The walk from Washington Park Max Station to the Portland Japanese Garden is approximately 2.4 miles round trip in length and includes steep and potentially muddy terrain.  Please wear sturdy shoes, dress in layers, and bring drinking water.

**Please RSVP to Heather Bayles at 503-972-3289 or heather@southwaterfront.com.

If you would like updates about walks, please join the South Waterfront Walks There Google Group at: http://groups.google.com/group/swfwalksthere.

Tuesday, January 17, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Meet at South Waterfront Community Relations
Atwater Place, Unit 115
0841 SW Gaines Street, Portland, OR Map It

WALK IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC; STREETCAR FARE WILL BE COVERED; MAX FARE IS $1 HONORED CITIZEN/$2.10 ADULT; JAPANESE GARDEN ADMISSION IS $7.75 HONORED CITIZEN/$9.50 ADULT.

250+ concerned citizens signed petitions, made donations, and/or sent emails to City of Portland asking that the pole be retained in the successful 2011 location.  Though the requests were denied by the city for various reasons, a temporary site was made available on adjacent land owned by Williams & Dame Development.  There will be ongoing discussions and requests for the City of Portland to designate a permanent location for the osprey in the north end of the Central Greenway, as the osprey pair have chosen to return to this spot for the past 5 years.

The South Waterfront Dog Club, a local organization which advocates for the South Waterfront osprey and was able to legally obtain permitting for 2011, would like to thank those instrumental in the relocation, including:  Roger Goldingay from the Meriwether and South Waterfront Dog Club,  Peter Fenner and Paul Johnson from Mirabella,  Jim Luke from South Waterfront Nature and Greenspaces Committee, Geoff Granum, Steve Arndt, and Pete Collins and Heather Bayles of South Waterfront Community Relations.  Thanks to the generosity of Hoffman Construction and Williams & Dame Development, the cost for the relocation was under $500, mainly for fence work.  It will be paid from donations made on behalf of the osprey fund to the South Waterfront Dog Club.

Watch a brief video from the move here.

For more information or to donate to the osprey fund, contact Carol L. Otis at cotis@earthlink.net.

Please contact South Waterfront Community Relations at communityrelations@southwaterfront.com with questions.

Metro and Kaiser Permanente encourage active living.  Walking is one of the most effective ways to stay healthy, lose weight, and increase your energy level.  It’s also a great way to experience and enjoy the community as well as the natural beauty of the region.

Visit Metro’s website to get the app and get going!

For more information, contact Irene Bowers, PDC, at 503-823-2419 or bowersi@pdc.us.

Tuesday, November 15, 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Portland Development Commission Conference Room
222 NW Fifth Avenue, Portland, OR Map It

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Get updated on your local natural world. Agenda items for October include:

• City of Portland update on the Greenway Permitting & Construction Schedule
• Osprey Nest Update
• Zidell Remediation Update
• Review of proposed EcoDistrict

Tuesday, October 18, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Mirabella, Willamette Hall
3550 SW Bond Avenue, Portland, OR Map It

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Please wear sturdy walking shoes, dress in layers, bring drinking water, and be prepared to pay for streetcar/MAX fare.  The trail includes uneven and steep terrain and the walking portion is approximately 4 miles.

If you would like updates about walks, please join the South Waterfront Walks There Google Group at: http://groups.google.com/group/swfwalksthere.  Join the group by following the above link and clicking on “Apply for Group Membership”.  You will then be updated on walks, have the ability to post ideas for walks, and make plans for special walks with your neighbors.

Tuesday, September 20, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Meet at Community Relations Townhome
Atwater Place, Suite 115
0841 SW Gaines Street, Portland, OR Map It

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Sign up for this worthwhile and fun event with Jim Luke, 503-719-4517 or jim@lukeonline.com or online at http://solv.org/programs/fall_beach_cleanup.asp.

Saturday, September 17, 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Meet at the Meriwether East Amenities Room
0836 SW Curry Street, Portland, OR Map It

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Summer of Music in South Waterfront

August features two Concerts in the Park, in cooperation with Portland Parks & Recreation, at our own Elizabeth Caruthers Park.  Kids, dogs, picnic dinners, relaxation, and bottles of wine to sip with friends are all welcome.  View the full summer schedule here.  Mark your calendar for these upcoming free musical events:

Friday Concerts in the Park at Elizabeth Caruthers Park:

• Friday, August 19, 6:00 pm:  Water Tower Bucket Boys  Loosely based in the traditions of  bluegrass, punk rock, blues, cajun, folk, and country.

• Friday, August 26, 6:00 pm:  Blue Cranes
Combines a downtown-jazz aesthetic with overtones of arty indie rock.

Elizabeth Caruthers Park
3508 SW Moody Avenue, Portland, OR Map It

ALL CONCERTS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Nature and Greenspaces Meeting

Learn about current issues affecting the natural spaces in the South Waterfront neighborhood at this open forum monthly meeting.

