Final Hill Ward removal/restoration meeting

The third and final community meeting for the Hill Ward removal and restoration project will take place Monday, August 13 from 6-7 p.m. at Lakewood City Hall will be in room 1-E. The purpose of the meeting is to review the final design of the master plan for the Hill Ward site.

Following are the four idea to be discussed.

Design Option #1: Prairie Grass and a Healing Garden.
Remove the building and let the site return to a natural area.

• Sign to acknowledge the patients and the history of the site.
• Display the history of the site.
• Install benches.
• Add picnic areas (possibly a covered picnic area).
• Keep some undeveloped space.
• Remove all traces of building and let site return to natural state.

Design Option #2: Steps and Terrace.
Remove the building and leave footprint of the building mounded in the shape of a “Bird in Flight.”

• Save the stairs at the front entry and other salvageable parts of the building.
• Clean up the stairwells and keep them to provide a nice view to the lake and park.
• It is important to preserve some of the building as a memorial.
• Reuse the concrete from the building for a path or walkway.
• Add a sign to acknowledge the patients and the history of the site.
• Display the history of the site.
• Install benches.
• Add picnic areas (possibly a covered picnic area).

In the #2 Design Option, audience members suggested:

• Make it a nice place to just hang out
• Work to maintain viewing points
• Keep the bird outline
• Raise the footprint
• Include a obelisk with historical information
• Maintain a visual connection to the rest of the park by thinning the trees. Viewers should be able to see the barns from this site.
• Incorporate worker from the Job Corps or the vocational department at Clover Park Technical College in restoring the area.

Design Option #3: Labyrinth
Using material from the building, create a labyrinth in the mounded shape of the building – a “bird in flight”

• Save the stairs at each end of the building and other salvageable parts of the building.
• Clean up the stairwells and keep them to provide a nice view to the lake and park.
• Leave the stairs at the front entrance.
• Reuse the concrete from the building for a path or walkway or memorial.
• Sign /display to acknowledge the patients and the history of the site.
• Install benches.
• Add picnic areas (possibly a covered picnic area).
• Make a labyrinth using the building concrete in the labyrinth.

In this #3 option, the audience members suggested:

• Meditation walk
• One way in and one way out – move toward the center looking at the past and exit it considering the future
• Raise the footprint of the building
• Use the crushed rock materials to outline the ‘bird in flight’ image
• Work to recognize the huge building when it is gone
• Put in benches so you could enjoy the view and not just keep your head down walking on the labyrinth. Use portion of the building for benches
• Put the labyrinth at the center of the building footprint

Design Option #4: Ruins – Leave portions of the building in place.

• Save the stairs at each end of the building and other salvageable parts of the building.
• Clean up the stairwells and keep them to provide a nice view to the lake and park.
• Remove the porch roofs to eliminate places to gather/deface
• It is important to preserve some of the building as a memorial.
• Reuse the concrete from the building for a path or walkway.
• Sign to acknowledge the patients and the history of the site.
• Display the history of the site.

In the #4 option, audience members suggested:

• Smooth off the center section and make a labyrinth in a time spiral – going into the old ruins and coming out the new area.
• Yes, use the building materials (crushed) as pathway material
• Put Garry Oaks in the rear section – other trees as appropriate –Sequoias.
• Like the front stairs to remain, but raise up the soil / footprint so all on one level
• Graffiti would still be a problem with this option
• Don’t leave the back wall – this is too attractive to ‘painters'