Plan: Relocate rim parking: Rim Village parking may leave Crater Lake's edge
Herald and News
Klamath Falls, Oregon
November 22, 2002
By LEE JUILLERAT
A project that's been decades in the making — relocating the Rim
Village parking area away from the rim of Crater Lake — is
moving closer to reality.
Chuck Lundy, Crater Lake National Park's superintendent, said
it's hoped the parking lot relocation and rehabilitation of the
cafeteria and gift shop will begin in 2004. Estimated cost of
the project is $7.2 million.
Currently, the first thing visitors to Rim Village see when they
arrive is not Crater Lake, but a massive parking lot capable of
holding 152 vehicles.
Relocation of the parking area is aimed at creating pedestrian
walkways in the present parking lot, which will be moved behind
the cafeteria and gift shop.
"It will be one of the most satisfying things that people
associate with Crater Lake, to arrive at the rim of Crater Lake
and see that body of water, and not a sea of windshields,"
predicts Lundy of the parking lot relocation. He also believes
the redesign of the buildings, which includes viewing areas of
the lake from the second floor, will enhance winter visits.
"To be able to look out over a field of snow that flows into the
caldera will be terrific," said Lundy.
The park is reviewing an environmental assessment that became
necessary when previous plans were modified. Under a new
proposed alternative, a portion of the existing cafeteria-gift
shop will be rehabilitated and redesigned, instead of being torn
down and replaced with a new building.
Lundy said the cafeteria and gift shop is actually a connected
"building complex," consisting of the original 1928 building and
additions completed in 1958, 1969 and 1972. Under the new plan,
the 1928 and 1972 buildings could be adaptively reused.
Previously, a plan prepared in 1999 had called for demolishing
the new structures and constructing a new visitor contact
station.
The environmental assessment is expected to be released for
public review in January. Preliminary design work for the
relocated parking lot has already been done.
t's a very important project for the future of the park and
visitors," said Lundy. "It will complete the vision for
redeveloping and rehabilitating the rim."
Construction is expected to take two seasons. A new parking lot
will be built before the existing lot is removed, naturalized
with trees and plants and converted into a "pedestrian plaza."
Regional Editor Lee Juillerat covers Lake, Siskiyou, Modoc and
northern Klamath counties. He can be reached at 885-4421, (800)
275-0982, or by e-mail at lee@heraldandnews.com.
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