Tuesday, August 16, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Mirabella, Willamette Hall
3550 SW Bond Avenue, Portland, OR Map It

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

The South Waterfront Nature & Greenspaces Committee meets every other month to discuss items of interest to South Waterfront residents.  When appropriate, speakers from the City, Audubon, Zidell, OHSU, etc. are invited to update their activities.

Nature & Greenspaces Committee Meeting
Monday, June 20, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Mirabella, Park View Room
3550 SW Bond Avenue, Portland, OR Map It

FREE AND OPEN TO SOUTH WATERFRONT RESIDENTS

Construction on the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Bridge is set to begin July 1.  In mid June, contractor Kiewit Infrastructure West will position construction barges on the Willamette River between the Marquam and Ross Island bridges.  On June 15, slow/no wake and exclusion zones will take effect to ensure the safety of boaters, paddlers, swimmers, and construction workers.

These zones are­:

• A bank-to-bank, slow-no-wake zone for 500 feet upstream and downstream from the bridge project, effective June 15, 2011 through December 2012.
• An exclusion zone under the work bridge trestles and under the swing radius of the cranes.
  

Please see the Map for more details of the latest developments.

To follow construction activities and river impacts for the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Bridge, please visit trimet.org/pm/construction/bridge.  Also view the new BridgeCams.

For more information, contact Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Community Affairs Representative is DeeAnn Sandberg, sandberd@trimet.org

• Envisioning Ross Island and the Willamette River’s South Reach – Mike Houck of Urban Greenspaces Institute and Bob Sallinger of Audubon Society of Portland will discuss the future of Ross Island and the recent creation of a Slow-No Wake Zone to protect fish and wildlife habitat and to provide a safer, quieter experience for kayakers and canoeists in the Ross Island Lagoon and on Holgate Channel.

  Wednesday, June 1, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
  Mirabella, Willamette Hall
  3550 SW Bond Avenue, Portland, OR Map It

  FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

• Birding The Willamette Greenway – Meet Mike Houck for an early morning bird song walk along the temporary greenway trail.  Mike will point out the Great Blue Heron nesting colony on nearby Ross Island and identify birds by sight and song along the greenway.

  Thursday, June 2, 7:30 am – 9:00 am
  Meet at SW Curry Street and the Willamette Greenway
  Portland, OR Map It

  FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

The week culminates with the Great Blue Heron Week Ross Island Regatta from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm on Sunday, June 5.  The Regatta is an opportunity to enjoy a morning out on the Willamette River and to celebrate the newly established Slow-No Wake Zone in the Ross Island Lagoon and the upstream portion of the Holgate Channel.

For more information on Regatta launching locations/times and for a full listing of all Great Blue Heron Week Events, please visit http://audubonportland.org/about/events/gbh.

Recently, the SWDC obtained the osprey platform and is currently working with Portland Parks & Recreation to include the osprey platform in the greenway plan. If you are interested in donating towards the cost of the osprey home or helping with petitions contact Carol Otis at dr.otis@sportsdoctor.com.  Read a recent Oregonian article about the osprey platform move  here.

The dog park has been relocated next to Old House Dahlias (one block south of its previous location) in order to make room for excavated dirt related to new construction on Block 49.  Williams and Dame, Walsh Construction, and Town and Country Fence mowed the grass and moved the fence and shelters.  The SWDC Board would like to thank Williams and Dame Development for finding a way to keep the dog park in the neighborhood. If you have any questions or wish to join the club like the happy pups above, contact Michelle Cohen at mracohen@mac.com or Betsy Russell at russstein@comcast.net.

Portland Parks & Recreation is planning for the development of several soft surface hiking trail segments, bridges, and wayfinding signs in the Marquam Hill area.  While the construction will not begin until Summer 2012, they are working with the community and consultants to identify priority trail alignments that expand hiking options within the park and preserve habitat and environmental values of this valuable ecosystem.  The work will be based on the 2003 Marquam Hill Plan and a subsequent public process in 2007 that determined preliminary alignments.

You are invited to a public meeting to engage in additional discussion regarding the implementation of the trail system.

Marquam Hill Plan Discussion
Wednesday, May 25, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Hoyt Arboretum
4000 SW Fairview Boulevard, Portland, OR Map It

Get involved in a fantastic Earth Day clean-up activity in your community.  The day will focus on cleaning up portions of the South Waterfront District, including the South Waterfront Community Garden.

