The dream of transforming the Durkee property into a community park featuring trails faces significant challenges despite community advocates push for its development.
While the city of Battle Ground designated the property as a trail park in its master plan, development of the site is a lower priority for Battle Ground officials.
Located just 1 mile east of Battle Ground’s city limits, the 35-acre Durkee property was originally donated to Clark County in 1997 by Dorothy Harris and Virginia Richards to create a nature-focused trail park. The property was later transferred to the City of Battle Ground in 2012. Since then, Susan Tripp, whose father is a cousin of the land’s original donors, has been the leading advocate for bringing the park project to life.
In August, the Battle Ground City Council approved a park master plan for four park properties, including the Durkee property. Though the parks board had initially considered a sports complex for the site, the idea was met with resistance from locals, including Tripp, who argued that such a development contradicts the original intent of the land’s donors.
“The children of the donors are in their 80s. Their mothers did not see their gift [come] to fruition and public benefit,” Tripp said. “My hope is that their children, in their lifetime, will come for a ribbon cutting and see that gift come to fruition.”
The city’s published master plan calls for a trail park, with features like two viewpoints overlooking an existing creek and additional views of northern wetlands and a valley. A forest labyrinth, utilizing the site’s existing trees, would offer a maze experience. The project as a whole is expected to cost $3.9 million.
Last week, Tripp shared that she and dozens of residents are exploring alternative methods to help establish and maintain the park.
“We’re looking to see if there are any grant funds we could help write for the city, and so we’re going to hang in there and keep doing whatever we can to make sure that park is a priority and gets opened. I’m hoping, of course, every year I say this, but I’m hoping it will be opened in 2025,” Tripp said.
In an Aug. 18 City Council meeting, Tripp told the councilors she hoped the first phase of the project would begin in 2025, starting with a possible gravel parking lot.
Tripp noted the Durkee family has a deep historical connection to Clark County. R.S. Durkee, who once farmed the land, was a founding member of the Clark County Fair and served as a state representative. He and his family lived in a farmhouse built in 1912, which still stands on the property today.
“The family is committed to donating historic interpretive panels to celebrate the farm’s history. This addition would serve as an educational tool for children and residents, preserving the rural charm that Battle Ground is known for, even as the city continues to grow,” Tripp said.
Mayor Troy McCoy views the development of the Durkee property as a long-term challenge, however, and a low priority for the city. While the property is city-owned, it lies outside the city limits, and the challenges of permitting and infrastructure would make it a costly and time-consuming endeavor.
“The fact that it’s outside the city limits is problematic on several levels, one of which is exactly that permitting there would have to [require] a traffic impact study be done. That’s not cheap. It’s not quick,” McCoy explained.
The city’s parks budget for the coming year includes $1.5 million allocated for park improvements, such as the creation of pickleball courts at Kiwanis Park and a new park at the Remy property, located west of Walmart, which will feature basketball courts sometime in the future. McCoy emphasized that city officials favor incremental improvements to its park lands within city limits.
“I think that the citizens who pay city taxes deserve the parks in the city first,” McCoy said. “... Is [Durkee] a great project? Yes. For me personally, is it my first priority? No.”
