Trail design workshop generates new ideas

For Dayton Resident Joanne Poolman, participating in the Touchet Valley Trail design charrette this past weekend is part of "being a good human." As a resident of this area for 50-some years, she became involved with the trail design process because "I was trying to bring the local element into it. I've been here longer than most, and I don't want our history to be forgotten."

Poolman joined other community members, architects from the Washington Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, students in the Landscape Architecture program from Washington State University and the University of Washington, for a dynamic process that brought insight, expertise and community knowledge to the regional project. Participants toured the trail areas by bus and foot and spent over 20 hours last weekend working on early design elements for the Touchet Valley Trail.

The charrette culminated in a presentation to the community this past Saturday evening at the Columbia County Fairgrounds Pavilion.

Poolman participated in Team 4: Education & Interpretation, which was the group that oversaw the entirety of the design. "We pointed out 15 different historical features to the group, including portions of the Nez Perce trail, and the site where the Chinese settlers who built the railroad lived," she noted. "Not many people know that the Chinese settlement was located where the Columbia County Fairgrounds currently is, and that there were once 450 Chinese immigrants who lived in Dayton." she continued.

As a property owner on the proposed trail location, Poolman also wants "safe places for people to enjoy our area, if it interferes with my property, that's ok, it's just part of being a good neighbor."

Washington State University student Angel Avina-Ramirez participated with his third-year Landscape Architecture class and appreciated the real-world opportunity to work with professional architects. He said he learned from the experience that "this profession is something I want to pursue."

The American Society of Landscape Architects has an agreement with the National Park Service to provide the NPS with help on one landscape design project each year, according to Alex Stone, a Regional Manager for the National Park Service. The Touchet Valley Trail was selected as this year's project, Stone said.

"Watching this happen was such a magical process," commented Joy Smith, Waitsburg Commercial Club President, and member of Team 1: Waitsburg. "These people came to WORK - they came to give us their best work. There was no idle chit chat, they worked until 4:00 when we put the PowerPoint together." Smith continued.

Meeting with people from outside the area was a highlight of the process for Smith. "WASLA architect Jan Satterthwaite helped me see our town in a new light, " she said. "Satterthwaite was 'in awe' of the 'Vista Valley' we have at the Waitsburg Business Park -the area boasts a wonderful view of the Touchet River, the sky and our rolling hills." she continued.

The college students involved "understood where the trail was going, and the type of topography it was traversing. They all took two trips to the trail, each team actually walked their portion of the trail, looked at all the angles, and the choke-points and the adjacencies from property owners," Smith continued.

One of the most surprising trail design ideas? Running it directly through the Dumas Winery apple packing warehouse. The winery property is adjacent to the rail lines, and Jay DeWitt owner of winery, was open to the unusual idea.

The Touchet Valley Trail Steering Committee and the National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program hosted this early design workshop.

Input from the workshop will be used as a starting point. Surveying, planning and design will begin later this year and continue into 2020 according to Kathryn Witherington, the Economic Development Coordinator for the Port of Columbia.