Longview’s R.A. Long Park has changed little since being designed in the early 1920s as part of R.A. Long’s planned city. But changes to the park and the surrounding traffic circle are afoot that could range from small tweaks to a whole new look.

Now is the time for citizens to take part in the discussion that will lead to a long-term plan for the Civic Center.

The city is holding a community open house Wednesday to show three concepts for changing the traffic flow around the circle to reduce accidents, increase pedestrian safety and make R.A. Long Park easier to reach. City traffic consultants haven’t fine-tuned the concepts because they know they’ll be changed, said Public Works Director Jeff Cameron.

The city also will present a list of features, such as fountains, game courts or a bandstand, that could be added to the infrequently used, aging park when it eventually undergoes renovations. (Among other things that need fixing, the park’s central concrete platform, on which sits the bust of city founder R.A. Long, is cracked and breaking to pieces.)

The two projects are being planned simultaneously because the park improvements could affect traffic on the circle.

After city consultants present the park and traffic scenarios, the open house audience will break into work groups and answer a list of questions about the concepts and discuss other ideas they have. Then consultants will discuss the work groups’ answers with the audience.

Based on the information gathered at the open house, Transpo Group traffic consultants and architecture firm GGLO, LLC (both based in Seattle) will create three concepts for the traffic flow and three for the park design. They will return in mid-to-late November to present the concepts at another public workshop.

Cameron said the city isn’t recommending any particular concept.

“The intent of the concepts is to show the public some possibilities, to get the thinking about what’s possible … and what features that they’ll want,” he said.

One of the challenges of altering the Civic Center circle’s traffic flow is that 93 percent of the vehicles are passing through, not using businesses on the circle or the park, he said. That means ideas to reduce traffic to make the park quieter and bigger would be in conflict with each other, he said.

The traffic circle studies, design and improvements will be paid for with a $400,000 federal safety grant Longview received in 2003.

In August, the City Council approved a $44,900 contract with GGLO to develop the R.A. Long Park plan. Because the Civic Center is on the National Historic Preservation Register, any modifications must be approved by the state Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation.

The council has budgeted $100,000 from its capital projects fund to cover park plans and partial construction costs.

Editor's note: Click on images at right for an enlarged view of photos and illustrations that accompany this article.

Potential elements for R.A. Long Park

• Area for concerts and performances, outdoor movies, farmer’s market, food vendors

• Playground equipment

• Game courts for bocce ball and horseshoes

• Fountains

• Playful water art or interactive water feature

• Permanent public art

• Historical storytelling

• Space for temporary art installations

• Upgraded walkways and plazas

• New and better crosswalks in traffic circle

• New or better planting beds

• Demonstration gardens

Three traffic concepts for open house discussion:

Traffic calming, pedestrian-focused concept

• Circle will function as roundabout

• Two travel lanes

• Eliminate parking on inside lane

• Add raised crosswalks/speed tables

• Add crosswalk bulbouts to shorten crossing distance

• Relocate some crosswalks to more visible spots on circle

• Add bike lane

Local access

• Two travel lanes for through traffic

• Create local access lane to businesses on circle.

• Local access lane separated from through traffic by raised median.

• Enter local access lanes at corners.

• Local access lanes must yield to circle traffic.

• Parking spots along inside and outside lanes.

Two-way traffic with R.A. Long Park expansion

• Two lanes, one in each direction

• Roundabouts at each of four corners of traffic circle

• Close stretch of 16th Avenue in front of City Hall between Washington Way and Olympia Way

• Create local access/parking for businesses on 16th Avenue

• Put cul-de-sac turnaround on Broadway

• Expand park

Open House

The public is invited to an open house from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday in the Cowlitz PUD auditorium, 961 12th Ave., to look at consultants’ concepts for revising the traffic flow at the Longview Civic Center circle and improving R.A. Long Park. The audience will be asked for feedback and ideas. A follow-up workshop will be held in November to present new traffic and park concepts based on Wednesday’s discussion.