City officials present Brown Road Park phase 1 plan, flag wetlands and $1M initial budget

Rob Romack, parks planning manager for the City of Salem, briefed the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on June 11 about the Brown Road Park phase 1 development. Romack described the park as a neighborhood site that preserves an existing community garden, includes a dual-zone playground and half-court basketball, and adds improved pedestrian access and on-street parking.

Romack emphasized significant site constraints: the property is very flat with expanding jurisdictional wetlands that required moving the sport court and reshaping the layout. “One of the challenges with this site…is it’s really flat, and it’s no drainage. It is kinda like a bathtub, and so these wetlands are getting bigger,” he told the board, explaining that the team plans grading and stormwater basins and will tie into an existing stubbed stormwater pipe to manage high water.

The project is currently at roughly 30% design and moving toward 60%; Romack said the team expects to reach 90% later this summer and to be in good shape to bid the project for construction next season. He said the project was budgeted at $1,000,000 but that the full park as envisioned will likely cost more and the city will prioritize core elements (main path, playgrounds) and phase or reduce some features as needed.

Board members raised questions about materials and accessibility: Romack said staff have evaluated alternatives to concrete paths and are weighing environmental contaminant concerns and stormwater trade-offs. He also noted a debate over playground surfacing — wood chips are common but less accessible; alternatives create more stormwater-management challenges and staff are considering hybrid solutions or off-site treatment.

Romack outlined outreach and schedule steps: community engagement around playground-selection and details will follow (likely after school resumes), and the design will proceed into construction documents and the city’s land-use and bidding process. He also offered other parks as comparative examples and explained how design, phasing and grant opportunities shape what can be built now versus later.

Romack asked the board to expect follow-up on community engagement dates and phasing options; no formal action was taken at the meeting.