South Waterfront SOLV Earth Day Clean-Up and South Waterfront Community Garden Work Party Day
Saturday, April 16, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Meet at the Meriwether East Amenities Room
0836 SW Curry Street, Portland, OR Map It

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

For information regarding plans for the new Fulton Pump Station in Willamette Park, please visit Portland Water Bureau’s website at http://www.portlandonline.com/water/index.cfm?c=48846&a=323750

Fulton Pump Citizen Advisory Committee
Thursday, March 3 and Thursday, March 31, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Umpqua Bank
3606 SW Bond Avenue, Portland, OR Map It

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Is your furry best friend for the environment?  Help your dog put his or her best paw forward in the South Waterfront through responsible pet ownership.  Simple steps include:

• Leashing your dog – enjoy your dog’s company on-leash in the South Waterfront, for your dog’s safety as well as to show respect for wildlife, our green spaces, and your neighbors and their leashed dogs.
• Scooping the poop – special bag receptacles and garbage cans throughout the community and in all green spaces are so convenient and make this an easy step.  Who doesn’t enjoy a poop-free walk through the park?
• Letting Fido run free – responsibly.  South Waterfront is home to the South Waterfront Dog Club, the District’s only off-leash area for dogs.  Not managed by the City, maintenance of this dog park is paid for by low annual dues from its members:  South Waterfront Dog Club.  The nearest City-managed off-leash area is located at nearby Willamette Park, a half hour walk or 5 minute drive to the south:  Willamette Park Off Leash Area.  Another fun alternative is The Dog House doggie daycare, your dog’s own indoor playground, located at 3720 SW Moody:  The Dog House.

Sounds easy, right?  That’s because it is!  Take the Portland Parks & Recreation pledge so that you and your pooch can both say, “I’m for the environment!” or “Woof!”.

Follow this link for information and to get your pledge form:  Dogs for the Environment. Fill it out and send it back to the address listed.  Portland Parks will send a bright green Dogs for the Environment bandanna for your dog to proudly sport around town.

Portland Parks & Recreation is planning to step up education and enforcement of the leash and poop-scooping laws – violation of either of these laws may result in a $150 fine.  If you notice violations at specific times of day/locations within the South Waterfront, feel free to call 503-823-DOGS to let Portland Parks know.

Let’s all be for the environment!

The Zidell South Waterfront cleanup project is underway!  Results of this complex project will include:

• Improving riparian and aquatic habitats for fish and wildlife and improving ecological functions at the site;
• Capping over 16 acres of riverbank and river bottom to isolate contaminants from the environment;
• Planting more than 200 native trees and 15,000 native shrubs, covering more than 4 acres of land. These plantings will replace current 2.1 acres of vegetation, only 0.1 acres of which is native plants; the rest consists of large areas of invasive Himalayan blackberry and butterfly bush; and
• Removing more than 2,100 old, treated wood pilings from the river to improve habitat.

Visit http://zidell.com/cleanup.html for more information about the project, including updates, detailed plans, and a time line.

The March 2011 issue of Sunset Magazine features a lovely paragraph about our own Elizabeth Caruthers Park.  Find it on page 39 in an article titled, “Chasing spring: a guide for 2011″.  The park is listed number 16 in a list of Sunset’s Top 20 spring day trips.

The paragraph mentions how easy it is to get to Elizabeth Caruthers on the streetcar and encourages readers to “Grab Vietnamese sandwiches or salads from Bambuza…, then stroll beside wetlands with pops of purple and yellow flowers.  Spread a blanket on the sloping lawn, let the kids frolic in the fountain, and clamber over wooden beams stacked like pickup sticks.”  The paragraph finishes with an invitation to return in summer for fantastic movies in the park.

Passionate about Terwilliger Parkway, Portland’s most significant habitat, scenic, and recreation corridor?

Come help Friends of Terwilliger and Portland Parks plan the centennial celebration happening in 2012. Bring your ideas, energy, and talents; we’ll provide the atmosphere and refreshments.

Friends of Terwilliger
Thursday, March 10, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Umpqua Bank
3606 SW Bond Avenue, Portland, OR Map It

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Join the South Waterfront Nature & Greenspaces Committee for a lively discussion of topics, including:

• Portland Parks & Recreation Update – Greenway Development Project and Dogs – Offleash Concerns
• Zidell Property Update
• River Study
• South Waterfront Dock Update
• Community Garden Update
• Heron and Osprey

Nature & Greenspaces Committee Meeting
Tuesday, February 22, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Mirabella
3550 SW Bond Avenue, Portland, OR Map It

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Dog Park Reopened for the Winter
The South Waterfront Dog Club is reopened for winter after reseeding the grass in October. A group of South Waterfront residents started the South Waterfront Dog Club in order to give their dogs a place to run off-leash. Membership in the Dog Park is only available to South Waterfront residents. All activities in the park are done by volunteer members and are funded by donations or volunteer work. Right now the ground is still very damp, so only part of the Park is available for use.

Please go to the Dog Club website for more information.

Clean up South Waterfront this Saturday, September 25th. Activities include picking up debris in the South Waterfront District. Volunteers will be treated to coffee and rolls before the event.

Date: Saturday, September 25th

Time: 9:00am-12:00pm

Meeting location: 0836 SW Curry Ave., in the East Meriwether Amenities Room. Map It!

Metered street parking is available on-street. There is limited free parking along Curry Ave., east of River Parkway (must pick up a parking tag from the Meriwether concierge).

