Sequim Gazette staff

When the City of Sequim took possession of Gerhardt Park in July, one of the first ideas for the property was the addition of a new asphalt pathway to the property, which is located near the intersection of South Third Avenue and Reservoir Road.

“Accessibility will become much better with it,” Public Works Director Paul Haines said.

On Monday, Dec. 2, city officials opened the new pathway with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The new pervious asphalt walkway runs approximately 2,300 feet along the east side of Third Avenue down to Brownfield Road.

The 7-acre park essentially was a gift to the city from Anton and Rosa Gerhardt.

In 2006, the couple signed an agreement that the property would transfer to the city after their deaths. The cost to the city: one domestic water connection.

Under the agreement, the city must maintain the property as a park.

Lou Pinnell and his sister Jean Howard were both on-hand for the ceremony. They grew up there, after their parents bought the property in 1939 for $350. The family lived in a nearby shack until they brought in enough dirt to level off the property — one pickup truck load at a time.

The property at one time was mostly swamp, Pinnell said, and was last logged in the 1930s.

His parents sold the property to another owner before it was sold to the Gerhardts in 1973.

Mayor Ken Hays called the new pathway “a great addition to the park,” and thanked the city staff for their hard work on the project.