Tag: PP&R

Community, Food and Drink

Siting APANO Community Gardens

Throughout 2024, the community group APANO will work to create up to five new East Portland community gardens. Currently, Portland State University (PSU) students working in the Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) program are gathering public input that will guide site selection. Residents have until May 10th to complete a survey before the MUPR team compiles submissions, discussion results, and research data into a proposal that APANO staff can implement east of 82nd Avenue.

APANO developed the Community Gardens project specification based on interest expressed by people living along the 82nd Avenue corridor and in East Portland. “There were many people asking for places to garden, gather, and connect in the Jade District, a neighborhood that APANO heavily works in,” explained Sam Guthman, Policy Manager at APANO. The organization identified a lack of public green space and a scarcity of produce diversity as an issue APANO wanted to address in 2024. “Our members were asking for places where they could grow culturally relevant produce, as most western grocery stores aren’t going to have Thai basil or galangal and other staples common in Asian American and Pacific islander cuisine,” remarked Guthman. However, garden placement and organizational structure require planning and partnerships when creating that type of community resource. For that part of the project, APANO looked to the graduate students at PSU working to complete their final project.

PSU MUPR students participate in a Planning Workshop where they apply their skills in real-world endeavors. This two-term grad-student project provides clients with professional recommendations based on direct community consultation and situational assessments. APANO saw the Community Gardens project as fit for the workshop process and submitted a request at the beginning of the year. “They sent a request for proposal to help them find and develop community gardens with a focus on culturally specific food, particularly with an emphasis on BIPOC (black, indigenous, and other people of color) and low-income individuals,” said Tyler Smith, one of the PSU MUPR students working on the project. Early engagement sent the MUPR team to food pantries and other places where people seek food assistance. They also spoke to community garden operators to learn about the efficacy of their models.

Smith explained there are many models to consider with different approaches to organizational structure. Outgrowing Hunger, for instance, uses a grassroots, bottom-up system that keeps organizers out of operational decisions, letting the mostly refugee and immigrant participants manage gardens. With a top-down approach that assigns space and manages access, the Portland Parks Community Gardens program is on the other side of that spectrum. Other groups, like the Ethiopian Eritrean Cultural Resource Center, work within different models, maintaining a few plots at the Dharma Rain Zen Center with others housed in Portland Park run locations.

Operational modeling is an integral part of this project. However, it is secondary to identifying site opportunities and narrowing them down to three to five viable locations. Smith points out that properties not owned by public entities are rapidly redeveloping in East Portland. Consequentially, nearly two-thirds of community gardens exist in Park bureau sites. Securing the half-acre or full-acre needed for the garden is challenging.  It is also difficult to find property near the communities interested in working the land and accessible for people who may not have a vehicle capable of accessing remote sites. Smith also notes that relying on Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) run sites poses other obstacles and keeps some users from participating in those programs. “Accessibility can look like a lot of different things. I think there were some access issues around needing background checks to garden, and that could be a barrier. [Also], the knowledge that the garden exists and the ability to get a plot. Portland Parks have these immensely long wait lists. You also have to know about those wait lists and a lot of people with limited English language proficiency are not necessarily in the know about those things. Sometimes those wait lists can tend to privilege certain demographics,” explained Smith. He noted that PP&R is doing its best to address equity imbalance in its systems. However, limited staffing in the Community Gardens department restricts how fast they can improve the program for all Portlanders.

Micro Community Garden on SE Division street near 80th Avenue

The MUPR team has already made progress surveying the community and existing landscape, identifying design alternatives that could affect site placement. Considerations around soil conditions and accessibility for gardeners with limited mobility could dictate using raised beds at the cost of available planting space. Access to transit and sidewalks is also a key consideration. They need more public input through the survey at this phase to begin shaping community priorities. “We want to get more people to weigh in on the survey. It asks questions about what kind of things they would like to see in a garden. Would they like the garden to be more educational focused, food production focused, or have space for community gathering,” said Smith. “We’ve been hearing about how it’s more than just growing food; it’s about growing community.” He explained that many immigrants and refugees came from places where they farmed land. They no longer have that option when moving to Portland because gardening space is often a luxury in the American urban environment. They miss the process and the human interaction that comes with growing their own food.

