Category Overview
Local Parks grants help protect these symbols of vibrant communities, providing places for families to gather and play and promoting a healthy and active lifestyle in an era when people spend increasing amounts of their time inside. The WWRP is the largest source of local parks funding in Washington, helping communities fund the acquisition, development, and renovation of vital recreation areas and green spaces.
Project Highlights
Pierce County Parks will use this grant to develop the 150-acre Orangegate Park. The park property was acquired by Pierce County in 1998 with significant community support. This development will fulfill a long-standing community vision for a natural oasis serving the local community and broader Pierce County. The property is predominantly upland forest with informal trails, located in the Summit-Waller community at the intersection of 84th Street East and 46th Avenue East. A half-mile segment of the Pipeline Trail will cross through Orangegate Park. The Pipeline Trail is as a paved multimodal regional trail that will link Orangegate to many of the schools and parks from the City of Tacoma to South Hill. Phase 1 of the Orangegate Park project includes a parking area with 97 parking stalls, 18,000 square feet universally inclusive nature play area, picnic shelters, restroom, 5-acre enclosed dog park, trails, and signage. There will also be a safe road crossing at 84th Street East with an ADA trail connection south to the Pipeline Trail. All main amenities will be ADA accessible via a paved walkway that totals 3,600 linear feet. The park will serve a variety of users, including pedestrians, dog walkers, bicyclists, and equestrians. The Pierce County PROS Plan identifies Orangegate Park as a regional county park that can primarily provide a variety of active and passive recreational opportunities, and non-motorized trail use to fill a service gap in the Summit-Waller community.