Richland closed parks over camping, vandalism, drug use. When will they reopen?
Richland will begin reopening Columbia Park West and Wye Park on March 15.
The two parks were closed to the public on Oct. 25 after extensive vandalism and illegal activity that city leaders attributed to homeless encampments.
Chris Waite, the city’s parks and public facilities director, outlined the cleanup measures that have been taken since fences were installed to close the parks to visitors in a recent presentation to the Richland City Council.
He said closing the parks was a drastic step required by a drastic situation.
Russian olives that grow along the edge of the Columbia River created havens for secret encampments, leading to extensive litter, park damage and drug paraphernalia.
A series of human-caused fires was the final straw that prompted parks officials to close the property and send in cleanup crews to remove garbage, make repairs and store personal items as required by law.
Waite said the parks have been restored. The Russian olives, an invasive species that clogs portions of the Tri-Cities waterfront, have been trimmed back.
The goal, he said, is to reopen slowly and in a way that keeps the parks in their current condition.
“Our responsibility as a department is to provide a safe place for the public to come and recreate,” he said as a series of grim images of garbage and used syringes flashed on screen.
There will be more ranger patrols and police, with more activity in the evening. A social worker will dedicate time to the area to connect with people needing assistance.
Waite said future measures could include adding park rangers and seeking approval for a broader shoreline rehabilitation project that would remove the Russian olives altogether, replacing them with native species suited to the riparian habitat.
Waite said a more exhaustive restoration of the shoreline would require a review lasting six months or longer because of the complexity of management. The city leases the land from the U.S. Army Corps and the state of Washington has jurisdiction over shorelines.
Waite defended the decision to close the parks, calling it the move of last resort after earlier steps to address vandalism, illegal behavior and other challenges failed.
Criminal incidents more than doubled in 2024 and he noted the city tracked 124 active or recently abandoned camp sites over a 10-month period.
Fires burned sections of park in May near the Reach Museum, in September on Bateman Island and in October between the Columbia Park Marina and Wye Park.
“It’s our responsibility to ensure the parks are safe. The pressure on the park system was unsustainable,” he said.
The city records city council sessions and posts them to its Cityview site. Waite’s presentation can be viewed here.