Along the boardwalk, new park takes shape

Published 1:00 pm Saturday, December 9, 2006

The ‘Hall Property’ may get a new name, too.

Swooping seaward from Wing Point Way, the 11-acre swath of public land known as the “Hall Property” has plenty of history from which to draw a new name.

“It’s had so many uses over the years,” said Lee Cross, a member of both the Open Space Commission and the six-person committee charged with naming the land.

In the twilight of the nineteenth century, she said, Native Americans rowed ashore each summer to set up camp, until a group of local kids thought it a good gag to burn their huts after they’d left. The land – replete with wetlands, seven acres of upland forest, a long stretch of sandy shoreline and water and mountain vistas – also held a landing for the Mosquito Fleet.

The naming committee is considering a number of ideas already, including retaining the name of the family who sold the land to the city in 2002 – “Hall’s Cove,” perhaps.

Among the slew of suggestions are several that refer to street names, landmarks or Native American history. “Tillicum Park” or “Hawley Creek” are two such examples. Others, like “Bainbridge Landing Beach,” favor simplicity.

A public hearing in January will help guide the final decision.

As for the physical landscape, work is being done to improve access. Parking is currently scarce, located on the muddy residential shoulder near the sewer plant or along Wing Point Way. The park district is considering ways to expand spaces.

Workers recently finished the first portion of a trail improvement that includes a 285-foot boardwalk spanning a wetland and connecting the waterfront to Wing Point Way.

“They did a great job,” said project manager Roger Belieu, of the six men who laid the boardwalk’s planks. “And we saved the citizens a lot of money.”

Belieu, with the park district, said the project was bid by a general contractor at $85,000. But Belieu and his men finished the job in three months – two months of planning and one month of construction – for $35,000.

Their next step is to replant what little vegetation was displaced, before tackling shoreline improvements in the spring.

“This is a wonderful piece of land,” said Sallie Maron, also a member of the naming committee. “The park district and open space commission should be commended.”