Earlier this week, Congress approved a yearly spending plan that, in part, will fund safety upgrades to the City of Chehalis Recreation Park.
According to a news release, the funding was secured thanks to Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground. The $570,000 for Chehalis will be used to build more parking at Recreation Park.
“The City of Chehalis’ priority to increase safety for folks using the Recreation Park, which will support homes and businesses in the surrounding areas, was advanced this week in Congress as part of a larger spending proposal,” Herrera Beutler said. “While the overall spending levels in the bill were too high for me to support the package in its current form, I’ll continue working with congressional negotiators to ensure this project I’ve championed remains in the final bill to help benefit the City of Chehalis and surrounding communities.”
According to the release, funding would address a major safety concern for families attending events.
“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. Another concern is children running across and darting into traffic of a busy roadway that sits parallel to the park,” the release stated.
The addition of the parking lot will improve the safety of thousands of park visitors each year, according to the statement.
Neighboring businesses and homes near the park would also benefit from the added parking, as park visitors regularly park in their business parking lots and private parking spaces, the statement noted.
