Come hear Kyra Haggart, Parks & Rec, present on the pathway project along the river. Police Chief Burke and City Manager Martha Bennett will be there for questions. Learn all that's planned and help shape the decisions!
All are invited to the Old Town Neighborhood Association Annual Meeting on Thursday October 10th at 7pm at Lakewood Center for the Arts at 368 State Street in Lake Oswego.
These are the questions about the pathway gathered from the Community that our City Leaders will be addressing at this meeting.
From: Old Town Neighborhood Association Date: July 18, 2024
TO: LO City Council, LO City Manager, Parks & Rec, Police, Fire and Traffic
CC: Old Town Neighbors and blog post on Old Town website
This is a summary of questions and concerns from neighbors and LO residents about the Plan to extend the path from Foothills into GRP. How did we gather this feedback? We sent emails and distributed a printed letter to Old Town residents asking for questions and concerns about the Path connection from GRP to Foothills. We also asked for feedback on Nextdoor and walked around the neighborhood to talk to people. This is a consolidation of what we heard to facilitate a discussion with the City leaders.
Summary
Sentiment of most: Pathway is a great idea! Love that it will be created for ADA.
And now let’s better understand all the details and potential risks for this.
What this document includes:
Summary of “what we know” from City websites and the LO Review - pages 2-3
(for City to clarity what’s accurate and what’s not so we’re all on the same page)
Specific list of questions/concerns from neighbors:
Specifics on the design and build of the path
Expectations from neighbors whose properties are along the river pathway
Costs and funding
Safety of the switchback part of the path
Safety of the path for all the different “use cases”
Police and/or park rangers patrolling plans
Specifics on/about ADA water access from the path
Emergency access for fire department
Safety for neighbors in Old Town and near Foothills Park
Safety for people walking, in wheelchairs, biking with car flow
Parking and traffic
eBike use enforcement and patrolling
Off leash dogs enforcement
Bathrooms at GRP
Communication with the Old Town Neighborhood
Advertising/social media about GRP and the new path
Big Concern beyond the Foothills to GRP Path plan: What’s the “bigger path plan?”
Concern that this path opens the way for a path being built from Portland to Lake Oswego and into West Linn. With that comes increased security risks with connection to paths coming from Portland into LO.
WHAT WE KNOW
The ADA pathway passed and it’s going to be done in accordance with ADA requirements. The land between the existing park in Roehr Park and GRP has been litigated and was bought last summer.
Here is the link from the City about the proposed multi-use path
From the City’s website
George Rogers Park ADA River Access Trail: Construct an accessible 10-foot-wide multi-use path with switchbacks and handrails connecting the restrooms at George Rogers Park to the Willamette River at the bottom of the hill. ADA access to this area of the riverfront is currently limited by dense invasive brush and a steep bank. This path segment will eventually connect to the pathway extension at Roehr Park to the north, and will serve as an important link in the Willamette River Greenway Regional Trail, which follows the east and west banks of the Willamette River from Champoeg State Park to the river’s confluence with the Columbia in North Portland. Click here to view a map of this project
From the LO Review Willamette Greenway trail system Jul 28, 2023 Updated Aug 1, 2023
The city of Lake Oswego is one step closer to being able to complete its portion of the According to Clackamas County Circuit Court records, the city reached an agreement with a property owner on Furnace Street to purchase an easement and now has the space necessary to complete a portion of the trail.
The future trail system is a series of multi-use paths in Lake Oswego, Sellwood, West Linn and Portland. In Lake Oswego, the pedestrian and bike pathway connects Foothills Park to George Rogers Park and moves down to Old River Road and Mary S. Young Park in West Linn.
“For decades, the City has been planning for and developing portions of a multi-use pathway for public recreational, transportation, and related uses that follows the Willamette River through riverfront parks and intervening properties extending from the mouth of Tryon Creek, near the northern boundary of Lake Oswego, to the West Linn city limits at the southern boundary of Lake Oswego,” a court document reads.
The pathway is paved from Foothills through Roehr Park along the Willamette River and the easements would allow the city to connect the trail with George Rogers Park. The pathway project is a part of the Metro Regional Trails Plan, the Lake Oswego Trails and Pathway Plan and the Lake Oswego Transportation System Plan. The pathway is estimated to be 8-12 feet wide.
The city’s parks and recreation department said that designs for this project are in progress but that the local government does not have the money to move forward and may apply for grants while also looking for other funding sources. The city reached a settlement agreement with the property owner to acquire the easement after filing an eminent domain complaint.
According to a Lake Oswego Transportation System Plan document, the 5-mile trail was estimated to cost over $46 million, with Lake Oswego potentially paying about 10% of that cost.
GRP is the #1 of things to do in Lake Oswego on TripAdvisor
Questions and Concerns Raised by Neighbors
SPECIFICS ON THE DESIGN AND BUILD OF THE PATH
Will the entire path from Foothills to GRP be ADA compliant? Or just the new portion of the path connecting Foothills to GRP?
Will any other ADA changes be addressed in the park, like how you get to the pathway? The pathway around GRP? The pathway from GRP lower parking lot that connects to Old River Road? (assuming people who want a longer walk/ride will want to use the existing path that is now quite narrow to get to Old River Road)
Why is there no mention of the ADA water access ramp on the City’s website that was shared at the Mayor’s community roundtable on June 13?
What is the proposed project plan timing?
Who is the Project leader for this?
EXPECTATIONS FROM NEIGHBORS WHOSE PROPERTIES ARE ALONG THE RIVER
What specifically is the city going to do for the neighbors whose properties are along the river pathway when the construction is happening? And afterwards for security?
