LET’S TALK ABOUT: PARKS AND GREENSPACE!

The City of Milwaukie is currently part of the North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District. Voters formed the NCPRD in 1990 and the district is currently the second largest in Oregon by population.

As the population of Milwaukie steadily increases, we have a stark need for additional parks development and recreation programming in the city. We will not always have the added benefit of recovery funding to support parks like Scott and Balfour.

The District doesn’t appear to have plans to increase operations or capital maintenance to keep pace with the needs of our city. We know having parks and greenspaces available for recreation and community events increases health, wellness, and general livability for communities. Our children and families desperately need an increase in these resources.

Some Ideas I’m Excited About:

Parks Development:

  • Identify undeveloped vacant lots and greenspaces that could be turned into parks.

  • Develop a development workflow for types of parks development, paths, equipment, etc.

  • Engage with neighborhoods and diverse communities to prioritize future development plans.

Recreation Programming:

  • Develop a plan for pro-social activities for youth, families, and individuals utilizing existing parks and service levels provided through the district (ex: movies in the park, seasonal celebrations, etc).

  • Address inequities in park offerings near new and existing multi-family housing development.

Policy:

  • Explore the removal of Milwaukie from the North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District.

  • Develop a plan for services and development while maintaining one of the lowest tax rates in the state of Oregon.

  • Maximize our system development charges (fees associated with new development) for local control and management of parks in the city.