Camas puts brakes on controversial parks land sale

Inundated by citizen comments opposing senior living facility development, city says land near Lacamas Creek to remain ‘open space’

By Kelly Moyer

October 26, 2017 5:10 pm

News

A map showing where the 2.7-acre open space property sits near Round Lake and Lacamas Creek. A developer — who was also a city councilor — hoped city leaders would agree to sell him the land and change the zoning to accommodate a proposed, 81-unit senior living development with an attached 48-bed memory care facility and possible 32,626-square-foot underground parking garage. After citizens protested, the city said this week that it was halting the proposal and would keep the parks land as publicly owned open space. (Contributed photo courtesy of city of Camas)

An illustration of the proposed senior living facility shows public access to trails within the nearby Lacamas Creek area (pictured to the right of the proposed development) in Camas. Former Camas City Council member Tim Hazen hopes to buy a piece of parks open space for his senior living facility development. (Contributed illustration by Ankrom Moisan Architects, Inc., courtesy of city of Camas)

An illustration gives a preliminary look at a developep's proposed 125,365-square-foot senior living facility near Round Lake in Camas. City leaders this week put the brakes on the idea and said the land will remain city-owned open space. (Contributed illustration by Ankrom Moisan Architects, Inc., courtesy of city of Camas)

First responders use the piece of land show here off Everett Street near Round Lake in Camas to access the Lacamas Creek "potholes" area during an early summer emergency. A developer had hoped to buy the 2.7-acre open space land and build a senior living facility on the property, but city of Camas leaders this week killed that idea and said the space will remain publicly owned parks open space. (Post-Record file photo)

Camas is backing away from a development plan near Round Lake that would have sold city-owned park land to a senior living developer and used the profits to fund future parks in Camas’ developing North Shore area.

Camas City Administrator Pete Capell says city staff received “numerous emails and Facebook messages” indicating a great number of Camas community members were not happy with an Oct. 16 city council decision that allowed city staff to investigate the possibility of selling the 2.7-acre parcel to former City Councilman Tim Hazen, who had hoped to purchase two adjacent properties and develop the entire 4.99-acre parcel into an 81-unit senior living center with underground parking and an attached, 48-bed memory care center.

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