Tag: Portland Parks & Recreation

Community, Construction, Infrastructure April 17, 2022March 25, 2023

Berrydale Park Open House April 13th

Update: Images from the presentation are available below and the survey link is now online.

Original article published April 8th, 2022.

Next Wednesday, Portland Parks & Recreations (PP&R) will host the second open house for the Berrydale Park Improvement Project. The $3.75 million projects will significantly enhance park amenities and ensure the space remains relevant to Portlanders of all ages. The proposed upgrades will create a new skatepark facility, new pathways, new lighting, street improvements, and a new playground.

The project’s budget doubled over the last year, with Parks Commissioner Carmen Rubio increasing allocated funds to $3.0 million from an original $1.5 million budget. The bureau will source that money from System Development Charges (SDC) and not the City’s general budget. Frontage improvement work is paid for through the PP&R Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition program. It will allocate $650K to address ADA access for the park. PP&R’s maintenance fund will cover new playground equipment costing $100k.

The additional funding ensures the construction of a new skateboarding area, plus items identified by the community as priorities during the July 2021 public engagement session. Now PP&R staff want to present design options for the new park amenities. The public can participate in two ways. Designers are hosting an in-person event at Berrydale Park near SE 92nd Avenue and Salmon Street on April 13 from 4 PM until 6 PM. People unable to join the open house can view visuals from the live event and complete a brief survey online. The survey will remain open through Sunday, April 24.

Residents who participate in next week’s community engagement will help PP&R shape the future of Berrydale Park. The updates planned will draw in new park users and wake up the somewhat sleepy public space on SE 92nd Avenue. The outdoor event on the 13th will occur regardless of the weather, and forecasts call for rain. Plan to dress accordingly or watch the Berrydale Park Improvement Project website for the online presentation and survey.

Jacob Loeb

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Community, Construction, Infrastructure July 20, 2021

Skatepark Meeting and Survey

Last Thursday, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) held the first public engagement session for the Berrydale Park Skatepark Project. Staff invited community members to share their desires for the Park and participate in an online survey. The survey questions focus on the skatepark attributes and style. Other questions gather demographic information and gauge interest in general Park improvements that could become part of this project.

The event featured poster boards displaying four panels that included a multitude of skatepark design options. The same images appear in the survey to guide specific questions. The chosen images do not represent any particular plans for this Park but instead, provide general examples of various skatepark designs. The survey will remain open until Thursday, July 30.

Last week’s meeting was the first of three events that will take place ahead of construction. The following public engagement sessions will take place in Fall 2021 and Winter 2022. Crews will begin work in Spring of 2023, with a targeted completion date of Fall 2024. Much of the design work is months away. However, PP&R planers have determined the placement of the skatepark and committed to frontage improvements around the Park.

As part of this project, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will require sidewalks, curbs, and curb ramps around Berrydale Park’s parameters. Currently, SE Talyor Street and SE 89th Ave do not have sidewalks. Improvements may also come to the existing sidewalk on SE 92nd Ave. The park improvement presentation in the Fall will include some design details around this frontage work.

PP&R coordinated with the neighboring Creative Science School to place the skatepark within the Park’s southeast corner. School administrators requested that its position allow school staff to see into the area from the school parking lot. Additionally, PP&R planners wanted to avoid any tree removal or demolition of existing park amenities. A small clearing near the school meets both conditions and provides a clear choice for placement.

Participate in the online survey within the next few days and look for a notice regarding the next phase of planning in the Fall. Outside of the survey, direct questions and comments about this project to Ken Rumbaugh, PP&R Community Engagement Coordinator, at 971-269-9042 or ken.rumbaugh@portlandoregon.gov

Community, Construction July 15, 2021July 15, 2021

Berrydale Skatepark Design Outreach

Today, July 15th, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) will hold its first community outreach event ahead of building a new Skatepark at Berrydale Park. The in-person meeting will begin at 5:30 PM and run until 7:30 PM. Presenters will share vision boards and discuss the Berrydale Park Skatepark Project with attendees. To attend, gather at the corner of SE 92nd Ave and Salmon Street at 5:30 PM.

The second community meeting will occur sometime in the Fall of 2021. More information is available on the project’s website.

