Outlook Park upgrades to begin this summer

The Parks and Recreation department will spruce up Outlook Park by landscaping and adding a bathroom, two barbecues and picnic benches.

The work will take place in two phases during the next two years.

"We are already pricing out trees and plants for phase one through the Flower Farm," Parks and Recreation Director Donnie Hayes wrote in a letter. "They are looking at having a chilled container shipped up from Seattle with the plants and trees that we are requesting."

Hayes has budgeted $5,000 for landscaping costs but estimates the total cost for the project to be around $7,000. To make up for the shortfall, Hayes reached out to Petersburg resident Sally Dwyer to help elicit donations from community members.

Dwyer said bad weather affected the park last fall.

"The heavy rains loosened the soil and all the trees in the area fell over," Dwyer said. "It was the perfect storm of yuck and disturbed the trees and destroyed the privacy. We have a small committee of people who want to make that park look beautiful."

Dwyer is now reaching out to the community for donations to buy around 100 plants for the landscaping aspect of the project.