East Pierce County park set for $1.9 million upgrade. There might be a splash pad
Tehaleh has an 18-acre park that has a community garden, pond and other features. But that’s not all — residents can expect to see more additions to the park next year.
Discovery Park is right next to Tehaleh Heights Elementary School, which is at 17520 Berkeley Parkway E. in Bonney Lake. The park was built in three phases, with phase three coming to fruition between July and September 2022. Phase three includes a community center and potentially a splash pad.
Marita Benedict, marketing director for Newland Communities, said they decided to add features such as the community garden in phase two to make it usable for people who live nearby.
“The purpose of the park is to serve as a stormwater drainage system for the community,” Benedict said. “In the event that there’s ever a 100-year storm, this facility will help manage that stormwater.”
Residents can also expect to see a community stage. There is also a walking loop and amphitheater. Adjacent to the garden is a large trellised picnic table that can seat about 40 people, Benedict said.
There are also snags and birdhouses at the park for wildlife. The park has many features related to science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics.
“We also created a path to Tehaleh Heights Elementary so that the students can walk down anytime they like and access the park and do some outdoor classroom work,” Benedict said.
Construction for the park began in 2018, and it opened to Tehaleh residents and the public in 2020. Phase one and phase two cost about $6 million, Benedict said. Phase three will cost over $1.9 million. Newland Communities is funding the park.
