Van Lierop Park Master Plan

Summary

The City is developing a Master Plan for its newest public park, Van Lierop Park. Van Lierop is located in the east valley area of Puyallup, east of Shaw Road near Farm 12 restaurant. The property is approximately 18 acres in size and was purchased by the City in 2015 with the intention of developing a public park. The following website page provides information about the Master Planning process, updates, and other pertinent project documents.

What is a Master Plan?

The Master Plan is a document that lays out the process for creating recreational opportunities for Van Lierop. It acts as a blueprint for what the park could look like in the years to come. It also determines the potential phases of the project, describing what would be accomplished and forecasting when each phase could be designed, funded, and constructed. Working with the community and stakeholders, staff and the consultant team established and prioritized possible elements for the park, and recommended phases towards final completion.

The City completed Phase 1 of the Master Plan in 2019 and is currently working on Phase 2.

background

Background

In December 2015, the City acquired 18 acres of historic farmland to be developed into Van Lierop Park. The property is located in the East Valley area of Puyallup, east of Shaw Road, and north of Pioneer Avenue. This location is one of the few remaining areas within the City that could be developed into a community park with space to potentially include multiple sports fields.

Recreational opportunities envisioned for Van Lierop Park include one or more multipurpose lighted athletic fields for youth and adult sports as well as the extension of the Riverwalk Trail. This project has been supported by local community groups such as Friends of the Riverwalk, Puyallup Parks Foundation, Puyallup/Sumner Chamber of Commerce, and Kiwanis Club of Puyallup.

The scope of this project includes the development of a Master Plan document to identify the specific components of the park, outline a phasing plan for design and construction, and research funding opportunities. Conceptual planning discussions have suggested that Van Lierop Park could include one or more lighted multi-use sports fields, a trail system, a playground, parking, restroom facilities, and other park amenities. In 2017, staff worked with a consultant to begin Phase 1 of the Master Plan. In 2018-2019, staff and the consultant completed a design concept, after extensive meetings and community outreach. Graphics of the design elements are below.

In 2019, construction of the Phase 1 elements, including the "Daffodil Vistas" walking loop was completed.

Due to COVID-19 and staff changes, planning for Phase 2 of the Plan was delayed. In 2023, staff re-engaged with the consultant team to begin work on the Phase 2 design of the Master Plan. This includes the design and construction of a new playground at Van Lierop.

Project Updates

Project Updates

June 2023 - Staff and consultant re-engage with the project after a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff will begin working on the design of Phase 2 of the Master Plan and will begin outreach to the community in fall 2023.
2023 - City receives a grant from RCO for the design and construction of a playground at Van Lierop Park.
December 2020 - City installed crossing enhancements across 8th Ave SE from the Park to the Foothills Trail.
June 2019 - Ribbon-cutting of Phase 1 to celebrate its completion.
March 2018 - Thank you to those who joined us for the Public Open House in February. Project design is continuing, with a target construction start in summer 2018, pending completion of the permitting process. Once the project is under contract for construction, check back here for weekly updates on the progress!
January 2018 - The permitting process for SEPA review was submitted. An Open House will be planned for February 2018 to invite the public to view the selection Phase 1 park options that have been selected and funded through Council input, and public input, and maximizes the site features to preserve the Mt. Rainier view corridor.
November 2017 - Work is underway to develop studies and reports that will determine if this project is expected to have any significant environmental impacts (SEPA). Once SEPA is complete, the City Council will review and consider adopting the overall master phasing plan for Van Lierop Park. View the draft phasing plan.
October 2017 - Van Lierop Park's design and programming content is being developed according to public input and City Council direction. The park's master plan will include the phasing of various park amenities based on cost estimates and construction timeframes. When complete, the plan will be evaluated for possible environmental and traffic impacts, among other considerations.
May 2017 - Thank you to those who completed the second online survey these past few weeks. The survey is now closed. We will continue to work on plan design based on the feedback received.
April 28. 2017 - Thank you to all who attended the second open house on April 27th. Two design options have been created based on your feedback.
April 10, 2017 - Work is underway to develop conceptual plans using input gathered from the public at the first open house, the online survey, and the City Council.
March 9, 2017 - An open house was held for the public to communicate its ideas for the future Van Lierop Park. If you were not able to attend, please share your thoughts by taking the online survey by March 26th.
February 28, 2017 - The City Council received a presentation on the status of this project.
February 8, 2017 - Focus groups have been formed to gather input from local organizations. An open house will be held in March and an online survey offered soon.
January 2017 -Planning is underway for public outreach and involvement in the design process.
December 2016 - The master planning consultant contract is approved.
August 2016 - Riverwalk Trail, Phase 6 is named the "Ernie Bay Connector".
June 2016 - A Legislative Proviso grant was awarded to the city for the design and construction of Riverwalk Trail, Phase 6
December 2015 - 18 acres of the historic Van Lierop farmland property were purchased by the city.

Public Outreach

Public Outreach

Open houses were offered in the spring of 2017, during which the public was asked to share ideas on the type of programming and activities it would like to see at Van Lierop Park. This feedback, along with input gathered through online surveys, focus groups, and presentations to the Puyallup City Council was used to develop two design options, called Puyallup Polders and Daffodil Hills.

City Council preferred the Puyallup Polders option and provided feedback on some additional changes to the design and layout of the option, which is shown below.

After making those changes, staff was instructed staff to begin work on Phase One of the design and implementation of the Plan. In 2019, staff completed the design and construction of Phase 1, which included the Daffodil Vistas loop trail.

Staff and the consultant are beginning Phase 2 of the Master Plan design. Specifically, staff will be engaging with the public in the fall of 2023 to get feedback on a proposed playground at Van Lierop as well as other recreational elements that they'd like to see in the park. Please check back here for updates.

documents

Van Lierop Park Master Plan

Summary

What is a Master Plan?

Background

Project Updates

Public Outreach

Pertinent Documents

Contact

Contact Us

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