Meeting set to discuss improvements to Schafer Park

Improvements to Schafer State Park, including relocation of campsites and buildings out of the 100-year floodplain, will be discussed at a 6 p.m. Washington State Parks public meeting Wednesday at the Montesano City Hall.

State Parks presented a list of proposed facility improvements for the park at a public meeting in December. This meeting will be the second in that series, where those proposals will be discussed by the staff from a landscape architecture and planning firm hired by State Parks, and public comment will be taken.

Staff from the firm will present the proposed layout and density recommendations for campsites in addition to proposed new administrative, day-use and camping facilities.

Frequent flooding at the park has created ongoing maintenance problems, and the proposal includes plans to move facilities, the campground and native stone buildings out of the floodplain while preserving the historic uniqueness of the buildings. Other proposals include kitchen shelters, climbing walls and playgrounds. Campsites could be intermixed with cabins, and campsites could be electrified. New bathroom buildings with showers are also in the proposal.

Schafer State Park is a 113-acre camping park on the Satsop River near Elma. The park’s buildings are constructed of native stone. Schafer is a state and national historic site designated by the Washington Heritage Register and National Register of Historic Places.

The meeting will take place in the second floor meeting room. Montesano City Hall is located at 112 N. Main St. For more information about the plan, visit bit.ly/SchaferPlan. Those who cannot attend the meeting may provide comments online.