Original Story published May 12th, 2021

Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) recently created a Berrydale Park Skatepark Project page, featuring information about the proposed new amenities and a tentative schedule for community involvement with the planning process. The first community engagement meeting will occur this summer and is the best opportunity for residents to shape this development.

Funding for the new skatepark will come from System Development Charges (SDC) and not the City’s general budget, currently in negation. These enhancements are made possible thanks in part to voters approving Measure 26-213 last year. With additional funding, the park may gain improved pathways, updated playground equipment, and new site furnishings. Those furnishings could include lighting, drinking fountains, benches, trash cans, and signage.

When announced last month, there was substantial community interest in this project. PP&R quickly mobilized a Community Engagement Coordinator to lead this part of the development and start the outreach process. Below is the rough schedule for project milestones, of which the first four involve public communication. For the firm date of this summer’s listening session, keep an eye on the Berrydale Park Skatepark Project page and make time to express your vision for the park’s future.

Community Meeting 1 (Summer 2021) – Primarily a listening session. What’s important to the community?
Community Meeting 2 (Fall 2021) – Present skate park and park improvement design options based on what we heard in the first meeting.
Community Meeting 3 – (Winter 2022) – Refinements to designs we heard during meeting #2. We aim to cultivate community support.
Community Meeting 4 (TBD) – (If necessary)
Conceptual Design and Analysis – August 2021 to January 2022
Construction Documentation – February 2022 to June 2022
Permitting and Bidding – July 2022 to July 2023
Construction – July 2023 to April 2024
Grand Opening – Summer 2024

Community, Construction, Infrastructure April 29, 2021May 12, 2021

Skateboarding at Berrydale Park

UPDATE – Portland Parks & Recreation created a Berrydale Park Skatepark Project page, featuring information about the proposed new amenities and a tentative schedule for community involvement with the planning process.

Yesterday Portland Parks & Recreation announced substantial investments in several neighborhood parks throughout the city. As part of that proposal, Montavilla’s Berrydale Park will gain a new skateboarding area with potentially more enhancements planned around the project. The new skatepark will join eight others in the Portland Parks system.

Last week, Early Assistance application 21-038776 outlined the potential upgrades coming to Berrydale Park beyond the approved skatepark. Mark Ross with Portland Parks & Recreation explained that the skateboarding area is the primary addition to the park, but other improvements could soon follow. “In the future, contingent on available funding, additional park amenities may include improved access, new site furnishings such as lighting, drinking fountains, benches, trash cans, and signage.”

With a total project budget of two million dollars ($2M), this work represents the most significant investment at this park within recent memory. Commissioner Carmen Rubio allocated one and a half million dollars ($1.5M) in System Development Charges (SDC) to this project, adding to the existing five-hundred-thousand dollars ($500K) in SDC funding. The added funds now allow for project planning to begin and ensures the completion of the skateboarding area.

Improvement to Portland parks is in line with city-wide efforts to curb a trend of violence and crime growing within the city. At a recent neighborhood meeting, Commissioner Mingus Mapps explained how after-school activities and the return of community programs outweigh increased policing in his plans to reduce crime. “If you are out doing something constructive, then you are not out doing something destructive.” Commissioner Mapps’ plan does not directly rely on park resources. However, these long-term investments by Parks & Recreation will create constructive outlets for the community, reinforcing other programs aimed at changing behavior.

The Berrydale Park project is scheduled to complete construction sometime in spring 2024. Within the coming months and years, Parks & Recreation staff will create proposed designs and engage with the community around this project. Look for opportunities to get involved when that phase of planning begins.

Construction, Demolition July 7, 2020July 16, 2020

Demolition at Montavilla Park

Two demolition permits for Montavilla Park were recently submitted. Application 20-159559 and 20-159551 seek to demolish the park’s wading pool and picnic structure. Currently, these structures are fenced off.

Mark Ross, Media Relations with Portland Parks & Recreation, explained that this work is in preparation for a replacement picnic structure. “Portland Parks & Recreation must demolish and remove the existing shelter which had become unstable. The bureau plans to replace it with a similarly sized shelter. The wading pool is not functional and cannot be used per State regulations which went into effect some years ago.”

The picnic structure is visible from NE Glisan Street and is adjacent to the children’s play area. This corner of Montavilla Park is dark and uninviting in its current condition. The demolition should clear the way for needed upgrades to the park.