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
The cornerstone vision of the Wapato Hills Task Force is a neighborhood park in South Tacoma that will accomplish two important objectives. First, the purchase of the 14 acre parcel of Wapato Hills will satisfy previously identified recreational deficiencies and meet the pressing need for a neighborhood park in a rapidly developing area. Second, the local park will provide an anchor for natural wildlife habitat and wetlands area. While planned development for the neighborhood park includes a multipurpose play field, children’s play area, hiking and bicycle trails, picnic areas and other park facilities, the project stands alone on its significant merits as a neighborhood park suitable for active as well as passive recreation. Topography of the land is predominately level with hills gently sloping toward the glacial drumlin which yields an elevation approximately 150 feet above the surrounding neighborhood. The adjacent Wapato Hills setting for our neighborhood park is an area especially noted for abundant wildlife and vegetative cover, providing respite from the highly developed areas nearby. The parcel is ideally suited as a neighborhood gathering place with ample acreage to allow group activities as well as more private retreats from encroaching urbanization.