Clark County Council action protects 78th Street Heritage Farm from being sold for development
The covenant “protects the 78th Street Heritage Farm, including Hazel Dell Community Park, for their natural features and farming history in perpetuity.”
Virginia David, a volunteer from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, harvests onions at the Heritage Farm. The onions will go to the Clark County Food Bank. (The Columbian files)
The Clark County Council on Tuesday approved a conservation covenant for the 78th Street Heritage Farm and the adjoining Hazel Dell Community Park so the land can’t be sold for housing or other uses.
“We’ve eliminated the possibility of homeless shelters, commercial development, residential buildings, residential homes,” Councilor Gary Medvigy said. “Now we can … amplify all the great programs that are already occurring there.”
The covenant has been in process since November 2023, when the council first reviewed a draft. A June revision added Hazel Dell Community Park as an historic component of the 78th Street Heritage Farm.
The covenant “protects the 78th Street Heritage Farm, including Hazel Dell Community Park, for their natural features and farming history in perpetuity,” said Kevin Tyler, Clark County Public Works lands manager, at Tuesday’s meeting.
“Well, I almost wanted to just say, ‘Hallelujah,’ ” Medvigy said.
The county started operating a poor farm in the 1870s along Northeast 78th Street. Washington State University used it for research and experimentation before the county resumed management in 2008.
WSU Clark County Extension continues operations on the farm with research, education, agricultural development, 4-H youth development and food safety and nutrition workshops.
“There’s not a lot of people in the room today, but at previous council meetings, when there was uncertainty about Heritage Farm, or the prospect of some corporate headquarters being located there, the room was full,” Councilor Sue Marshall said. “It really is a tribute to all of those folks for their advocacy to get us to this point.”
This story was made possible by Community Funded Journalism, a project from The Columbian and the Local Media Foundation. Top donors include the Ed and Dollie Lynch Fund, Patricia, David and Jacob Nierenberg, Connie and Lee Kearney, Steve and Jan Oliva, The Cowlitz Tribal Foundation and the Mason E. Nolan Charitable Fund. The Columbian controls all content. For more information, visit columbian.com/cfj.
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