Along with supporting flood relief and Chehalis pool renovations, the Washington State Legislature added another benefit to Lewis County at the end of its recent session by transferring ownership of Stan Hedwall Park to the city of Chehalis.
Chehalis had a 55-year lease agreement with the state that would have ended in 2026, according to the city. Instead, the state surplused the park and gave it to the city at no cost.
City Manager Merlin MacReynold said it was important to the city to own the property since it plans to develop the land in the coming years.
“We continue to put facilities out there and if the state took it back that was very worrisome to us,” MacReynold said. “There is a real interest in the long term to upgrade the parks out there and put in a trail that would go along the edge of the park.”
After multiple attempts to gain ownership in the past, MacReynold credits Rep. Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis, and Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, for pushing along the donation.
“They recognized the city was very committed to the park and they saw a value in passing it along to us,” MacReynold said.
Stan Hedwall Park, comprised of 204 acres located at 1501 Rice Road, has four softball fields, two Babe Ruth fields, four Little League fields, 16 soccer areas, a volleyball court and a horseshoe pit.
The RV area of the park includes 29 sites.
The park, named in honor of a former park superintendent and city commissioner, was built in 1972 with a grant from the state’s Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation.
With ownership, MacReynold said, the city will begin partnering with groups such as Lewis County Community Trails to add features to the park.
“Now that we will be taking complete ownership, we can explore those opportunities out there,” MacReynold said.
