I was introduced to the Steel Bridge Skatepark in Old Town last year and was excited to learn about the plan.  I’m happy to lend my support when asked.  The existence of the 2005 skatepark system is new to me (even though I have friends who used the skate at the Burnside DIY Skatepark and told me a lot about skatepark history).

I’m interested in learning more about the benefits that skateparks bring to neighborhoods and skaters.  Which ones have broad community engagement?  This might be an important first step in gaining additional institutional support. 

However, given what is happening with the pending cuts to the City of Portland budget right now and the pressure around the Parks budget in particular, we need to be entrepreneurial in our approach to making the skatepark system a reality.  What I mean by that is exploring other ways to raise the funds to build and/or maintain the parks such as public private partnerships, philanthropy and community involvement.  

As an example, around 2019 the City of Portland Parks Bureau  realized it could not longer support the maintenance and operation of a variety of their facilities.  The Sellwood Community House is one of those Portland Parks facilities that would no longer be maintained by the City and instead was leased to a community organization for $1 a year.  The community nonprofit that leased the SCH raised funds to renovate the building and operate a variety of programs.  After I took office, I passed an ordinance to sell the SCH to the community for $1 which will make their fundraising and operation easier.  I know there will be more examples of the community stepping up to do what the City will no longer support.  There are other examples of public-private partnerships on the horizon, coming to Council.

Thanks for reaching out.  Onward!

Olivia 

In 2005, Portland Parks put together a plan for a skatepark system - 19 skateparks distributed throughout the city.  To date, we're approximately halfway completed,  20 years into the process.  How do you envision yourself contributing to fund these skatepark projects?

I would allocate funds in the Fiscal Year 27-28 Budget for the Skatepark System Plan to be substantially completed by 2035.

We're currently working on the Steel Bridge Skatepark in Old Town, which will be the crown jewel of the 19 park plan.  There has been a significant budget allocated towards this project, with an anticipated completion date in 2029.  We will need help pushing this project over the finish line, what would your support look like?

You have my unequivocal support both publicly and behind the scenes with Permitting and Development to complete the Steel Bridge Skatepark on time, on budget, and ensure the project is the best quality possible.

Portland is the birthplace of the DIY Skatepark: The Burnside Project.  There are several other engaging DIY skatespots currently thriving in various parts of town.  Will you commit to supporting these projects, if found to be beneficial to the neighborhoods they're a part of?  What would that commitment entail?

I'm a Capital Projects and Construction Manager at Portland State University. The new Art and Design Building sits on what was a DIY skatespot. The skatespot positively contributed to the campus culture and student life. I am committed to seeing the PSU skatespot re-emerge as a student driven skatepark and I support any other DIY skatespots found to be beneficial to the neighborhoods they're a part of. Ed Benedict adds so much benefit to East Portland and the inclusion of a skatepark in what was unused freeway land is an example of the commitment to creative land use I will bring to City Council.

I support y'all and want to see this plan come to fruition.

Thanks again for letting me weigh in on these questions,

Jeremy

One of the reasons I want to get our audit and get our finances under control as such a city is actually for projects like this. As it currently stands projects like this will face a growing risk as the financial problems grow in the city office. Seeing as money has already been made  possible, I can keep it moving as having a project paused or halted like this after so much will actually cost more then just getting it done so that is a good defense at this junction. As to the question if they are beneficial to the neighborhoods, absolutely. I think a difficulty may be communicating that to a couple of the neighborhood associations but I do not see it as something that would be outside the realm of capabilities. I think also showing what else it can be may be a great point to bring up to associations that may not be so warm on it. A proper skate park can be a place where events can be, it can be somewhere people can go relax, and for skaters its somewhere where they aren't being harrassed. 

Tl:dr. Yes to commitment, entailing defense as the project moves forward and explaining the value of the project on going and the problems that come from pausing or stopping it.

T.J. Anderson

In 2005, Portland Parks put together a plan for a skatepark system -19 skateparks distributed throughout the city. To date, we're approximately halfway completed, 20 years into the process. How do you envision yourself contributing to fund these skatepark projects?

Twenty years into a 19-park plan and we're halfway done. That's not a funding problem—that's a prioritization problem, and it's on elected officials to fix it. My job is to fight for Parks & Recreation in the budget process to have the resources it needs to stop letting these projects stagnate. System Development Charges got us the Steel Bridge Skatepark, but that tool only works when development is happening—it can't carry the whole load. I'll push to identify stable, dedicated funding for the remaining parks in the system plan and advocate for skatepark infrastructure as a vital community investment that keeps people active, connected, and cultivates good vibes.

We're currently working on the Steel Bridge Skatepark in Old Town, which will be the crown jewel of the 19 park plan. There has been a significant budget allocated towards this project, with an anticipated completion date in 2029. We will need help pushing this project over the finish line, what would your support look like?‍ ‍

The money for the Steel Bridge Skatepark is there—what we need is the political will and accountability to move the project forward. My support will include staying actively engaged with Portland Parks & Recreation on the project timeline, flagging any bureaucratic delays before they become costly, supporting the ongoing land transfer negotiations with PBOT, ODOT, and TriMet that are currently holding up site control, amplifying community engagement so the design reflects what skaters and Old Town residents actually want, and using my platform to ensure this project remains a visible City priority that doesn't slip through the cracks. Old Town is in District 4. I represent this neighborhood, and I take that responsibility seriously. A world-class skatepark in Old Town is also a Welcoming Communities investment, which is one of my re-election priorities—activating public space, drawing people downtown, and giving young people a reason to use our streets. You can learn more about my re-election campaign priorities—Social Housing, Climate Justice and Resilience, Welcoming Communities, Trickle-Up Economic Development, and Government for the People—on my website:

https://www.mitch4portland.com/record‍‍ ‍

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‍ Portland is the birthplace of the DIY Skatepark: The Burnside Project. There are several other engaging DIY skatespots currently thriving in various parts of town. Will you commit to supporting these projects, if found to be beneficial to the neighborhoods they're a part of? What would that commitment entail?

