Herrera Beutler Announces $570,000 for New Parking Lot at Recreation Park in Chehalis 

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A bill that includes $570,000 for a new parking lot at Recreation Park in Chehalis has been advanced by the U.S. House Appropriations Committee and now awaits approval from the full U.S. House of Representatives. 

Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, announced the funding in a news release on Thursday. 

Funding would address a major safety concern for families attending events, according to the release. 

“Due to a lack of parking, people are choosing to park in unsafe locations surrounding the park that do not have proper surfacing, sidewalks or designated crossings,” Herrera Beutler’s office stated. “Another concern is children running across and darting into traffic of a busy roadway that sits parallel to the park. The addition of the parking lot will improve the safety of thousands of park visitors each year. The neighboring businesses and homes that surround the park would also benefit from the added parking, as park visitors regularly park in their business parking lots and private parking spaces.”

Chehalis Mayor Tony Ketchum thanked Herrera Beutler for her continued support of Recreation Park in a prepared statement. 



“As the popularity of the city’s new multi-use recreation facility continues to increase, the ability to build an additional parking lot will allow the city to meet the growing need for parking with safe paths to the park,” Ketchum said. 

Chehalis City Manager Jill Anderson said the additional parking lot will provide 55 more parking spaces for visitors at the park. 

“The additional parking will help minimize impacts on the surrounding neighborhood while creating a safer parking environment. We are thankful to Representative Herrera Beutler and her staff for their efforts to secure funding for this project,” Anderson said. 

Herrera Beutler is a senior member of the Appropriations Committee. She advocated for the inclusion of the  project in the Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Subcommittee Appropriations bill, according to the news release.