McMinnville Will Begin Preliminary Designs For Bobby Ray Wetland Park

City of McMinnville will begin preliminary design plans to restore the Bobby Ray Wetland Park.

Stormwater and GIS Coordinator Lyndon Bussell said that the five-acre park near Bobby Ray Elementary School is an empty lot that has some issues with draining. Bussell said the city held a forum Monday night to get public feedback on what should be done with the area, with a majority wanting to see it turn into a park.

“It’s an exciting project and I know that the public is very interested to see how this goes,” Bussell said. “It’s something new. This isn’t your typical we’re going to dig up and put in some put or put in some infrastructure. This is new, this is green, this a more cutting edge type of mitigation technique.”

Bussell said that the city has a three-pronged mission through the work of this restoration. He said that they hope it will address concerns with stormwater drainage, provide much-needed park space, and provide educational opportunities.

“I know a lot of people when they see these wetlands they see them as a detriment, they’re bad for the town as a whole but they’re not,” Bussell said. “They’re important, they’re great for us. They see them as places that bring mosquitoes but that’s not the case. We plan to bring in a diverse ecosystem.”

He said that the main concern from the public was the issue with stormwater drainage.

Bussell said that they plan to have final plans ready for public review this fall. He said that they hope to have the project completed by the end of the year.