$1 Million in Improvements for East Portland Parks

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Thursday, October 23, 2014

Joanna Evoniuk, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Commissioner Fritz and the Portland Parks and Recreation staff announced more than $1 million will go towards improvements at Leach Botanical Garden and Clatsop Butte Park during the East Portland Action Plan meeting on Wednesday. Commissioner Amanda Fritz allocated funds from revenue from the System Development Charges for the improvements.

"The improvements at Leach Botanical Garden will make significant improvements to a beautiful garden and will be enjoyed by individuals and families from around the region, and especially those who live in East Portland,” said Portland Parks and Recreation Director Mike Abbat. 

East Portland has traditionally been starved for investment in roads and parks.  A GoLocalPDX analysis of police, fire and traffic data showed that east Portland has some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city, due in part to lack of investment by the city.

Leach Botanical Garden improvements will include Americans with Disabilities Act access as well as pedestrian and vehicle access projects. On Friday, Portland Parks and Recreation expects to acquire 1.36 acres to display native Northwest plants from remote parts of the region. 

The Clatsop Butte Park project will devolve an interim wood chip trail, benches, and signage until there are funds to build the Master Plan developed with the community. Construction is expected to begin in October and be completed before the end of the year. 

Funding comes from the revenue of the System Development Charges (SDC), which is collected as fees on new construction paid by developers that support increased civic infrastructure when new homes and businesses are built. The funds can only be used to expand capacity, according to state law. Since 2009, approximately $31.2 million from SDC have gone towards park facilities in east Portland. 

The two Portland Parks and Recreation properties are the latest east Portland park sites designated for improvements by Commissioner Fritz. Two out of every five households in east Portland do not have easy access to a City of Portland park. However, four out of every five households in the rest of Portland live within a half-mile of a park or natural area, according the Portland Parks & Recreation department. 

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