Burnside is one of Portland’s crown jewels—a community-built, community-maintained skatepark that has brought joy to our streets for over 30 years. Community faith in the Burnside Project led to a globally-recognized landmark, and a symbol of our culture. That's a model worth following.Yes, I commit to supporting DIY skatespots that are beneficial to their neighborhoods, and that commitment means using my office to facilitate conversations between DIY builders and relevant city bureaus rather than defaulting to enforcement, pushing for a formal policy framework that allows the City to recognize and support community-built spots with a light touch rather than demanding they either formalize completely or disappear, and ensuring that neighborhood benefit assessments actually include the voices of skaters and the communities who use these spaces, not just adjacent property owners. DIY culture is part of what makes Portland Portland, and our streets belong to all of us. A city serious about public space and youth culture should protect it, not suppress it.

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In 2005, Portland Parks put together a plan for a skatepark system - 19 skateparks distributed throughout the city.  To date, we're approximately halfway completed,  20 years into the process.  How do you envision yourself contributing to fund these skatepark projects?

Portland has a long history of plans that don't get fully implemented, typically because the plans don't come with dedicated funding and because the priorities in bureaus changed every time a new elected was assigned a different branch of government in our previous form. I'd push to get the remaining sites into a dedicated, multi-year capital allocation instead of annual competition, explore System Development Charges and park-specific grants to reduce general fund pressure, and encourage the use of participatory budgeting dollars as one funding stream where neighborhoods want to prioritize it locally (should the voter initiative pass).

We're currently working on the Steel Bridge Skatepark in Old Town, which will be the crown jewel of the 19 park plan.  There has been a significant budget allocated towards this project, with an anticipated completion date in 2029.  We will need help pushing this project over the finish line, what would your support look like?

I am so excited we will have this in District 4! I have two kids who like to skate and the diy skatepark near our house was removed for development. My support will look like regular check-ins with advocates on what is needed, asking for oversight and updates from Parks, and putting pressure in the right places. Happy to use the platform of the office to advertise and advocate as well. That is the beauty of having elected representatives in every district so that you are guaranteed to have someone being responsive on very local issues. 

Portland is the birthplace of the DIY Skatepark: The Burnside Project.  There are several other engaging DIY skatespots currently thriving in various parts of town.  Will you commit to supporting these projects, if found to be beneficial to the neighborhoods they're a part of?  What would that commitment entail?

I have direct experience doing this. When I served as the Chief of Staff in Councilor Avalos' office, there was a DIY skatepark in East Portland that Parks wanted removed. However, it seemed to fill a gap for skaters in that part of the city, had support from neighbors, and solved the problem of a piece of land that was collecting trash when not in use. We pushed back on Parks, demanded that they talk to the neighbors, and explore every possible option before requiring the skatepark be torn down. I even asked them to put up signs that lessened the City's legal risk which is what they told me they were most concerned about. I will use creative thinking and advocacy to keep diy skateparks in place whenever it is safe and beneficial to do so. We need far more opportunities for people to engage in healthy, fun, and free activities and I think diy skateparks are a very cool way to do that.

Thanks for the opportunity to comment on the SkatePark vision.

Congratulations on having a vision and a plan!  My nonprofit experience (13 years as an executive director of a land trust) tells me that this is very important to long term success.  The 40 Mile Loop Land Trust is an excellent example of a similar long term vision and resulting advocacy through the years.  I was on the board of the 40 Mile Loop for a few years in the early ‘oughts.

I moved to Portland in 1997, and I clearly remember the historic nature of the Burnside Bridge skate park.  My husband was an OG skateboarder growing up in Northern California - Sacramento area in the 70s.  So, our family has ties and experience with the skateboarding community.  We also own skateboards in our house even though our bones and bodies don't let us use them very often.  Skateparks are part of Portland history and make us unique.

My District 4 candidate platform has shared community spaces as an integral part of my vision for Portland.   Portland is healthy when its citizens can connect with each other and nature in shared spaces.   Skate parks fit into that vision.  So, I am definitely interested in the skate park vision and execution.  I do have some questions that you might be able to answer including 1) what are we seeing for usage of the skate parks in existence?  Are they being used? 2) what resources is your group able to put towards maintenance and stewardship? My land conservation experience helps me understand that taking on more parks equals more maintenance.  3) Has your group been able to secure other financial resources that leverage city dollars?  

One example of a nonprofit that is leveraging city resources is Sellwood Community House.  Have you heard of them?  I am impressed by their model.  

I would enjoy a tour to learn more if that is something your group is offering and see if we can together brainstorm some solutions!

My best,

Jayne Cronlund