The idea of a pavilion at Keizer Rapids Park has stirred talk for years and now city officials want a better read on what Keizer residents want.
The city is holding a “community listening session” about the largely-unformed plan for a pavilion. The public event is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23, at the Keizer Event Center.
City Manager Adam Brown said the city has been using a $60,000 grant from Marion County to consider the pavilion. He said city officials want to get a sense of whether the community wants a pavilion, what uses could be envisioned – and where in the park one should be placed.
In 2024, the Keizer City Council greenlighted the early research, considering a rough proposal for what then was estimated to cost $1 million.
Questions about the pavilion came into focus in meetings last fall by the city Keizer Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and the West Keizer Neighborhood Association. Councilors subsequently encouraged city officials to take the temperature of the community about the concept.
The park along the edge of the east bank of the Willamette River in Keizer started as state-owned ground that grew into a 148-acre city park that opened in 2007.
“The development of the Keizer Rapids Park will provide an opportunity for the development of a park with significant portions managed in a natural state,” the city said in its 2006 plan for the park.
The city then shared plans to open access to the river for recreation, protect nature and “providing a variety of ways for citizens to engage in healthy lifestyle opportunities.”
Since then, the park has evolved with trails, soccer fields and pickleball courts, a dog park, and the Big Toy – a centerpiece of the park.
Some worry that a pavilion would mar the outdoor feel of the park, depending on its size and location.
Rhonda Rich, president of the West Keizer Neighborhood Association, has been carefully tracking the idea.
The association hasn’t staked a formal position, but Rich said area residents generally support the idea – with caveats.
“We like the green space and we like the trees,” she said.
City reports suggest a pavilion could be used for a range of activities, from family reunions to sports events.
Brown, the city manager, told the West Keizer Neighborhood Association last May that the idea of a pavilion was revived in part by the Keizer Chamber of Commerce. He said a pavilion could become home base for the annual KeizerFEST. He said the chamber spends about $20,000 a year to rent a large tent in Keizer Rapids Park to house entertainment and a beer garden.
He told the residents that supporters of the pavilion have promised to pay for the pavilion.
The city’s consultants surveyed people about the concept during KeizerFEST last year.
“While participants were generally supportive of the pavilion concept, no single preferred use emerged among options such as everyday use, private event rentals, community gatherings, fitness activities, sports courts, or meeting spaces,” the consulting firm said in a report to the city last October.
The consultants also convened a meeting of leaders from neighborhood associations, sports groups and business.
“Enthusiasm was high for a variety of uses, and a clear consensus on a single vision did not emerge,” the consultants reported. “Attendees raised thoughtful questions about the potential facility’s scale, design, and long-term use.”
At the October parks board meeting, board members raised concerns that such a building would disrupt the nature of the park and require more paved parking.
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