100 acres of this Pierce County park are closed for months as crews connect local trail
Those who frequent Orangegate Park might want to have a plan B for a few months, just in case.
A portion of the 150-acre park at 84th Street East and 46th Avenue East in the Waller area is closed until May, according to a social media post from Pierce County Parks on Jan. 25. The 100-acre section that’s closed is south of 84th Street East and Pipeline Road East.
“We ask that all park users, including equestrian users, stay out of the closed area for their safety,” Pierce County Parks wrote in the social media post.
Recent rainy weather conditions contributed to the closure. The county will reevaluate the closure in May to decide if public access can be restored, according to the social media post.
Senior planner Tiffany Odell told The News Tribune the section will be closed to allow crews to work on the Pipeline Trail project. The plan is to extend the existing trail and construct a trailhead with parking, horse trailer parking, restrooms and a picnic area.
The city of Tacoma’s segment of the Pipeline Trail ends at 72nd Street East and Waller Road East. Pierce County will pick up from there and extend the trail about 1.6 miles to Orangegate Park. The trail will be 5.9 miles long after the extension.
Odell said the Pipeline Trail project has a similar timeline to another project the county has on its to-do list.
The News Tribune reported in November 2021 about the Orangegate Park project. The project included two phases — Odell said the county will focus on the first phase for now.
“We’re looking at whether or not the park is going to have capacity to handle that expansion,” Odell said about the second phase.
The first phase includes a playground, dog park, restrooms and picnic areas. The second phase would expand the dog park and add a pump track for bikes.
The plan is to submit permits by the end of 2024, Odell said. Construction of phase one is expected to begin in 2025.
Pierce County has $7.2 million budgeted for the Orangegate Park project. About 20 percent will come from state and federal grants, 60 percent will come from park impact fees and 20 percent will come from real estate excise tax.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include the total acreage of Orangegate Park and to correct the size of the area that’s affected. 100 of the park’s 150 acres are closed.
This story was originally published January 31, 2024 at 1:23 PM.
