An undeveloped 5.5-acre forested park in south Salem will see a playground, basketball court, and improvements to attract pollinators and restore creek area in the coming years.
Salem city councilors last week approved a master plan for Bailey Ridge Park, located at 3801 Tayside Street S, which spells out how the park will be improved as the city secures funding. The city acquired the property in 2006 when the nearby neighborhood was being developed.
Park improvements are scheduled to happen in phases, with the first beginning in 2026, according to the city’s capital improvement plan. A total of $520,520 is budgeted in the current plan for an initial phase of improvements in 2026 and 2027.
In city surveys, residents said their top priorities for the park were developing accessible paths, habitat restoration at Chambers Swale, managing the Douglas fir forest to improve tree health and visibility, a crossing over Chambers Swale, and a half-basketball with pickleball court.
“The City’s first priority will be to address soil erosion issues on the property and manage the surface runoff on the southwest boundary of the park before we begin with other park improvements,” city parks spokesman Trevor Smith said in an email.
Other planned features, which include a pollinator area, playground and “nature playground,” could be added in subsequent development phases.
Ted Burney, chair of the Southwest Association of Neighbors, said the master plan “seemed to incorporate neighbors input into the final plan and most everyone seemed happy with the outcome.”
“Of course, we would like to see the park built out a little more quickly but to do it right it will take some time,” he said in an email.
-Rachel Alexander