The PSU MERP students and APANO hope more people can participate in this process, lending their input and knowledge of potential sites to team members. The MURP group will complete their report by early June, just before graduation. Then, APANO staff will use that siting work to advance their goals of creating places for people to grow culturally relevant produce. “Our goal is to set up as many Community Gardens in East Portland as funding allows and ensure that the community has full and equal access to these spaces. We are hoping to lay the foundation for at least three to five gardens by the end of this year, but I suspect our ambition and need for these spaces will extend far beyond that,” said Guthman. As plans transform into action, look for more information about this project later this year.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscribers or sponsors. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Community, Infrastructure

Portland Urban Forest Plan Open House

On Wednesday, April 24th, Portland Parks & Recreation invites community members to a Portland Urban Forest Plan open house at Leodis V. McDaniel High School. Event attendees will learn about the plan and help shape the plan’s future vision and goals for Portland’s tree canopy. Those unable to attend can still participate through the Portland Urban Forest Plan Survey. People specifically interested in the tree planting project along 82nd Avenue can also join the 82nd Avenue Transition Round Table meeting online for a focused conversation with the project arborist.

Wednesday’s open house at 2735 NE 82nd Avenue runs from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The event will include activities and opportunities to speak directly with project team members. The family-friendly program will not have a set agenda, so attendees can come by anytime during its two-and-a-half-hour runtime. Organizers will provide light refreshments at the open house and enter people who complete the survey into a drawing for a $45 Fred Meyer gift card. They will draw a winner’s name each week until the survey closes on May 2nd, 2024.

April’s monthly meeting of the 82nd Avenue Transition Round Table will feature the Building a Better 82nd program‘s arborist, who will describe tree selection and answer questions. The 82nd Avenue Business Association will host this meeting focusing on improvements related to 82nd Avenue’s jurisdictional transfer from the Oregon Department of Transportation to the Portland Bureau of Transportation. Those projects will add more trees to the roadway in medians and along the street’s edge. The meeting is accessible online via Zoom this Thursday, April 25th, from 10 to 11 a.m.

Join Zoom Meeting on April 25th at 10 a.m.
Meeting ID: 812 5378 3045 Passcode: 538088
Phone: 669-900-6833

Portland has seen a diminishing tree canopy as properties redevelop with more housing, and people avoid planting due to maintenance costs. Over the last several years, private and government organizations have increased efforts to reverse that trend in an attempt to reduce the heat island effect experienced during the summer months. These events and survey are opportunities for the public to learn more about the work while providing direction to officials on better meeting the community’s need for more trees.

Update April 25th, 2024: This article was updated with images from the open house and the 82nd Avenue Transition Round Table posted an audio recording of the presentation.

Article and photo by

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the Building a Better 82nd Community Advisory Group and the 82nd Avenue Business Association Board.

Construction, Infrastructure

Post Construction Gateway Green Improvements

Starting in early April, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) will begin restoration and enhancement work at the Gateway Green Park. Construction crews working on the MAX Red Line expansion closed a southern portion of the off-road cycling and outdoor recreation area in September 2021. The now completed TriMet transit bridge and track placement required significant earth-moving work, creating the opportunity to completely rebuild this section of the park and create an accessible entrance that should attract new park users.

Pedestrian and bike access from the Gateway Transit Center

Crews will work through autumn 2024, creating park amenities and reconnecting existing trails. Improved access starts with a pedestrian and bike access bridge from the Gateway Transit Center, leading to a new entry plaza with benches and way-finding signage. The new bridge, shared with southbound trains, allows parkgoers direct access from transit and parking. However, the path’s width also allows emergency vehicles to drive into the remote park. The plaza will connect to an existing path through the park with no more than 5% grade, allowing young riders and other people easy access through the otherwise steep terrain. Mountain bikers will also receive an additional 1,000 linear feet of new bike trails that utilize the condors of the hill.

New MAX Red Line Platform at the Gateway Transit Center

The Gateway Green project began in 2016 with a vision of dedicated hiking and off-road cycling pathways. It now features a diversity of trails and pump tracks. This current work improves access and amenities while restoring the natural oak tree habitat. After years of rail construction on this site, landscapers and arborists will have to creatively reintegrate this land back into the park.

