Troutdale breaks ground on Sandy Riverfront Park and Trail

Walkers, bikers, river enthusiasts, bird watchers, and Troutdale residents were all smiles Thursday afternoon, Oct. 10, during the official groundbreaking of a project that will bring better access to the river and foster more connections into Downtown.

The ceremony was for the Sandy Riverfront Park and Trail, a 3.5-acre waterfront park nestled along the Sandy River a stone’s throw from Downtown Troutdale.

“This is an exciting milestone for Troutdale,” said Mayor Randy Lauer.

“You don’t have to look far for why so many cherish this place,” he added, pointing to the Sandy River, which was gleaming in the afternoon sun. “Without all of you this park and trail wouldn’t have been possible.”

The plans for the park include play areas, picnic tables, overlooks of the river, riparian restoration to bolster wildlife, and meadows and wetlands. The trail will be American’s with Disabilities Accessible — wide and paved without any steep grades.

It all will upgrade the existing Interstate 84 pedestrian bike path and follow the river under the railroad to connect into Downtown at the Depot Rail Museum and Gateway to the Gorge Visitor Center.

“This is just the beginning for what will become a vibrant riverfront property,” Lauer said.

It was a day of celebration for nature lovers — just down the way was the official ribbon cutting for the Ch’ak Ch’ak Trail, a three-mile segment of the 40-Mile-Loop Trail in Troutdale and Fairview that takes folks near the confluence of the Sandy and Columbia Rivers.

“It is great to celebrate the beginning of this project and the end of that one,” said Troutdale City Manager Ray Young, referencing the Ch’ak Ch’ak ribbon cutting.

Twenty years ago the property was a mess. It was the site of the former city sewage treatment plant, and on the other side was the remnants of a 1930s-era sheep wool factory, in which the carcasses of the dead animals were haphazardly buried across the land and a bevy of chemicals were dumped anywhere and everywhere.

“DEQ probably doesn’t even have a name for all the chemicals that were left,” Young said.

So the city and partners, including Metro Regional Government, spent decades and hundreds of millions of dollars cleaning up the land.

“It has taken a lot of work to make this dream a reality,” Young said. “Today we begin a project that will connect Downtown Troutdale to nature and beyond.”

The plan is for the waterfront park and trail to be completed by summer.

“This is a wonderful project, Metro will always be a partner with this community because we all enjoy the beauty that is Troutdale and East County,” said Metro Councilor Ashton Simpson.