Rood Bridge Park is a municipal park in southeast Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Opened in 1999, the park encompasses on the north bank of the Tualatin River at its confluence with Rock Creek. Rood Bridge is near Hillsboro High School and sits across the river from Meriwether National Golf Course. The park is the city's largest, and contains tennis courts, a meeting facility, trails, a canoe launch, and a rhododendron garden among other features.
History In 1992, the city bought from the Dreiling family to begin assembly property for a park in southeast Hillsboro.Fentress, Aaron. “The pieces of Rood Bridge Park slowly fall into place”, The Oregonian, November 2, 1998, West Zoner, p. C2. The family had lived on the land in excess of 40 years before selling. An additional was added from the nearby wastewater plant and from floodplain along Rock Creek and the Tualatin River. Hillsboro received almost $990,000 in funds from Metro in 1995 as its allocation of funds from a regional bond measure that paid for increasing greenspaces in the Portland metropolitan area. Part of these funds were designated for developing a park along the Tualatin River.“Metro money for greenspaces”, The Oregonian, November 28, 1995, West Zoner, p. C2.
Flooding in February 1996 fell around 100 trees on the property and added other debris. In 1997, SOLV and Intel helped clear some of the debris at the park site. In May 1997, the city hired a contractor to build a boat launch for small craft, trails, and a parking lot at a cost of $771,000.Bodine, Harry. “Various parks enhance Hillsboro’s livability”, The Oregonian, May 15, 1997, West Zoner, p. 1. Later that year volunteers from SOLV planted trees and other plants at the park site.Bodine, Harry. “Volunteers put in hard work in order to be clean, green”, The Oregonian, September 21, 1997, p. B11. In February 1998, the city worked with the Rotary Club to plan and pay for a building at the park to be used as meeting space.Pulaski, Alex. “Hillsboro park to get meeting facilities”, The Oregonian, February 11, 1998, West Zoner, p. D2. The $275,000 building was built beginning in the Spring of that year.“Community Snapshot: Hillsboro expects to start workon Rood Bridge Park building”, The Oregonian, March 27, 1998, West Zoner, p. D2.
During construction of the park there were problems with the contractor CEMS Inc., with lawsuits filed by both sides.Anderson, David R. “Hillsboro agrees to pay for park work”, The Oregonian, May 18, 2000, West Zoner, p. C2. The city was ordered to pay in excess of $200,000 to resolve the dispute. When the park's initial construction was completed in 1999, the day-use park opened. A that time the park had the boat launch, tennis courts, trails (two miles worth, one mile (1.6 km) paved), two pedestrian bridges, a pond, picnic areas, parking, and the River House designed for accommodating meetings. Funds for the work came from Metro, private donations, the Tualatin Valley Water Quality Fund, and city funds. Total costs for construction of the initial phases of the park were about $1.3 million.
In 2001 to 2002, the park went through over $600,000 in upgrades partially paid for by a grant from the Oregon Lottery that added play equipment, trails, landscaping, viewpoints, and picnic areas among others.“Community Snapshot: Hillsboro News”, The Oregonian, July 24, 2001, West Zoner, p. B2. In 2001, construction began on the Lloyd Baron Rhododendron Garden at the park to build a facility for the city's official flower.Leeper, Kate. “Making a Difference: Hillsboro gardener receives award for beautifying the city”, The Oregonian, March 31, 2005, West Zoner, p. 8.