Questions: Contact Kay Dannen; dannen@sojpdx.com; 503.478.6404

Come one come all to celebrate the River at South Waterfront with a movie in brand new Elizabeth Caruthers Park!  Activities begin at 7:00 p.m., movie begins at dusk.
Featuring:

• Live Music
• The Mayor of Hooperville with Hula Hoop Lessons
• Handmade artisan vendors
• Kids activities
• Free Ice Cream from Umpqua Bank
• Free Italian Sodas from Old Spaghetti Factory
• Free Popcorn

Movie starts at dusk, featuring “Mamma Mia!”

RiverFest Movie in the Park at South Waterfront

Saturday, August 21, 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Elizabeth Caruthers Park
3508 SW Moody Ave., Portland, OR. Map it

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

From Portland Parks and Recreation:

Elizabeth Caruthers Park is now open! Just over two acres in size, this much awaited new park in the heart of the South Waterfront District is located between SW Moody to the east and SW Bond to the west. A community celebration is planned for August, but you can visit the park now!

Caruthers Park offers visitors an urban garden area, featuring a community gathering area with movable tables and chairs and a built-in bocce court, a garden retreat area with granite seat walls and a historic marker honoring the site of Portland’s first cabin, and an environmental play area with a spray/play stepping stone feature and seating logs.

There is also a naturalized landscaped area, with boardwalks, naturalized plantings, undulating topography with stormwater detention, and Song Cycles public art created by Doug Hollis. In addition, an open lawn area provides space for a variety of use, including an 8′ tall sloped landform for seating, sunning, and play.

Other features of the park include a variety of trees and plantings, pathways with benches, park lighting, a festival edge on Bond, electrical infrastructure for events, bicycle racks, a drinking fountain, dog waste bag dispensers, trash receptacles, and streetscape improvements.

Contractor work on the final touches will be ongoing for the next month or so. The fence around the lawn and landform area may remain up until August 1, as we allow the lawn to establish.

PP&R looks forward to celebrating the opening of the first park in the South Waterfront neighborhood with you this summer. It’s been a long time in the works, but this breathtaking new park will provide a place of respite and recreation, a place for public gatherings and private moments, for generations to come.

A community celebration is scheduled for Thursday, August 19. In the meantime, come down this weekend and check out Portland’s newest park!

For more info, click here.

We at Community Relations recently received the following letter from Portland Parks & Recreation on the status of the South Waterfront Greenway:

April 22, 2010

What is the Greenway?

The South Waterfront Greenway runs along the west side of the Willamette River, from Lane to Gibbs Streets.   The original Greenway Plan was developed in 2004 by Walker Macy and an Advisory Committee which included OHSU, area developers, city staff and residents.  The Greenway Plan created a long term vision for the Greenway.  Its primary goal was to balance environmental, recreational, fish and wildlife habitat and future resident’s needs. The vision for a developed greenway included enhanced wildlife habitat, vegetation, bike and pedestrian paths, overlooks and lawn areas.

The plan is great but its implementation has been challenging.  Key issues that have delayed development of the project include:

• permitting – habitat and related environmental requirements
• property transfer
• remediation of environmental contamination

While significant progress has been made on these issues, they are not yet fully resolved.

When will the Greenway get built?

In September 2009, we shared with the community that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) indicated the need for the design to better accommodate fish habitat in the area of the central district.  After much discussion, we asked our consultants, Walker Macy, to develop a design approach that would balance habitat, access, and recreation considerations and meet NMFS requirements.

Following the development of design options to discuss with NMFS, including consideration of a sheet pile approach shared with the public last year, we are still working with Walker Macy to finalize the feasibility and cost of a preferred revised approach.

Once Walker Macy has completed sufficient design and estimating work, we will meet with NMFS with the updated design to proceed with permitting.  In addition to the NMFS permitting process, there is a permit process through the Bureau of Development Services.

This work is taking a long time.  Back in September we indicated that the earliest “in-water” work window was likely 2012.  That remains true, although it is possible that delays may result in construction being pushed back to 2013.

For more information contact, Liz Moorhead, Project Manager at 503-823-5883 or liz.moorhead@portlandoregon.gov

Portland Audubon’s Sternwheeler Tour Around Ross Island

The Audubon Society of Portland is once again offering its popular RiverFest Ross Island Tour on-board the Sternwheeler Rose.

Saturday, Aug 22, 2009
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

If you don’t paddle, canoe or kayak, there’s no better way for you and your family to get out on the river and see great blue herons, osprey and bald eagles nests–not to mention some of Portland’s most beautiful scenery–on this relaxing evening cruise.

Mike Houck from the Urban Greenspaces Institute and staff from Audubon Society of Portland will provide expert commentary and answer questions on the remarkable variety of natural sights and sounds, as you travel in comfort up through the Holgate Channel and circumnavigate Ross, Hardtack, and East Islands.

