Parks Plan 2025 sets solid foundation for future of city parks

“When you think of where we started and where we finished, it’s remarkable,” said Steve Dodds.

This remarkable document is Parks Plan 2025 for the city of Lake Oswego, which was approved by the Lake Oswego City Council on July 24.

Two aspects of the plan that stand out are:

n No previous city plan has ever gathered so much public input.

n This is an efficient plan.

There is no “pie in the sky” element to the plan that will cause it to be placed in a drawer for 15 years and forgotten. Parks Plan 2025 is ready to be used now and in the future.

“This plan is uniquely Lake Oswego,” said Kim Gilmer, director of the Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation Department. “It has two years of work and the most public involvement of any plan ever done. Now we really understand what the community expectations are, and we’re really happy with the outcome.”

Sandy Intraversato and Dodds, co-chairs of the LO Parks & Recreation Advisory Board, were intensely involved throughout the plan’s preparation, and they are confident that their effort has paid off.

“First of all, we had a lot of public input; over 1,100 people took part in special events and online surveys,” Intraversato said. “That allowed us to focus on priorities and needs. The prior plan did not have that.

“We have things we can work on right now instead of a big, lofty plan on which we can’t do anything. The plan actually says ‘no’ to a lot of things. We’ve narrowed it down to what we can do.”

“The city council recognized that this is one of the best collaborative efforts we’ve had in the last several years,” Dodds said. “It took a year longer than we originally planned to make sure we got it all. I can’t believe there are any areas that we haven’t covered. Having all of the other advisory boards (natural resources, sustainability, history) involved at the end of the process made it a stronger plan.”

All of the surveys showed that Lake Oswegans love and appreciate their parks, which cover more than 600 acres (more than 450 acres of that is in natural areas) and programs, a vast number of sports and recreation activities. The new plan will serve as a blueprint for not only the parks system but also the city’s recreation programs over the next decade.Youth will be served, but so will the rapidly growing 50-plus age population in LO.

“Our No. 1 priority is maintaining our parks system,” Gilmer said. “We want to preserve our natural areas by getting rid of invasive species and make sure park facilities are repaired. Our new maintenance-cost model will help us decide how to make the best use of our staff time.

“The people told us loud and clear that they like the variety of our recreation programs. They want more opportunity for exercise, fitness and access to nature.”

At the same time, citizens won’t have to cringe about costs.

“A lot of the projects won’t cost a lot,” Gilmer said. “Much use can be made of existing facilities because the plan will make us a more efficient parks and recreation department. We already have a great department, but now we can do it even better.”

Parks Plan 2025 is already in effect because city workers have worked hard to get rid of invasive species at George Rogers Park. This has allowed native plants to flourish better than they have in years.

At the same time, the plan does include recommendations for capital projects, like relocating and expanding the indoor tennis center, replacing the skate park, developing a multi-use recreational center and expanding and enhancing opportunities for exercise and recreation whenever possible.

Because the preparations are already in place, they will greatly facilitate Lake Oswego’s ability to obtain grants.

“That will give us a lot of validity,” Gilmer said, “because we’ll have our plans ready when we apply for grants.”

The adoption of Parks Plan 2025 has another big asset. It will also set the stage for completion of another major master plan — the Luscher Area Master Plan.

The new plan is available for viewing at the city of Lake Oswego website, www.ci.oswego.or.us under the Parks and Recreation category.