Sean C. Morgan
The Sweet Home Parks Board is working with two University of Oregon graduate students to develop a concept plan for Strawberry Park.
The 3.2-acre park is located at the south end of Westwood Lane off Nandina Street, between Sunset Lane and First Avenue. It is minimally developed, with a single play structure for climbing, three picnic tables and grills and a concrete picnic table. Much of the ground is wet, with standing water, from fall to spring.
The Parks Board hosted a meeting at the park on July 21, with some 25 to 30 attending, to take input from community members, said Laura LaRoque, planning services manager. The two graduate students, Nick Drummond and Dana Nichols, part of the UO’s Community Planning Workshop, led children in some games and did mapping exercises with adults and children during the meeting to help find out what people liked about the park and what their concerns are.
Community members were most concerned about potholes in the parking lot and the large wet area, LaRoque said. Among features they would like to see there are play structures, a walking trail and an off-leash dog park.
While preparing for the meeting, officials also learned of an expressed desire for a basketball hoop at the park.
Drummond and Nichols will develop a concept plan for the park, and three different designs will be available for review during “Movie Night at the Park” on Aug. 13 at Sankey Park, when the city will screen “Paddington.”
The movie begins at dusk, LaRoque said – approximately 8 p.m.
Members of the public will have a chance to comment on the proposed park designs there, and the schematics will remain on display at City Hall during the following week.
The parks program’s “Movies in the Park” series will also feature “Big Hero 6” on Aug. 6 and “Brave” on Aug. 20. Popcorn and refreshments will be available.
LaRoque went to the Boys and Girls Club on July 29 and the Senior Center on Aug. 3 to solicit further input from children and senior citizens. Children drew in features they would like to see in the park – a climbing wall, a swimming pool, etc.
Once the master plan is in place, the project will be phased over several years as the Parks Board and Tree Commission begin focusing on specific projects in the plan, LaRoque said.
The city budget committee and council allocated an extra $30,000 to parks this year, and that’s helping with the Strawberry Park project.
The Parks Board has also identified a list of repairs for all of the city’s parks, LaRoque said, and its members are hoping to use that money to help leverage grants for use in the city’s parks.
“It’s a blank slate, and there’s a desire in that community for more use of that park,” LaRoque said about the Parks Board’s focus on Strawberry. Other parks are developed, and the focus is more on maintenance and upgrades.