4 • The Southwest Portland Post
NEWS
September 2017
Childers and Arendes give parents’ perspective on Spring Garden Park development
By Erik Vidstrand
The Southwest Portland Post
Outdoor movies, ice cream socials,
and dog walking have been put on
hold this summer at Spring Garden
Park. Families with small children
are finding other parks to attend
while anticipating the completion of
Southwest Portland’s newest park.
Even though the neighborhood is
losing the park for a year, families
are making due with trips to Custer,
Woods and Gabriel parks.
An August visit to the park found
the entire property scraped down to
the top soil with trees, shrubs, and
plants gone.
A chain link fence surrounds the
park edge along both streets. Tractors
of every sort were lined up and
parked for the evening. A water truck,
steam roller, and road grader were
also present.
The park project has been a mix
of emotions for the community
over the past few years. A simple
natural play area was improved with
a $10,000 grant from Multnomah
Village Umpqua Bank.
Further action by community
members and park advocates turned
the small park into a multi-million
dollar project.
Funded by Portland Parks and
Recreation, the park will have a splash
pad, contemplative garden, picnic
shelter, an improved natural play
area, and a gathering area in the form
of a small amphitheater.
It was the gathering
children and their families
area which sparked
came to enjoy the park.
some tension causing
“ W h e n t h e re w a s a n
a rift with neighbors.
opportunity to grow the park,
While many applauded
Portland Parks organized
the additional features
community outreach events
and improvements,
involving teenagers, parents,
others felt the gathering
and other interested parties.
area (with an electric
A park advisory committee
outlet) would bring
was developed and meetings
noise and amplified
went on for months,”
music to the park.
Childers said.
Friends of Spring
According to Arendes, “The
Garden Park were
city leaders were thorough in
whole-heartedly behind
getting everyone on the same
all the improvements,
page. The gathering space
including the gathering Bare soil and trees gone are among the changes as Spring Garden is only 40 square feet. City
Park construction continues. (Post photo by Erik Vidstrand)
space allowing movies
facilitators allowed all voices
and music.
to be heard with agreements
logs, large rocks, and sand.
But some folks in
on fi nal plans.”
“This area fosters natural play,”
the neighborhood said they were
Electricity will be available but will
Childers
said as her two young
disappointed by media coverage,
have a lock box, she said.
children drew pictures nearby. “This
The women explained that
including previous stories in The Post
is unlike traditional parks with
teenagers felt they needed a space for
on the park development.
swings, slides, and monkey bars.”
them beyond gardens, splash pads,
Post editor Don Snedecor and
Childers said that they partnered
and a sandbox. Retaining walls with
reporter Erik Vidstrand sat down with
with the Multnomah Neighborhood
large rocks were designed with the
Sara Childers and Carine Arendes,
Association, Capitol Hill Library,
teens in mind for simply hanging out.
co-chairs of Friends of Spring Garden
and the parks bureau. Events such
Due to some budget cuts, some of the
Park, in July to get their specifi c take
as National Night Out, and pie and
components originally in the design
on all the developments.
ice cream socials were held. Fire
had to be curtailed substituting less
The leaders explained that the park
fighters
brought
their
trucks,
city
expensive building materials.
was an undeveloped 4.65 acre site
commissioners
came
to
give
speeches,
with a dramatic downhill slope to the
(Continued on Page 6)
and most importantly, neighborhood
north at Southwest Spring Garden
Street.
The Friends of Spring Garden Park
was formed and were successful in
acquiring the Umpqua Bank grant.
They used the money to develop a
small natural play area complete with
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