Cost is $25 per person (children 5 and under are free). Click here to register now–space is limited!

Or contact:

Ariana Longanecker
alonganecker@audubonportland.org
503.292.6855 x112

Quick Update: There will be a Public Hearing on the proposed No Wake Zone for Holgate Channel and Ross Island Lagoon, Monday, July 27th at 6 pm, in the Portland Building 1120 SW 5th Avenue, 2nd Floor Auditorium
Here is a recent letter from Mike Houck of the Urban Greenspace Institute:

Thank you for you support to date for creating a No-wake Zone in the Holgate Channel and Ross Island Lagoon. Several hundred people have written letters in support of this effort, and more than 200 people showed up to support this effort at a hearing back in May. We have sent a strong message to the Oregon Marine Board that there needs to be one location along the entire Lower Willamette River that is set aside to protect wildlife and provide a safe place of canoeists and kayakers to enjoy nature.

The Marine Board will be making a final decision on the no-wak zone petition on Monday, July 27TH.

It is essential that we have a strong turnout at this hearing and there may be opportunities for public testimony.

The Marine Board may or may not take testimony.  However, they will be counting heads.  It’s critical that there be a big turn out for this hearing.  Please come and bring others who support a No Wake Zone for the Holgate Channel and Ross Island Lagoon.

For more information please visit the Urban Greenspace Institute’s website: http://www.urbangreenspaces.org/no-wake.htm

Last week the Daily Journal of Commerce provided a short update on the progress of the new park in South Waterfront, dubbed the Elizabeth Caruthers Park.  Click here to read the article.

This Saturday the South Waterfront Sustainable Lifestyle and Transportation Committee is teaming up with SOLV and the City of Portland’s River Renaissance Initiative to clean up the river bank along the Willamette River here in South Waterfront.  If you are interested in helping out please contact Rick at sustainablelifestyle@gmail.com to sign up.

Location: Meet at the Meriwether East Tower (0836 SW Curry St.)

When: Saturday May 16th at 9 AM.

We received word from Portland Parks & Rec this week about the status of the Greenway – please see the Project Manager’s message below:

Regarding the project schedule – As many of you realize, one of the causes for the project delay, was the discovery of soil contamination.  After lengthy discussions between the Department of Environmental Quality, property owners, Portland Development Commission and Portland Parks & Recreation,  its been agreed that some additional sampling work needs to be undertaken along the greenway.   This work is expected to start in May.

In addition to the information we gather from the soil samples – we will incorporate the feedback from the discussion between the City and National Marine Fisheries that took place in late 2008.  These two additional information sources will inform the projects design so that an updated permit application can be submitted to the Army Corp of Engineers and National Marine Fisheries Service.  We anticipate being able to submit the updated permit applications in November 2009.

In October 2009, we will invite the community to review the updated designs so that you know how the project may have been amended.

Thanks to everyone for your patience and support and we work through these challenges. 

Elizabeth Kennedy-Wong
Community Engagement and Public Involvement Manager
Portland Parks and Recreation
(503) 823-5113

According to the Daily Journal of Commerce Portland Parks and Rec has decided on a name for the neighborhood park here in South Waterfront.  It will be named after Elizabeth Caruthers, one of the original settlers of this area along the Willamette River back in the 19th century.

Click here for more details.

UPDATE: Our friends over at Park Talk – the Portland Parks and Rec blog – have posted a few more details about our new park’s name.  Click here to read up.

Friend of Ross Island (and South Waterfront) Mike Houck was recently interviewed for Portland Spaces’ Burnside Blog  by author Tim DuRoche who is currently working on a series of interviews called “If I Were King of the (Urban) Forest.”  Mike has a great perspective on what sustainable development should be and he has some very nice things to say about South Waterfront.  Thanks Mike!  To read the blog post: Click Here. 

Our neighborhood park is finally on it’s way!  Portland Parks and Recreation sent out a new advisory on the state of the neighborhood park today.  It essentially details that due to the economic climate the construction bids came in UNDER projected costs, thus freeing up additional funds to add back in amenities that were originally cut due to the price tags.  Here are the amenities being added back into the South Waterfront Neighborhood Park:

> Formal Bocce Ball Court.

> Movable tables and chairs.

> Plant larger, more mature plants than originally planned.

> Apply soil amendments to all lawn areas.

>Steel edging for plant beds to help retain their form.

So – most importantly – here is the current construction schedule for the park:

March – July 2009: Construction

August 2009: Construction Complete – Urban Garden, Naturalized Area and paths open

August – Sept 2009: Lawn Establishment Period

October 2009: All Park Areas Open!

