Happy
Independence
Day!
INSIDE:
Celebrating 21 years of continuous Southwest news coverage!
Volume No. 22, Issue No. 9
www.swportlandpost.com
Portland, Oregon
Stephens Creek
Crossing housing
project opens
with fanfare
– Page 3
Complimentary
July 2014
Barbur Boulevard traffic to be redirected through Hillsdale July 11-14
By Erik Vidstrand
The Southwest Portland Post
By now, many Southwest commut-
ers, Hillsdale business owners, and
customers will have experienced the
first of two weekend road closures
of the Southwest lanes of Barbur
Boulevard.
Due to construction on the Ver-
mont Street Bridge along Barbur
Boulevard, Oregon Department of
Transportation decided to detour
“a ton of traffic through Hillsdale
for the weekend” according to Mike
Roach, president of the Hillsdale
Business and Professional Associa-
tion.
The weekend of June 20-24 was the
first of two weekend southbound
lane closures. The next one is ex-
pected on July 11-14. The closure
hours will be from Friday night
at 9 p.m. and reopen by 5 a.m. on
Monday.
“There will be opportunities to at-
tract these cars to stop in and shop,”
Roach wrote to local business own-
ers, “especially on the north side
where access will be much easier.”
“If regular customers
complain,” Roach said,
“please let them know that
all Barbur southbound
traffic has been routed
through Hillsdale for the
weekend and that you
appreciate their patience.”
The northbound lanes
will be open the weekend
of July 11-14. Southbound
motorists on Barbur Bou-
levard will be detoured on
to Capitol Highway and
Bertha Boulevard, then
back to Barbur Boulevard.
Bicyclists heading south-
bound may use a dedi-
cated bike lane, through
the work zone, during
the closure. It is next to
the northbound traffic
but southbound bicyclists
and motorists should use Builders construct the original Vermont Street Bridge along Southwest Barbur Boulevard in September
1934. (Photo courtesy of Oregon Department of Transportation)
extreme caution.
S u s a n H a n s o n , f ro m
ciation asked for and received from
at Bertha Court and Capitol Highway.
ODOT, said, “Please watch for mo-
ODOT and Portland Bureau of Trans-
Five flaggers were also requested
torists turning onto the detour route
portation several requests.
along the detour route. Several will
on Capitol as well as bicyclists con-
There will be a tripling of the usual
be placed in the business district to
tinuing straight on Barbur.”
green arrow time for left hand turns
(Continued on Page 6)
According to Roach, the asso-
City of Portland to invest $1.5 million
for development of Spring Garden Park
BREAKING NEWS
By Don Snedecor
The Southwest Portland Post
Benjamin Howell and Charlotte Lewis build a hut at Spring Garden Park.
(Photo courtesy of Lori Howell and Portland Parks & Recreation)
Don’t forget to renew your subscription. Form on Page 2.
The Southwest Portland Post
4207 SE Woodstock Blvd #509
Portland, OR 97206
According to Mark Ross, with
Portland Parks & Recreation, the
park bureau will invest $1.5 million
in the development of a permanent
natural play area, a grassy meadow,
as well as other features in Mult-
nomah’s Spring Garden Park.
Portland Parks Commissioner
Amanda Fritz announced June 26
that revenue from development
in Portland (known as system de-
velopment charges, or SDCs) will
fund the upcoming development,
as opposed to property tax dollars.
Located at 3332 SW Spring Gar-
den St in Southwest Portland’s
Multnomah neighborhood, the
park site encompasses nearly five
acres of land in a park-deficient
part of the city.
Southwest is an area known
as lacking in parks and park ser-
vices. Currently, the city has nine
parcels of Southwest Portland
parkland, but no funding to de-
velop them.
Approximately 1,359 nearby
households will benefit, including
128 homes which currently have no
access to a neighborhood park or
natural area within the Parks 2020
goal of half a mile.
Southwest Neighborhoods, Inc.
ranked Spring Garden Park as a
top priority for development when
revenue from SDC funds became
available.
SDC funds, by state law, can only
be used to pay for growth projects
such as new parks. They cannot be
used to pay for replacement or ma-
jor maintenance in existing parks.
Park access in the area is ham-
pered by the nearby presence of
Interstate 5, Barbur Boulevard,
Capitol Highway, and Multnomah
Boulevard.
Right now, one of those major
thoroughfares has to be crossed in
order to reach any park or natural
area nearby. Spring Garden Park
will close this play gap.
Total project funds of $1.5 million
in SDCs are designated for Spring
Garden Park, though final costs
will be dependent on the park’s
final design.
“The gaps in our system are
significant in southwest Portland,
so we are doing what we can with
SDC dollars,” said Commissioner
Fritz.
“We’ve been working with an
amazing group of community
stakeholders since 2007, and PP&R
staff and I are thrilled to steer their
(Continued on Page 4)