Portland Parks & Recreation News

[MarkDaMan]

Thanks for posting the photos pdxdave, I can't wait to go by the park and check it out.

[Derek]

Drinking beer? Is that allowed?

[maccoinnich]

Probably not, but banning people from having a couple beers or a glass of wine in a park on a sunny day is a stupid policy anyway.

[zilfondel]

Originally Posted by Derek

Drinking beer? Is that allowed?

You see it a lot in city parks. Usually families and such on picnics.

[Derek]

Huh. That's odd. I've never noticed anybody consuming alcohol in the parks except for bums. I'm all for it, in moderation of course.

[redbeard]

You can actually get an alcohol permit for the city parks if you want to hold a gathering and legally have beer/wine. I think it's about $15 for the permit.

[MarkDaMan]

I go watch those Swift birds during the fall and you see more beer and wine being consumed on that park hillside then in a bar. I think as long as you aren't acting like a fool, Portland doesn't generally crack down on those imbibing a little while enjoying the parks.

[downtownpdx]

Great shot, was just running by there yesterday and thought what a cool picture that would be. Really nice to have the open space in the Pearl District.

[cab]

I went today. All I could think of was who cut off Portland's Balls. The park emoted boring. There was absolutely no urban edge or creativity. Just blah. Like a suburban park pulled out of a do it by numbers book and plopped down in the city. The programing was also completely off. You are welcomed with a cheap smelly toilet right when you enter. Next a bunch of half fences house a kind of sad kids playground. After that you get to a huge expansive soggy field. Finally hidden behind the field farthest from the residence is hidden a jail like dog enclosure with actual two gate security system. When I went, the dogs not having enough room to chase a ball, were mulling around looking like "what the hell am I supposed to do here?". Considering the make up of the pearl, the majority have bathrooms, dont have kids but have dogs, what the hell where the designers thinking? Next up the landscaping. Not one evergreen or confer tree. This park is going to be for 8 months of the year nothing more than a soggy field surrounded by dormant brown dead looking trees. This park left me depressed. There is not one thing uplifting or unique about it. I had to wander over to Tanner Springs to feel better. Really disappointing.

[Shilo Rune 96]

Originally Posted by cab

I went today. All I could think of was who cut off Portland's Balls. The park emoted boring. There was absolutely no urban edge or creativity. Just blah. Like a suburban park pulled out of a do it by numbers book and plopped down in the city. The programing was also completely off. You are welcomed with a cheap smelly toilet right when you enter. Next a bunch of half fences house a kind of sad kids playground. After that you get to a huge expansive soggy field. Finally hidden behind the field farthest from the residence is hidden a jail like dog enclosure with actual two gate security system. When I went, the dogs not having enough room to chase a ball, were mulling around looking like "what the hell am I supposed to do here?". Considering the make up of the pearl, the majority have bathrooms, dont have kids but have dogs, what the hell where the designers thinking? Next up the landscaping. Not one evergreen or confer tree. This park is going to be for 8 months of the year nothing more than a soggy field surrounded by dormant brown dead looking trees. This park left me depressed. There is not one thing uplifting or unique about it. I had to wander over to Tanner Springs to feel better. Really disappointing.

Thank you! You summed things up very well. Sadly my blog on the park didn't express these concerns, or I may have faced obstacles from contacts.

Also - the Portland Parks & Recreation staff is a joke. I requested comments from them several times, with long waiting times and excuse after excuse. I literally got, "I left the office early to be a my sick [wife, kid, family]," more than three separate conversations. Blah blah blah... Our tax dollars at work. Also, during the Fields Opening event they were all snooty in their groups.

A photo I snapped:

http://www.pearlhelp.com/the-fields-park-is-open-for-business/

[bvpcvm]

I went on a sunny day a couple weeks back. My 3 y.o. and a couple other dozen kids had a great time in the sandbox. He also really enjoyed being able to run over to the other end and watch trains as they go by. The sun was kind of intense, but when the trees get bigger it'll be nicer. But I don't get the thing about it being a 'soggy field' most of the year. What are other parks that are mostly open space? They're soggy fields too in the winter, so what? The whole point of this was to have something less programmed.

I get your point about being greeted with a toilet, but when you have a 3 y.o. it's really convenient to have one close by. And what's this about the Pearl mostly being full of dogs rather than kids? Have you been to Jamison Square on a summer day? It's overrun with kids. And the Ramona and another building soon to start are specifically oriented to families to try and even out the demographics. So as far as I'm concerned, it's fine.

[eeldip]

also, deciduous trees in portland are leafed out for closer to 8 months a year, not 4 months. depends on variety, bla bla bla, but i cant think of a single species that is bare 8 months a year.

conifers are iconic of the NW, but i strongly prefer deciduous trees in the urban environment-- the shorter the leaf out stage the better. we really only NEED shade here perhaps june through september. nothing more sad than living in a cold shady neighborhood on a 65 degree day in may. you need that sun.