For more information and the full a release from the Parks Buearu please visit the project website at: http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/index.cfm?c=45404

What:  Two community meetings have been scheduled to give members of the public the opportunity to discuss the draft Trail Design Guidelines with Portland Parks & Recreation staff

When/Where:   6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Monday, January 26
Southwest Community Center
6820 SW 45 Avenue

7 p.m. to 7:40 p.m.
Thursday, February 5
East Portland Neighborhood Office
1017 NE 117 Avenue

To Attend:  If you plan to attend one of the meetings or have questions, please contact Elizabeth Kennedy-Wong, Public Involvement Manager, at Elizabeth.Kennedy-Wong@ci.portland.or.us or at 503.823.5113.

Trails are an integral part of our park and recreation system. They are used by people of all ages and abilities to exercise, relax, socialize, view wildlife, and travel to destinations such as school and work. Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) interprets the term ‘trail’ broadly to include sidewalks around parks, park pathways, sidewalks, and enhanced paths on green streets, as well as unpaved pathways in natural areas and regional multi-modal trails.

The Parks 2020 Vision plan identified “no trail standards” as an issue. It noted that trail standards are lacking for the many trail types, sizes, and materials needed in different settings. Impacts to sensitive habitat and stormwater quality and quantity must be considered.

PP&R has drafted these guidelines to aid staff in the design of trails and pathways in the entire parks system: regional trails, developed parks, and natural areas. They will also guide consultants, developers, and volunteer groups that build trails, whether designing a narrow footpath through a woodland, an exercise circuit in a lawn area or a waterfront promenade.

Fred Leeson sure has been writing up a storm about the South Waterfront lately – he had another small article last Thursday about our Greenway and the current situation with the boat dock.  According to the article things are not sounding so good – the feds say the docks are nesting grounds for predators of young salmon. Read the full article here: South Waterfront Dock Idea may Sink.

Last Friday the Daily Journal of Commerce published an article updating Portlanders on the status of the neighborhood park here in South Waterfront.  The bid process for construction of the park has been extended to January 15th, but the article states that construction will begin in late February 2009 – horay!  Read the full article HERE.

The City Council is agreesively reorganizing the city bureaus and one of the changes is that Comissioner Nick Fish will now be overseeing Portland Parks & Rec.   It will be interesting to see how Commissioner Fish works towards getting the South Waterfront Greenway and Neighborhood Park completed.   Here is the official announcement:

http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/index.cfm?a=222450&c=48747

Hey Everyone – I just noticed that Portland Parks & Recreation has just launched a new blog caleld Park Talk. This blog is designed to keep the public informed about happenings at our local Portland Parks. It even has an RSS feed so you can have the news delivered to you! Let’s hope we start hearing some new news about the parks in South Waterfront soon.

November 2008 Update

The Greenway Project Team is working to obtain the necessary permits for the Central District Greenway from state and federal natural resource agencies. Key features of the riverbank design are being updated to enhance natural conditions along the Willamette River and ensure a successful Greenway is built as soon as possible.

Improved Riverbank Design

Changes to the design concept have been developed through conversations with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in order to secure a federal permit.

The improved design includes:

• A gradually sloping, softened riverbank in the area between Whitaker and Pennoyer Streets will provide better habitat for fish and wildlife. This new design features a gravel and sand beach, more shallow water area, and space for native plants and trees. The previous design relied on large rocks, called rip-rap, to stabilize the steeper bank and protect against erosion.

• Trails and other public spaces will be placed above the ordinary high water level (about 18 feet) and held in place using a sheet-pile wall. The face of the wall will be vegetated and screened by willows, trees and other native plants. Careful placement of trees above and below the wall will balance habitat needs with the desire for views along the greenway.  

Contaminants Testing

Concerns about the presence of in-water contamination from past industrial uses will require additional testing this fall. Test results will help ensure that construction of the park also manages any remaining risk from past industrial activity.

A plan to gather sediment samples from the river bottom in the Central Greenway District was recently reviewed by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Samples will be gathered in November and then tested to ensure public health and the environment are protected before, during and after construction of the Greenway.

Future Updates

The project team will continue to send periodic updates with news of progress to complete the Central District Greenway. For more information about the project, contact Patty Freeman, project manager at 503-823-5592, pkpatty@ci.portland.or.us, or visit www.portlandparks.org.

Barbara Hart

Community Engagement & Public Involvement Manager

Portland Parks & Recreation

503.823.6641

To stay informed, please visit the South Waterfront Greenway page on the PP&R website: http://www.portlandonline.com/oni/index.cfm?c=29377&a=217758

Our friends at Portland Parks & Recreation sent us an updated FAQ page. It answers many questions, such as what is the current status of the Greenway? Will the light craft boat dock be built? And what is holding up construction of the Greenway? This is great information, to download the PDF, please click here: south-waterfront-greenway-faq-7_2008.pdf

You can also find this PDF and more information about the project on the City of Portland’s website, please click here.

Over the weekend our friends at Portland Parks and Recreation put up a notification on the South Waterfront Neighborhood Park projects web page asking for public input to name the neighborhood park.

Please go to the PP&R Website to submit your name recommendations.

