Here‘s what Barkley Company has planned for kids next to the Bellingham movie theater
A new park inspired by nature is expected to open for children of all ages by summer 2021 in Barkley Village.
It will feature boulders and logs for children to climb, play and balance on — among other amenities.
The Barkley Village Nature Play Park is being developed by the Barkley Company on a half-acre near an existing 1/4-mile trail around the Barkley Pond on its west side. The pond is by the Regal Barkley Village movie theater, on the side of East Illinois and Woburn streets.
“Barkley is always making efforts to enhance our local community. We wanted to create a unique play park that utilizes natural products and avoids the standard plastic play sets. We researched many examples and looked at images from around the world to see what the best fit might be for our environment,” Leah Macaleer, community outreach coordinator Talbot Services/Barkley Company, said to The Bellingham Herald.
The spark for the Barkley park was found closer to home, in the form of 43-acre Westmoreland Park in Portland, Oregon. That inspired Barkley “to build something similar, specific to our location,” she said.
In Portland, the idea was to carve out a place in the park that encouraged kids to play creatively and with natural features.
At Barkley, some of the park’s unique features will include hand-peeled logs and boulders for climbing, a sand river with an interactive water pump, custom benches and drought-tolerant landscaping, according to Macaleer.
“Barkley has been dreaming of developing a play park for many years, as we know this is a missing component of our neighborhood. We are excited to provide this amenity to allow kids and the community the opportunity to connect with unique play elements and natural structures that will be custom-made for this park,” she said.
The park also allows Barkley to source the logs and stones locally, which in turn showcases the area’s natural beauty.
“Even when the park isn’t in use, in the middle of winter, it will undoubtedly maintain natural sculptural beauty,” Macaleer said.
Depending on the weather, the next part of the project could start within the next month with site grading, drainage and in-ground utility work for water and electricity.
The play elements and natural structures could be installed starting in spring 2021, with the park open by late spring or early summer.
“This nature-based play environment is for the enjoyment and wonder of the community,” she said.
Barkley Company is paying for the project in partnership with other companies in the community. Pacific Survey & Engineering and RAM Construction have both been active partners in the planning stages as well as landscape designer Amy Gould, according to Macaleer.
This story was originally published October 12, 2020 at 7:00 AM.