[JG573]

Originally Posted by cab

I went today. All I could think of was who cut off Portland's Balls. The park emoted boring. There was absolutely no urban edge or creativity. Just blah. Like a suburban park pulled out of a do it by numbers book and plopped down in the city. The programing was also completely off. You are welcomed with a cheap smelly toilet right when you enter. Next a bunch of half fences house a kind of sad kids playground. After that you get to a huge expansive soggy field. Finally hidden behind the field farthest from the residence is hidden a jail like dog enclosure with actual two gate security system. When I went, the dogs not having enough room to chase a ball, were mulling around looking like "what the hell am I supposed to do here?". Considering the make up of the pearl, the majority have bathrooms, dont have kids but have dogs, what the hell where the designers thinking? Next up the landscaping. Not one evergreen or confer tree. This park is going to be for 8 months of the year nothing more than a soggy field surrounded by dormant brown dead looking trees. This park left me depressed. There is not one thing uplifting or unique about it. I had to wander over to Tanner Springs to feel better. Really disappointing.

You seem to have had it out for this park from the very beginning

Honestly I see some of your concerns but I do not think it is a terrible park nor a breath taking one. The oval field though I thought was a great addition and much needed for the pearl as now there is a place with a lot of room it feels to lay out or actually throw something around. This was definitely be a more family friendly design then a pet one and I think it serves its purpose with families quite well especially during the summer months.

It would be interesting to see if they could design a pet oriented park somewhere.

[tworivers]

I hung out there on a sunny day for maybe 30 minutes and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I didn't even notice the bathroom but I arrived by bike from the west. The green oval was full of people sunning (many with bikes), playing games, dancing to a boombox, strolling around. To me it felt reflective of the neighborhood in a good way: very new but pleasantly perched on what feels like the urban edge. It was buzzy, full of happy pent-up social energy. Really cool to have all that space to run around. I could see the park being fundamental to the identity of the area someday if the mixed use buildings that go up around it engage it with restaurants and other amenities.

[cab]

Ok, I seem to be out voted. I still find it extremely safe and boring. I guess I assume living in a city involved a little better quality than your average suburban school park. Nothing in the park takes a chance. Throw in a thoughtful public art installation or something, anything to challenge the senses. As for trees, why wouldnt you take some reference from the actual environment we live in? This park could be anywhere. The tree species seemed to be pulled from a landscape 101 planning book. Couldn't you throw in a few Douglas fir or Madrona to at least pay a little respect to the actual fact we live in the PNW. I guess the saving grace is Tanner Springs is one block away.

[New Madrid]

I can't believe this is what took so long.

[tworivers]

cab, I pretty much agree with you, actually. There is NOTHING about the park design that is especially exciting. As an open space, though, it is very much filling a need for that neighborhood and I like how people are clearly into it.

I would have loved to see some Doug Firs at the north end of the park where they could grow high without shading the green and also might (someday at least) absorb some of the freeway noise.

Regarding public art...with Portland's mediocre, if not embarrassing, history in that realm, we're probably lucky there's no art, especially with the neighborhood involved throughout the design process. We probably would have ended up with some sort of giant glass bong-looking thing in the shape of a golden retriever...

[MarkDaMan]

Portland Japanese Garden expansion plans prompt traffic, parking, privacy fears among West Hills neighbors
By Rebecca Koffman | Special to The Oregonian
on April 15, 2014 at 4:39 PM, updated April 15, 2014 at 5:04 PM

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index...e_garden_expan.html#incart_river_default

The Portland Japanese Garden is planning a significant expansion, and one of the proposed changes has alarmed neighbors.

Plans call for the 9.1-acre garden to add more than three acres to its footprint and add several new facilities, including a village house containing classroom space, a gallery and a gift store, plus a ticket house, a bonsai greenhouse and a tea café. Changes are also proposed for the garden’s existing main administrative office, located at 369 S.W. Kingston Ave.

It’s the status and location of those offices that worry residents in Arlington Heights, which borders the Washington Park garden.

...

Last year the garden celebrated its 50th anniversary and hosted 270,218 visitors -- an increase of 19 percent from 2012. Attendance, membership and donations to the garden have all risen steadily for at least seven years.

Ingrid Arnett, spokesperson for the garden, said the “planned enhancements anticipate continued growth and are a response to a growing interest in Japanese art, history and culture.”

If the city regulators approve the plans, the garden will add several buildings, more formal gardens and water features and will increase in size from to 12.56 acres.

Lead designers for the project are Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and garden curator Sadafumi Uchiyama with assistance from local firms, Thomas Hacker Associates as the architect of record, and Walker Macy as the landscape architect of record. Hoffman Construction is the general contractor.

Arnett said that the project is still in the design and fundraising phase. She could give no details about budget or schedule, though the hope is to break ground in the next couple of years.

...

"though the hope is to break ground in the next couple of years"

That seems like an awful long time away.

[philopdx]

Not in MY backyard!
Not in MY backyard!
Not in MY backyard!

[ablerock]

Originally Posted by philopdx

Not in MY backyard!
Not in MY backyard!
Not in MY backyard!

I love this comment on the article:

"Afraid of what- the overwhelming tranquility? the oppressive calm? the unbearable beauty? Get a grip!"