Community Questionnaire Results

Thanks to all of you who shared ideas and comments with us in April. We appreciate your help to complete the preferred design for the district’s first park. The design team has used your input to improve the overall design and refine the features of the park’s three unique areas. You can find a summary of the responses to the Community Questionnaire at http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=197308.

Neighborhood Park Design

We invite you to view the refined park design to see how public comments have been addressed. The Project Advisory Committee (PAC) considered community input and discussed the preferred design at their final meeting on May 13. A summary of the PAC meeting and the slide show presented to them by the design team are both available on the project Webpage at http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/index.cfm?c=46111&.

Don’t forget to visit the scale model of the preferred design, currently across from the Neighborhood Park site at Umpqua Bank on SW Bond!

Next Steps

The next steps are to further refine the design with preliminary details, and to select materials and products. Once all the park elements are thoroughly specified, bids and permits will be sought to build the park. Construction is scheduled to begin in February 2009. The Urban Gardens area, Naturalized Landscape area, and park pathways should be completed and open for use by July / August 2009. The lawn will require an 8-12 week establishment period with no foot traffic, but should be open by October 2009.

Questions?

If you have questions about the Neighborhood Park, or want to request paper copies of project materials, contact Sandra Burtzos at Sandra.Burtzos@ci.portland.or.us, or 503-823-5594.

See the model of the preferred design

Visit Umpqua Bank to view a model of the future park. The preferred design includes three main areas: an Urban Garden (with Community Gathering, Environmental Play, and Garden Retreat areas), an Open Lawn with raised slope, and a Naturalized Area with denser plantings. Stop in for a closer look while Umpqua has the model on display at 3606 SW Bond Avenue.

Find project materials and information like meeting summaries, design presentations, and event details online at http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/index.cfm?c=45404

The next Project Advisory Committee Meeting will be Tuesday, May 13, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. in the Portland Building, 1120 SW Fifth Avenue, 2nd Floor, Room B

Project Overview:

In December 2004, the Portland City Council accepted the South Waterfront Greenway Development Plan (GDP) schematic and directed the Portland Development Commission (PDC), Portland Parks & Recreation (Parks), and the Bureau of Planning (Planning) to create an implementation strategy for the GDP.

Visitors to South Waterfront and residents alike have a ringside seat from which to watch nesting Great Blue Herons at the South Waterfront. Join Mike Houck, Director of the Urban Greenspaces Institute and Bob Sallinger, Audubon Society of Portland’s Conservation Director, who will have spotting scopes on hand for close-up views of herons in their nests. Please bring your own binoculars and spotting scopes if you have one. The herons start their courtship and nest building in mid to late February, lay eggs in early April and the young are ready to leave their nests in early to mid-June. These spring and early summer nest viewing sessions will provide a great opportunity to track the Ross Island herons from egg laying, feeding young, and young trying out their wings, and finally observing first flight from their nesting colony. All heron nest watches are free and open to the public. No pre-registration is required. Nest watches will go on rain or shine.

The viewing area is just east of the Meriwether Condominiums on the temporary greenway path. The following is the schedule for the Heron viewings, which are also listed on the Community Events page of this website.

Saturday, March 22nd, 2 pm to 4 pm
Saturday, March 29th, noon to 2 pm
Friday, April 4th, 4 pm to 6 pm
Saturday, April 5th, 9 am to 11 am
Saturday, May 10th, 1 pm to 3 pm
Wednesday, May 14th, 5 pm to 7 pm
Wednesday, May 21st, 5 to 7 pm
Monday, June 2nd, 5 pm to 7 pm
Saturday, June 7th, Noon to 3 pm

In case you weren’t able to attend the open house last week when Hargreaves Associates unveiled the 4 conceptual plans I would encourage you to visit portlandonline.com and review the PDF of Hargreaves Power Point :http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=187572.

All of the options were generally well received – I think most neighbors that I talked to liked the Hybrid option that most. Review them for yourself and go online to give the architects your feedback here: http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/index.cfm?c=45697&

There will still be a few more PAC meetings and open houses during April for both the Greenway and the Neighborhood Park – mark your calendars now because these could be our last chances to give input.

Tuesday, April 1, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Neighborhood Park Project Advisory Committee Meeting
Portland Building (1120 SW 5th Ave.), 2nd Floor, Room B

Tuesday, April 8, 5:45 – 7:45 p.m.
Greenway Project Advisory Committee Meeting
1900 SW 4th Ave, 2nd Floor, Room 2500 B

Tuesday, April 22, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Neighborhood Park Community Open House
OHSU Center for Health & Healing
3303 SW Bond, 3rd Floor, Paul Kirk Conference Center, Rms. 1A/1B

Be sure to attend the next Neighborhood Park PAC meeting: April 1, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m., Portland Building, 2nd Floor, Room B, 1120 SW Fifth Avenue.

REMINDER
OPEN HOUSE
South Waterfront Neighborhood Park
March 11, 2008
5:30-8:00 p.m.
OHSU Center for Health and Healing
3rd Floor, Paul Kirk Conference Center, Rooms 1A/1B
Presentation at 6:00 p.m.

