Buoyed by the successful completion of the NatureSpace project, the Friends of Wilshire Park (FoWP) group encourages residents to visit the park to tour the wonderful addition. The many contributors to the projects were highlighted in the previous issue of the newsletter, which can be accessed via the newsletter archives on the BWNA website (www.bwna.us).
FoWP have been meeting to continue the momentum and gathering neighborhood input to develop plans for improvements in the toddler playground and off-leash dog run. The toddler area received a bit of a jump-start through allocated Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) bond funds that replaced an aging structure on the east end of the playground. In addition, small events have been organized, such as groups of volunteers cleaning existing signage and picking up fallen branches, all of which strengthen the relationship between FoWP and PP&R, an invaluable partner. Further informal communications have clarified requirements and challenges for moving forward with larger conceptual changes and improvements. These will require support from PP&R, which has had two years of major budget reductions, making any significant new improvements extremely challenging. For that reason, FoWP is defining smaller incremental enhancements that require minimal financial’s support and time commitment from PP&R personnel to continue Wilshire Park improvements.
For the larger projects, financial support will be needed from multiple resources: significant individual donors, grants from philanthropic organizations, and broader grassroots neighborhood fundraising. In addition, finding creative methods to reduce demands on PP&R will be essential. Partly due to these fiduciary needs, FoWP petitioned the BWNA board to be recognized as a subcommittee under the Parks and Open Spaces Committee. The board accepted this proposal at the January board meeting, officially affiliating FoWP with BWNA, which enjoys nonprofit status through its connection with the Central Northeast Neighborhoods (CNN) Coalition, therefore making donations to BWNA, and now to FoWP, tax deductible.
In early February, FoWP representatives met with Jennifer Yocum (PP&R communications manager) and Mike Grosso (PP&R maintenance supervisor) to discuss FoWP’s conceptual visions for Wilshire Park improvements and optional paths of implementation. This meeting confirmed that replacement of existing toddler playground structures, with approved PP&R features within the existing footprint, would be easiest for PP&R to support in the short term. But any modifications or new features would push requirements to a level of involvement that PP&R could not commit to supporting in the short term. Another consideration is the pending update of the citywide PP&R Level of Service survey and analysis to be completed later this year. This will help determine what type of features in Wilshire Park would be appropriate to fill gaps in accessibility goals within PP&R’s overall mission and define the kinds of substantial improvements that would be possible within PP&R plans and budget. The key next steps, then, will be to get both a final approved vision for replacement features on the toddler playground and hard cost estimates, so fundraising can begin in earnest. FoWP also is hoping that getting water to the off-leash dog area falls under the viable short-term improvements.
FoWP continues to reach out to residents for input on priorities, so stayed tuned and get involved in this community effort to make Wilshire Park an even more valuable asset to our neighborhood. FoWP meeting information is listed in the Calendar of Events on page 1.