Greater Portland residents have the opportunity to help shape future investments in the popular nature trail at Glendoveer Golf & Tennis in northeast Portland and several outdoor destinations in Oregon City.
Next week, Metro is hosting two community events to seek input about a potential parks and nature bond measure for voters to consider in November.
Community events
Glendoveer nature trail community forum
When: Mon., March 18, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Rosewood Initiative, 16126 SE Stark St., Portland
Parks and nature bond: Oregon City community meeting
When: Tue., March 19, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Where: Three Rivers VFW Post 1324, 104 South Dr., Oregon City
Renewing Metro’s parks and nature bond measure at the same tax rate would raise about $400 to $450 million to continue protecting clean water, restoring wildlife habitat and providing access to nature. Investments would go toward six program areas: land acquisition and restoration, improvements at Metro parks, community grants, local government allocations, trails and urban transformation projects. Metro will share a full proposal for community feedback during April. Right now, focused engagement is helping develop potential projects in key areas.
“This community engagement is for people to learn how their tax dollars get used for capital improvement projects and for them to understand how the bond itself can help improve the sites in the future and for them to help shape what get prioritized within the sites,” said Erich Pacheco, a parks and nature communications specialist for Metro.
At Glendoveer, Metro hopes to hear from the community about what kinds of improvements people would like to see on the two-mile nature trail that surrounds the site.
"So many people in the Rosewood area live in multi-family housing complexes that don't have green spaces or playgrounds," said Jenny Glass, executive director of The Rosewood Initiative. "Glendoveer trail is always busy. and it's easy to see how much people appreciate it. Since this is one of the rare open parks spaces in the area, we are looking forward to Glendoveer providing even more ways for residents to experience recreation the way that they want to."
At the Oregon City session, Metro will update attendees on plans for a public riverwalk along the banks of Willamette Falls, a new nature park at Newell Creek Canyon and ongoing work at Canemah Bluff Nature Park.
Pacheco said community engagement for a potential bond measure began last fall, reaching out to numerous communities and organizations.
“To a large degree, the draft proposal that we have right now has been shaped by the community members,” he said. “Now we’re in the final stretches for sites like Glendoveer and Blue Lake that need capital project funding, mostly for maintenance. We found it necessary to update the public about plans for the bond and ensure the parks are serving the need of the communities.”