The old Georgia-Pacific mill site is a hole in the topography of Coquille. It's a grassy spot for travelers to walk their dogs or a flat place for cross-country joggers to go when it's not raining. It's a plot of land that many city officials and citizens would like to see developed. But some of the former mill land and the right-of-way of the railroad that used to serve it are being set aside for a park with a walking trail along the Coquille River.

Some Coquille citizens and city officials are working to obtain funding to construct the Coquille Riverwalk Pedestrian Path. In the current step of the process, City Manager Terence O'Connor is putting together an application for a grant from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

At its last meeting, the Coquille City Council voted to support an application for funding. If the city is awarded the grant, it could cover up to 60 percent of the costs of constructing phase one of the park.

The project, which has been in development since 1987, will be completed in four phases. The first is a 6,300-foot-long walkway, beginning with a trailhead with parking for 20 cars, near Cedar Road, and extending along the Coquille River to the south end of the old mill site.

O'Connor said this phase is expected to cost $471,000. The city currently has approximately $180,000 to fund the project. City officials are applying for a Recreation Trails Program grant from the state Parks and Recreation Department. Money from Recreation Trails grants come from federal fuel taxes, which are dispersed through the Oregon Department of Transportation. The department should make a decision by the end of March.

“Should the city be fortunate enough to be awarded the grant ... it could start this year,” O'Connor said.

If the city gets the grant, funds would have to be used within the next two years. O'Connor said the project could be let out to bid in June and he anticipates phase one could be completed within one year.

Plans for the second phase include a raised walkway over the wetland area near Dutch John Pond, at the north end of the old mill site and an observation platform on the abandoned railroad trestle.

Phase three would extend the trail south to the city limits. Phase four would extend the trail north through Penny Sturdivant Park.

City officials expect the finished asphalt trail to be 8 feet wide and approximately 10,000 feet long. The surface of the trail would accommodate cyclists, roller bladers, walkers, runners and people with disabilities. O'Connor estimated costs for all four phases of the project at more than $1 million.

The plans call for benches and lighting to be added along the walkway as well as interpretive signs about nature and local history.

The Coquille River Parkway Committee and the Coquille Watershed Association have been working to improve the area and help develop the plans. The groups also may be involved in later stages of the project to help provide information for interpretive signs.

Bob Taylor, former Coquille River Parkway Committee president, said he anticipates the park providing an educational setting where students can learn about the city's industrial history. He said boats used to dock at the bend in the river, and the area has a long tradition as a mill site.

“It's been quite rewarding working on it. It was one of the worst sights in downtown Coquille,” Taylor said. “It was kind of a jungle down there when we started, but now it's looking kind of nice.”

The two groups have focused on the area around Dutch John Creek, planting trees, clearing brush and restoring the pond. The pond was excavated last summer in an effort to make the creek viable for fish. Taylor said off-stream ponds, like Dutch John Pond, are very rich with food for young fish, including salmon and trout.

“For the last two or three years, we've been working to clear the old railroad,” said Parkway Committee President Dennis Graham. “We recovered a lot of land that was covered up in blackberries and cleaned up Dutch John Pond, which was overgrown with cattails.”

But there are several steps still to be completed before construction can begin. The structural integrity of the old railroad trestle will have to be examined, since it was damaged by a fire in August 1998, but O'Connor said he expects that step to occur after funding is secured. The city also plans to seek the advice of the Coquille Indian Tribe to make sure the project won't disturb any significant lands.

O'Connor also approached the Port of Bandon on Thursday night, for funds to support the project. The port was not able to contribute any funding, but did assign two port commissioners to attend Riverwalk Committee meetings. Commissioners Ernest Amling and Steve Martizia agreed to share responsibility for the port's role in the project. The port may be able to contribute toward the project during later phases.

For now, the project hinges on receiving the grant from Parks and Recreation. Without funding the Riverwalk could be a dead end.