Japanese Gardens closed for improvements

The Japanese Gardens at Terrace Park are off-limits for the next few weeks for a bank stabilization project.

Over the years, the city has been doing shoreline improvements along Covell Lake because of the erosion of the bank, park development specialist Carter Roberts said.

“The stretch along the Japanese Gardens is the last stretch of city-owned land adjacent to the lake that hasn’t been stabilized,” he said.

That’s partly because of lack of maintenance and construction access in and out of the gardens, he said.

“We decided to expand the shoreline and provide more usable space along this stretch, which will double as a maintenance path to allow for our crews to get in with larger equipment to maintain the trees and other vegetation that we previously had a difficult time getting to,” Roberts said.

Along the length of the gardens, the city is extending the land 10 feet into the lake, and it’s creating bump-outs at the entrance, wedding garden and adjacent to the waterfall to provide an additional 20 to 30 feet of space.

“This will allow for improved circulation into and within the gardens and will allow for a more efficient space to hold weddings, events and overall more space for visitors to enjoy the beauty of the gardens,” Roberts said.

The contractor “has been making great progress” in the past week bringing in the fill material required for the expansion, he added.

Crews are pumping down the water level of the lake in advance of placing the riprap stabilization along the shoreline and hoping to get the majority of the fill material placed this week, Roberts continued.

The project is on track for a mid-November completion and reopening to the public. Some minor cleanup items likely will remain for the spring, Roberts said.