High Street to transform into new park

Road now permanently closed.

By Natalie DeFord • February 7, 2020 1:30 am
Courtesy of the city of Issaquah’s website A rendering of a section of a future park in Issaquah. High Street will be closed and converted into a multi-use trail and linear park.
Courtesy of the city of Issaquah’s website A rendering of a section of a future park in Issaquah. High Street will be closed and converted into a multi-use trail and linear park.

A road in the Issaquah Highlands neighborhood now is closed permanently to make way for a new park and trail.

The city announced the closure of Northeast High Street on Jan. 21. Two other streets — Northeast Ellis Drive and Northeast Discovery Drive — will remain open, providing access to the West Highlands Park neighborhood.

More details about the project, currently under construction, can be found at the city’s active projects map on its website (https://bit.ly/31u7dxR). A 54-page document has figures and site plans for the project, known as High Street Conversion.

Five areas of a parcel known as the Westridge North Single-family Preliminary Plat will be transformed into a multi-use trail and linear park.

The outlines of the park’s five areas show elements that will include a botanical garden, water feature, plaza, lawn, hammocks, little free library and a multi-modal trail. Various recreational amenities will be incorporated.

The city plans to announce more information about the future park soon. Public input was gathered for the project in several ways, including through a community survey.

In March 2018, city department of development services staff issued a report and recommendation on the plat. The developer proposed converting High Street from a two-lane road to a multi-use trail and linear park as one part of the whole plat.

The project proposal was split to create a preliminary plat project and a conversion of high street project. Both were approved by the city council in July 2018.