NEWBERG, Ore. — At its May 28, 2026, board meeting, Chehalem Parks and Recreation District Superintendent Clay Downing presented estimated costs and an informational report on converting a former Newberg landfill into a recreational area.
Downing met with Department of Environmental Quality officials on May 6, along with directors Matt Smith and Nick Konen, to discuss feasibility and environmental concerns. DEQ issued a positive assessment, but board members expressed hesitancy to move forward with the proposal due to the scope of the project and sustainability concerns.
“I don’t think we would be able to develop the site in the short term,” Downing said. “We’re already overcommitted on things that have timelines associated with them because they’re under grants. That’s one of my biggest worries.”
The landfill property is located just west of Rogers Landing on the Willamette River and covers 38.75 acres in unincorporated Yamhill County. It borders residential, vacant/industrial, and agricultural land, according to the report Downing presented.
The landfill stopped accepting solid waste in 1984, and the owners transferred the property to Yamhill County in 1985, according to a Yamhill County document. The waterfront property features a soil cap over the landfill but does not have a liner, which would prevent contaminants from seeping into soil or groundwater.
A 2019 Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment found methane levels high enough to warrant additional gas monitoring. The Newberg Landfill is currently tested quarterly for gas, at a cost of approximately $92,365 annually to Yamhill County, Downing said.
“The three-foot soil cap is something that would have to be maintained,” Downing said. “The big thing we’re trying to do is make sure there’s no incidental contact. You don’t want the contaminants and the people touching, right? We have to be wary of those sorts of things.”
Preventing accidental contact would include restricting access to parts of the property routinely tested for methane. Because of the soil cap, the ground cannot be excavated, and no shrubs or trees can be planted.
“There’s methane migration concerns that I wanted answered to move forward on this for me personally, which won’t get answered unless there’s an environmental study done,” said director Brandon Slyter. “I’m not interested in pursuing this. I think the county should do it.”
Director Jason Fields first raised the idea of leasing the former landfill during the Feb. 26, 2026, CPRD board meeting. He proposed leasing the property from Yamhill County for $1 for 100 years to construct a storage building to house boats and equipment for the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office.
At that meeting, directors also discussed the potential to transform the property into a waterfront public recreation area over the long term, in addition to building the storage structure.
“I think that we have to be looking forward and when we have these opportunities, we have to take these opportunities because they won’t be around forever,” Board President Jim McMaster said at the February meeting. “We’re giving the community waterfront property maybe 50 years down the road.”
The enthusiasm Fields brought to the February meeting was not matched in May. Unexpected procedures and costs contributed to the board’s hesitancy.
Fields had estimated construction of a boat storage building at $35,000–$55,000 in February. While a basic estimate Downing presented in May came in at $29,700, additional landfill-related fees include a $4,700 Phase 1 EPA study. Yamhill County currently pays approximately $142,370–$162,370 annually for environmental expenses on the property, and it is unclear how much of that cost would transfer under a lease agreement.
“It’s going to be three, four, five years before we can do all the things we would have to do with our staff and everything else,” McMaster said.
Current CPRD projects include the opening of Sander Estate park on July 8, improvements to Jaquith Park and Renne Field, rebuilding Bonnie Benedict Preschool, and determining future use of Bob and Crystal Rilee Park.
“I just don’t know if we have the additional capital for development of another site at this point,” Downing said.
Also at the board meeting
Newest Dundee park, Sander Estate, to open July 8
Installation, planting, and planning are underway for the CPRD’s newest park, Sander Estate, in Dundee. The park is named after Janis Sander, who donated the property through a legacy gift. Located on SW 5th Street in Dundee and spanning approximately 6.7 acres, Sander Estate will include a splash pad, walking paths, restrooms, and connections to nearby parks. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for July 8 at the property.
Community members continue pushback against Bob & Crystal Rilee Park use designations
Fourteen community members — from within and outside the district — gave public comment urging the board to restrict mountain bikers from accessing Bob and Crystal Rilee Park, citing safety concerns for hikers and equestrians, as well as the donor’s stated intent for the land. Two community members spoke in favor of allowing mountain bike trails, arguing that recreational cycling and equestrian use have an equal claim to rural land and that bikers do not pose a serious risk to the trails or other users.
Political action committee requests adoption of rural heritage park ordinance
Elections and government law attorney Julie Parrish, representing Friends of Chehalem Parks Political Action Committee, presented a proposed rural heritage park ordinance to the board. The ordinance is intended to “preserve and protect certain lands within the Chehalem Parks & Recreation District for heritage purposes,” according to an email submitted by Parrish. Bob and Crystal Rilee Park is currently the only CPRD property that would qualify under the proposal.
“My client’s purpose in sending this letter, along with a draft proposal of the prospective ordinance is that they would like to engage with the CPRD Board in advance of a possible referral to CPRD District voters and give the Board the opportunity to cooperatively draft an ordinance that the Board could adopt by its own vote without the need for a district-funded election on the matter,” Parrish’s email said.
The board voted to table action on the ordinance until the June 25 meeting to allow time to review the results of a study examining recommended uses for each of CPRD’s 12 parks. The motion passed 3–2, with directors Fields and Smith dissenting.