Gateway Green Park is isolated from the neighborhoods by the Interstate-84 and Interstate-205 interchange. Before these updates, people could only access the park from the I-205 Multi-Use Path. This isolation made it hard to discover, leading to limited usage. With the southern entrance at Gateway Transit Center, a new group of park users can walk into this large wooded area and use it for a range of unexplored activities.

Rendering curtesy of TriMet, subject to change

PP&R plans to host a grand opening celebration on October 5, 2024, coinciding with the annual Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day. Funds collected from developers to expand park capacity provided $308,000 towards this project. Commissioner Dan Ryan directed PP&R to use the restricted Park System Development Charges for this project, avoiding using General Fund tax dollars. This funding method ensures that Portlanders continue to have convenient access to green space as the city grows without burdening the already stretched Parks budget. The northern sections of Gateway Green Park remain open during construction.

Article and phots by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Community, Crime, Infrastructure

Mt. Tabor Path Officially Opens

On April 1st, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) officially opened a new paved bike path and pedestrian accessway leading to Mt. Tabor Park from SE 64th Avenue and SE Division Street. Many parkgoers received a preview of the accessway during the weekend of March 23rd before crews reinstalled temporary fences for the week of March 25th. The April sunny weather attracted numerous residents of the adjacent Courtyard at Mount Tabor Senior Living Community to experience the new park amenity alongside people from all over the area who appreciated the new pathway.

New “Bikes Use X-walk” sign at SE 64th and SE Division near enhanced crossing

The late March temporary opening provided contractors unobstructed access to the multiuse pathway while installing the finishing touches for this project. Workers added new bollards to keep motorized vehicles off the pedestrian and bicycle route during that period. Crews also installed a “bikes use x-walk” sign at SE 64th Avenue and SE Division Street near a new enhanced crosswalk with high-visibility markings and a temporary pedestrian island. One contractor added metal skate stops to the concrete benches to dissuade people from skateboarding along the smooth edge. PP&R Public Information Officer Mark Ross explained that these devices are part of many projects where skateboarding could interfere with the intended use of park amenities. “The skate stops were part of the base scope of work the contractor needed to complete prior to opening the path to the public. This is a standard item installed at parks across the City.”

skate stops installed on northernmost bench

A recent indecent report on social media illustrated, in part, an argument for skate stops where site managers prohibit that use. Based on the site’s progress shown in the post’s picture, the purported incident occurred weeks before the site opened while it was fenced off. The illustrated image shows a skater performing a slide or grind trick on the northernmost concrete bench before contractors installed the preventative metal bumps. The unconfirmed description of the conflict described an unreasonable level of hostility towards the skaters from an area resident. Although PP&R uses anti-skating devices, the Bureau supports skateboarding activities in designated areas. Within two years, Berrydale Park will host a new skatepark less than two miles from this path. PP&R will also create a partially covered skateboarding facility 1.5 miles south of Mt. Tabor Park at Creston Park. The Parks Department lists eight parks that have skateboarding areas. However, Mt. Tabor Park is not on that list, and skaters have few public options in the area until PP&R creates the new skateparks.

Extra bollards added to path entrance to prevent unauthorized vehicle access

With the new pathway open and complete, people can reliably access Mt. Tabor Park from SE 64th Avenue and SE Division Street. Crews are still working on other improvements to the PP&R Maintenance Yard property, creating a modern facility to support the network of public green spaces. Park architects designed the fully illuminated walkway for users of all abilities, providing continual access to the park through a direct path while creating several places along its length where people can enjoy a landscaped view away from traffic.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Infrastructure

A New Path to Mt Tabor Park

This April, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) will open a new bike path and multiuse trail leading to Mt. Tabor Park from SE 64th Avenue and SE Division Street. This well-lit and wide paved path borders the western edge of PP&R’s new maintenance shop. The 500-foot walkway significantly reduces the walking distance for people living near SE Division when visiting the park. It connects users to a freshly resurfaced segment of SE 64th Avenue that has a paved sidewalk on its eastern edge.

PP&R path site plan

In 2021, crews began construction on the PP&R Maintenance Yard property, initially designed as horse stables in the early 1900s. Over the years, crews modernized the central maintenance facility at Mt. Tabor Park with new buildings, offices, greenhouses, and storage areas. The improvements implemented plans from 2008 through funding that included the 2014 Parks Replacement Bond and System Development Charges. The Mt. Tabor Yard is the primary dispatch point for PP&R maintenance and nursery services across Portland, with over 160 maintenance employees working from this location. The street improvements and pathway are minor compared to the overall project, but park visitors will immediately recognize the benefits of the new access point. Private property along SE Division Street blocks most entrances to Mt. Tabor Park, making this pathway significant for people not driving to the natural area.