Everyone who is available should come check out the neighborhood park open house – a week from today over at the Center for Health and Healing. Here are the details:

Neighborhood Park Open House
Schematic Design Options
Tuesday, March 11, 5:30-8:00 p.m.
Presentation at 6:00 p.m.
OHSU Center for Health and Healing
3303 SW Bond
Paul Kirk Conference Center, 3rd Floor, Rms 1A/B

See how the Neighborhood Park design team has translated community ideas and priorities into three preliminary designs. Tell us what you think about the early design choices. Your contributions will help shape a preferred park design. We look forward to seeing you there!

Community Questionnaire Results
Thanks to all who participated in the Open House on January 29 for the Greenway and Neighborhood Park! We appreciate the thoughtful feedback provided in the 78 completed questionnaires. A summary report of the results is now available at http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=185429.

The South Waterfront Nature and Greenspaces Committee needs your support!

What kind of visual access and view of the Willamette River would you like to have upon completion of the Greenway Trail construction?
Would you like to maintain, or even improve, physical access to the river?
Can you help keep the City committed to the existing plan?

Some background:

• The Greenway Development Plan is a three-stage development of our riverfront that includes habitat restoration, jogging/bicycling paths, and various river access or view points
• In 2004 the City Council accepted the Greenway Development Plan
• In 2006 the City Council dedicated $6 million in funds
• During 2007 the City had repeatedly revised the plan due to insufficient funding, cutting out some very important design features:
  • The small boats dock
  • Wildlife viewing platform
• If the dock is not built, we may not have any access to the river—not even a path to the water—after the Plan moves into its implementation stage
• By March, 2008 the City will finalize the project and will begin implementation. The time to comment is NOW

Here is how to comment:

• January 22nd, 6:00 – 8:00 pm: Project Advisory Committee Meeting
• January 29th, 5:00 – 8:00 pm: Open House with the Greenway presentation at 5:30 and the Neighborhood Park presentation at 6:30 pm
• Both meetings will be held at the OHSU Center for Health & Healing, 3303 SW Bond, 3rd Floor, Rooms 1A/1B

Make your voice heard about the future of your neighborhood!

 Please post any questions or comments on this blog.
 

Tuesday January 29th, 6 – 8 p.m.

Tuesday March 11th, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Thursday April 22nd, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

All of these meetings will be held at the OHSU Center for Health and Healing (3303 SW Bond) in the 3rd Floor, Paul Kirk Conference Room.

These are also listed on the South Waterfront Community Events Calendar as well.

Be sure to stay up to date on the status of the Greenway so we can help to shape the future of our neighborhood. Keep watching for more posts related to this subject.

Croquet – tracing its origins to France in the Middle Ages – requires a level playing field and set boundary conditions.  The game inspires images of quaint cocktail parties and wickets proudly adorning an impeccable lawn.

Golf – Scotland’s gift to the world, with the first recorded game taking place at Musselburgh Links in 1672, places a set of strict demands upon the gardener:  perfect grooming of fairways, tee boxes, and greens are a key subset to any successful course.

Slinky Ball – a game spotted on campsites, backyards, large lawns, and beaches – is a great way to spend an afternoon on a field with an unobstructed throwing line.  Deriving its rules from Horseshoes and Shuffle Board, this game is a great addition to a lawn party.

So what do these great games have in common with the South Waterfront?  The answer is that we have our own very large lawn between Bond and Moody.

Another, equally important opportunity, is the one to participate in the process of planning the park’s layout.  The South Waterfront Nature & Greenspace Committee is engaging Portland Parks and the City of Portland in the planning and design process.  Now is the time to let the us know what features are important to you as the SWF Community resident!

On a more general note, I am very excited to make this first post on behalf of the Nature & Greenspace Committe.  I will keep you updated both on the outdoor activities in the neighborhood and on the committee’s participation in the planning and development processes of both the Neighborhood Park and the Willamette River Greenway projects.  I look forward to your dialogue!

Now the original proposal costs were done in 2004, it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that the overall price of the project rose, the longer you wait to begin a project the more the price tag increases due to inflation and other market factors. Did they actually think the price would decrease?

An excellent editorial was written in the Oregonian yesterday titled “Portland deserves something spectacular” and I couldn’t agree more. Not only do the citizens of our city deserve this green space for recreation, but our down trodden river (one of the most polluted in the USA) and ecology deserve this restoration and revitalization as well. The editorial said it best:

Restoring a working river, revitalizing industrial lands that have complex histories, is an immensely complicated task. What’s at stake here is a regional amenity that will serve, both recreationally and environmentally, a community far larger than that inhabiting those high-rise condos. As a community, we committed here to creating something spectacular.

Portland deserves nothing less.

portlandhikers.com

www.trails.com/activity.asp?area=10404

www.audubonportland.org