I don't know what in Roberta Schwarz's background prepared her to be indomitable, but I have learned from experience that she is. If you drive I-205 through West Linn and look up the hill near the 10th Street exit, you will see what her perseverance has delivered – a hillside covered with native white oaks. That hill was slated for commercial development, but is instead West Linn's White Oak Savanna Park. Roberta fought for it and won.
It started some years ago when Roberta and her husband Ed were hiking on that steep but beautiful hillside. They would cut their way in through the blackberries and past the poison oak until they got into what felt like their own secret garden. Hiking in the area was a special adventure, and they marveled that the place was so undiscovered.
Then they saw red ribbons appearing on some of the trees. Alarmed, they approached the city to see what was happening and learned that a 280,000 square foot commercial office center with significant parking space had been proposed for the site.
Ed dug in and researched the proposed project and city codes to see if there was a way to block the development. Together, Ed and Roberta found the data that provided a way and presented their appeal to first the city planning commission and then the city council. They won both and the project was pushed back. At that point, the owner of the property removed his proposal and became a willing seller, supporting the acquisition of the property for a park instead of a parking lot.
Roberta approached Metro through our Nature in Neighborhoods Capital Grants program to help fund the acquisition. The oversight committee that selects grant recipients visited the site along with Metro staff scientists and agreed with Roberta – the site is a rare remnant of white oak savanna that should be preserved for its outstanding habitat value. West Linn was awarded one-third of the purchase price, $330,000. The remaining two-thirds were obtained in grants from the state of Oregon and from West Linn. The oversight committee added a challenge to West Linn that they needed to build community support to clear the blackberries and other invasive plants from the hillside and create trails.
Two years later that portion of the hillside is clear and a network of paths are in place. Hundreds of volunteers spending thousands of hours have done the work, and are proud of it.
But that left 6 acres still slated for potential development.
Roberta went to work again and obtained a second Metro grant for $500,000 to purchase that section as well. The caveat this time around is the $1 million match Roberta and her partners must raise to complete the purchase. She is on it. And you can help.
The 3rd Annual Festival at the Farm will take placefrom 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. this Saturday, Sept. 14th at 21231 Johnson Road in West Linn.The weather is supposed to be wonderful that day. Go meet Roberta and help her raise the $1 million she needs to purchase this wonderful place and make it a bigger park.