The new pathway is lined with lampposts, mimicking the classic design seen throughout Mt. Tabor Park and other PP&R properties of a similar age. Midway along the path, a metal bridge crosses over a large bio-swale area used for stormwater management. Several seating areas allow people to wait for members of their party to arrive or take a peaceful rest away from the busy street. Landscaping features many trees and natural ground cover that will help absorb rainwater that tends to follow this path down the mountain.

Bridge over bio swale

PP&R expects to open the bike path and multiuse trail to the public around April 1st, 2024. Officials will plan a community celebration later this year when crews complete the Mt. Tabor Maintenance Yard project. The new facilities should help the parks bureau staff work more efficiently, and the improved storage space will protect the city’s equipment investments. Starting in April, residents can glance east while walking along SE 64th Avenue and see the PP&R maintenance and horticultural services staff working to keep Portland’s green spaces accessible.

Stone inscribed message at the SE 64th Avenue and SE Division Street pathway entrance

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Community, Infrastructure

City Planted Street Trees Take Root in Montavilla

This winter, contractors working for Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) Urban Forestry division began planting new street trees throughout Montavilla. The Free Street Tree Planting Program is part of the City’s urban tree canopy growth strategy, and it includes no-cost tree support for the first three years. Then, the trees become the adjacent property owner’s responsibility for upkeep and replacement. The initial program launched in seven priority neighborhoods last year with an extensive site survey of available planting spaces in the public right-of-way. From November 2023 through this March, crews will plant up to 1,100 street trees.

This program receives funding from Portland’s Tree Planting and Preservation Fund. People pay into the fund when they remove trees during development or other site work. Portland staff selected the East Columbia, Humboldt, Piedmont, Powellhurst-Gilbert, Woodlawn, Overlook, and Montavilla neighborhoods due to their high need for additional tree canopy. Contractors will plant all trees in the public right-of-way planting strip between the curb and sidewalk. In 2023, the City notified affected property owners first on September 15th and again on October 1st. They had until October 16th, 2023, to opt out of receiving a tree.

Map showing trees planted by this program in green tree, locations coming by March 31st are in red. Courtesy of PP&R

Owning a street tree in Portland comes with the responsibility of caring for and replacing the tree under City Code 11.60.060.A.2.a. Costs to repair sidewalk damage due to tree roots also fall on property owners. For some Portlanders, the burden of street tree costs has kept them from adding new trees unless the City code requires it. However, many people recognize the urgent need for heat-reducing street trees, and this PP&R program makes participation easy. Arborists have found planting locations that avoid utility conflicts and selected low-maintenance tree cultivars that are drought tolerant. City-funded watering occurs for the three summers after planting to establish the tree. People who receive these new plantings will see watering and maintenance contractors tending the trees from May through October during the 2024, 2025, and 2026 years. After that time, the property owner must become responsible for the tree’s upkeep, particularly during hot and dry weather.

People can identify PP&R installed trees by its green and white card featuring the bureau’s logo. With so many new plantings, most residents will likely encounter these new trees while walking around the neighborhood. This program will expand to other neighborhoods after this initial launch based on areas outlined in the 2018 Growing a More Equitable Urban Forest strategy document. PP&R will have people in the neighborhood conducting tree inspections over the next few weeks after the planting crew completes their work. People with questions about a PP&R planted tree or other program inquiries can leave a message with program staff at 503-823-4025 or FreeTrees@portlandoregon.gov.

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Community

Puddletown Bakery Fire Restoration

During the early hours of June 30th, an arsonist set fire to the Puddletown Bagels bakery at 7732 SE 82nd Avenue. The owner reports that a person ignited cardboard in an exterior recycling dumpster beside the building. The ensuing blaze entered the attic through the roof’s overhang. Portland Fire & Rescue investigators confirmed the fire was arson, and police arrested a person for the crime. Now the bagel company must rebuild, and the owners are seeking community support through a GoFundMe campaign (gf.me/u/4j87m6).