In late 2007, the city drained the Woodland Pond to construct a pavilion on its shore along with repairs to the pond itself using city funds and private donations.Edwards, Lisa. “Neighborhood Roundup – Metro West Hillsboro”, The Oregonian, October 4, 2007, Metro West Neighbors, p. 8.Smith, Jill Rehkopf. “Years of patience and planning bring new roads, sidewalks and schools in Washington County”, The Oregonian, January 01, 2009. Retrieved on January 3, 2009. Other work was done to the pedestrian bridges and the walkways around the pond, and two waterfalls were added.Construction Projects. Parks & Recreation, City of Hillsboro. Retrieved on January 3, 2009. On May 17, 2008, the Woodland Pond viewing pavilion was dedicated and the pond area re-opened along with a new water feature.Edwards, Lisa. “Neighborhood Roundup – Metro West Hillsboro”, The Oregonian, May 8, 2008, Metro West Neighbors, p. 16. Construction of the new items and renovations totaled approximately $225,000 in costs.Suh, Elizabeth. “When the stones speak, he listens”, The Oregonian, January 4, 2008, p. B1. Plans call for connecting the park via a nature park and trail along Rock Creek to northeast Hillsboro and other parks in the city, eventually crossing north of the Sunset Highway.Anderson, David R. “Nature park stretches alongside Rock Creek”, The Oregonian, June 6, 2002, West Zoner, p. 11. The park closed for a day in July 2014 due to reports of a cougar.
Amenities Officially , the city also utilizes an additional through an agreement with Clean Water Services that operates a wastewater treatment plant adjacent to the community park.Appendix D: Park Descriptions, p. 28. Parks Master Plan. City of Hillsboro. Retrieved on January 4, 2009. An area of of the park is covered by a forest and floodplain. One of twenty-three parks in Hillsboro, Rood Bridge is located along the Tualatin River and Rock Creek where the two water bodies meet.Fitzgibbon, Joe. “Whatever your game, city has it – Recreation”, The Oregonian, October 26, 2008.Gault, Roy. “Cleaning Oregon's watersheds”, Statesman Journal, October 25, 2002, p. 4D. The park is accessed by Rood Bridge Road where Rood Bridge crosses the Tualatin.Basalyga, Stephanie. “Washington County sets date for Rood Bridge closure”, Daily Journal of Commerce, May 16, 2003. Wildlife at the park includes woodpeckers and owls among others.
Rood Bridge Park has wooded areas as well as grass covered sections, both crossed by biking and hiking trails. Paved trails total in length while other trails total in length. There are also restrooms, a small boat launch, and onsite parking. Recreation equipment includes a play area for children and a pair of tennis courts. The park is also used as the home course for Hillsboro High School’s cross-country team,“Players of the week”, The Oregonian, October 14, 2004, West Zoner, p. 8. including hosting the Bill Chapman Invitational race.“Prep Highlights: Prairie sweeps titles at Heritage Invite”, The Columbian, September 10, 2006, p. B6.
The park includes the Lloyd Baron Rhododendron Garden that contains in excess of 550 species of the plant and includes a pond. The rhododendron is the official flower of the city.Lloyd Baron Rhododendron Garden, Hillsboro Park and Recreation, May 2003. Accessed January 5, 2008. The garden covers and has both natural and hybrid species. A concrete and stone pavilion sits on the shore of Woodland Pond and is used for events such as wedding ceremonies.Suh, Elizabeth. “Hillsboro Tuality program gives over $245,000 in aid”, The Oregonian, August 30, 2007, Metro West Neighbors, p. 6. There are also two waterfalls on the pond, with the waterfalls and pavilion designed by Sadafumi Uchiyama, Bob Schatz, and Ross NW Warergardens. The garden came after decades of lobbying for a garden at a city park for the species.Anderson, David R. “Slow to bloom”, The Oregonian, December 18, 2001, West Zoner, p. D2.
Also at Rood Bridge Park is the nearly River House. The lodge type structure is used for educational classes as well as private functions such as weddings. River House was paid for in part by city development fees and by donations of money, labor, and material from the Rotary Club. The building includes a central meeting room (Great Room), a kitchen, restrooms, a small meeting room, and an activity room. The Great Room features a fireplace, maple floors, vaulted ceilings, a small sunroom, and covers .The River House at Rood Bridge Park. Parks & Recreation, City of Hillsboro. Retrieved on January 3, 2009. The activity room is also used as a classroom and totals . The River House is and the annex is an additional and can hold 75 people.
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External links
Lloyd Baron Rhododendron Garden