, visit www.thprd.org or call 503-645-6433.