Images in article provided by Puddletown

This Puddletown location supplies fresh bagels to the company’s network of three food carts. One of those locations resides in the Yard at Montavilla food cart pod at 8220 NE Davis Street. Water damage from the fire caused significant harm to the office, customer restroom, and a recently completed café space. No injuries were reported due to this fire, and the business owner remains optimistic that they will recover and bring staff back to work. People interested in supporting Puddletown can donate to their GoFundMe campaign (gf.me/u/4j87m6) or visit one of the three cart locations to boost business.

Images in article provided by Puddletown

By

Jacob Loeb

Community, Crime

Car Lot Fire Closes SE 82nd Ave

Saturday morning, July 15th, Portland Fire & Rescue closed a section on SE 82nd Avenue to battle a fire at a used car lot. A sales office building for Millennium Motors at 720 SE 82nd Avenue caught fire before 8 a.m. Multiple engines arrived on site to contain the fire, closing SE 82nd Avenue from SE Washington to Yamhill streets. Crews had reopened travel lanes by 9:30 a.m., leaving a smaller team onsite to monitor for flare-ups. Fire spread appears minimal, and the quick response by emergency services likely saved many vehicles and adjacent property.

By

Jacob Loeb

Community

Fireworks are Banned in Portland but Don’t Call 911

In March 2022, the Portland City Council permanently banned the sale and use of all consumer fireworks. This restriction includes Independence Day celebrations. Portland Fire & Rescue (PP&R) Fire reminds residents that fireworks cause injuries, fires, and fatalities. Consequentially, their use is prohibited on July 4th and throughout the year. However, emergency service workers ask that people do not call 911 to report firework use. It is imperative that people reserver the 911 system for reporting active fires, immediate police assistance, and serious medical problems.

The Portland Fire & Rescue Fire Investigations Unit will investigate all fires connected to firework use and hold people accountable. Fireworks use that causes injury or extensive damage can result in heavy fines, jail time, or both. If you see an illegal fireworks display and want to report it, do not call 911. Instead, contact the non-emergency line after the July 4th holiday at 503-823-3333.

By

Jacob Loeb

Community, Infrastructure, Montavilla, Services

Montavilla Pool and Free Lunch + Play

On Wednesday, two significant Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) hosted summer programs will return to Montavilla Park and other locations throughout the city. On June 21st, the outdoor public pool at 8219 NE Glisan Street will open to guests daily through August 27th. That same day in June, the Free Lunch + Play program begins its weekday distribution of USDA Federal Lunch Program approved meals from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. Group play opportunities run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

As it has for decades, the outdoor pool at Montavilla Park will reopen for seasonal swimming and lessons. Day users of the swimming facility under the age of 18 must pay $3.75 to swim, while adults pay $4.75. Those over the age of 60 receive a $0.25 discount. PP&R sells passes at a discount for repeat visitors and offers a free swim option on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Open swim is available on weekdays from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Weekend swimming starts earlier with Family Swim time from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Then weekend Open Swim runs from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.

To fill a gap left by the school system’s summertime closure, the Free Lunch + Play program offers a place for kids to play in groups and have a healthy meal. Program staff distribute free meals to children ages 18 and under. The meals must be consumed at the event by the child. Adults can pay $5.00 cash for a lunch, and children wanting more food can eat items from the “No Thank You Table,” where other children put unwanted parts of lunches. Portland Public Schools, Centennial School District, Parkrose School District, and David Douglas School District provide the free meals distributed during the summer to help feed children who have relied on the Free and Reduced-Price Meals program during the school year. However, the summer program is available to all children. Free Lunch + Play will be unavailable on Tuesday, July 4th but otherwise accessible throughout the summer.

PP&R partnered with over 24 other groups to expand Free Lunch + Play, including Multnomah County Library, Portland Opera, and Rose City Rollers. Those partnerships allow for special programming on certain days. Three of those events take place at Montavilla Park. The Parks Local Option Levy, passed by voters in 2020, funds many of the free summer activities, including the free swimming option on Tuesdays. These park activities ensure that most kids have an opportunity to enjoy a healthy and active summer.

Montavilla Park Special Event Schedule

  • Friday, June 30th 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Portland Opera
  • Friday, August 4th 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. SMART Reading
  • Tuesday, August 15th 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. Friends of Baseball

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscribers or sponsors. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.