Years ago neighbors said the city told them they would put a fence at the end of the pathway that was constructed at the same time as the duplex was being built to keep trespassers off the property. This didn’t happen and neighbors said they had to have fencing put in at their own expense.
How will the City honor the promises it makes to property owners and neighbors?
Trespassing on private property is already an issue. How does the city plan to manage the trespassing issue without making things unsightly? Signs don’t work. Even fences don’t stop people. Kids with paddle boards have been caught climbing over an existing fence (which is six feet high) into their yard.
How will security be proactively addressed for both for people using the path and homeowners on the adjoining property that are enjoying their yards, anything stored in their yards, as well as security on the back sides of homes along the river?
COSTS/FUNDING
What will it cost? How is it funded? (some neighbors have heard the path will cost $4 million to be constructed with $2 million of that for the ADA water ramp)
How is the City going to pay for the construction?
How will path maintenance and upkeep be funded?
Will it be lighted?
Who is paying for the insurance for the pathway?
Who is funding the ADA water access?
Will there be “bike police/patrol” to ensure the path is safe? How are these people funded?
How much will taxes be raised to fund all this?
What is Portland contributing since GRP is becoming a “regional park”?
SAFETY OF THE SWITCHBACK PART OF THE PATH
How wide will the path be at the switchback? And how steep?
Assumption is this new switchback path will be an attraction for skateboarders and kids on ebikes - how will that be patrolled to keep the path safe and pleasant for people in wheelchairs, kids on trikes, people walking?
SAFETY OF THE PATH FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT “USE CASES”
Is the pathway from Foothills that will connect to GRP being widened to make it safer for all the multi-use walkers, bikers, e-bikes, wheelchairs, strollers?
What benchmarking has been done to learn best practices from other cities on multi-use paths? Many other cities like Manhattan Beach, CA have separate pathways for people on bikes and another path for people walking, walking dogs, in wheelchairs, kids on trikes, strollers - will this path have that?
Some neighbors report the City is requiring them to put in a 20 foot wide path in Glenmorrie near GRP. The path along the river is now proposed to be 10 feet wide. Will and/or how could that change? How would people be told about that before it is implemented?
POLICE AND/OR PARK RANGERS PATROLLING PLANS
Is the city going to increase police presence along the path so there are not people either camping or harassing people (like has happened at Sweetwater Corridor) along the new route and onto the current George Rogers Park path?
Many know that many bike paths leading into and through Portland by the water used to be safe for kids, families, people on wheelchairs…and they’re not now because there is not a proactive police presence
How will the pathway in LO and GRP be “patrolled” to keep it safe during the day?
And at night?
How will homeless people in the park and along the path be prevented? Managed?
How will people putting up tents or “camping” near the path and water be handled?
SPECIFICS ON/ABOUT ADA WATER ACCESS FROM THE PATH
Many said great idea…and asked how this will be practically created to be safe for people it is not intended for? Kids/teens on scooters, sleds, ebikes, etc.
EMERGENCY ACCESS FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT
Is the fire department involved now to make sure they can get down to the path quickly and safely for accidents and drownings?
Is the LO fire department involved now in planning how they will get to homes in the neighborhood for emergency calls on busy days when people park on Furnace Street and on the neighborhood streets?
SAFETY FOR NEIGHBORS IN OLD TOWN AND NEAR FOOTHILLS PARK
Now Roehr park has frequent police calls for people doing drugs/drinking, especially at night. The assumption is this will get worse with more waterfront pathway. How is this being proactively addressed and prevented?
Are LO police involved now to plan (and fund staff) to make sure the entire waterfront area and GRP and the Old Town neighborhood will be safe for the neighborhood nearby? Will more officers and park rangers be hired?
How will people who park/live in their cars and vans near GRP in the neighborhood be prohibited as they are for parking in the GRP parking lots? LO current laws allow parking for 72 hours in the neighborhoods but no overnight parking in the parking lot of the parks. Will the LO laws be made consistent with the laws for no overnight parking in the parks?
SAFETY FOR PEOPLE, BIKE AND CAR FLOW
How will bike and walkers connect from the switchback trail connecting to GRP Grass Circle and walking path around it? That path is not 10 feet wide.
How will George Rogers circle park be affected with people on bikes riding to connect to the bridge and path from GRP to Old River Road?
Will the existing path from the GRP parking lot, across the bridge that connects to Old River Road be widened to accommodate bike riders, walkers, and people in wheelchairs? Now that path is not 10 feet wide.
Is City traffic involved in this?
PARKING AND TRAFFIC
The GRP parking lots are full on summer and hot days during the year with all the people coming to get to the beach/water, playground, and fields for games. With the new pathway put in, there will be increased need for parking. What is the plan for that?
Will more parking be added? Where?
Has the city estimated how many more cars will be parking around George Rogers Park as people start or end their bike or walk along the new path?
EBIKES
Are E-bikes going to be restricted? There are so many walkers (many slow) , kids, dogs, strollers along the current path at George Rogers Park that we would hate to have any person or animal hurt by bikers speeding along on E-bikes.
And we assume there will be many more bikers/ walkers that continue from the new path onto the current path and onto Mary S Young Park, thereby increasing the risk.
OFF LEASH DOGS
GRP has a policy that all dogs must be on leash but it is not enforced adequately, especially for people bringing dogs to swim in the river. How will enforcement of these laws be improved and enforced to make the area safe for all people and dogs?
BATHROOMS AT GRP
The gender-neutral bathrooms are often closed because people go in and lock themselves in there for extended times and overnight. With more use of GRP, there will be a need for the bathrooms to be available and safe for all people - what’s the plan for that?
Others would like a report about the bathrooms from the Park Maintenance, Rangers and Community Service Police.
Between daily service reports and the two security cameras there, it would be helpful to get information about them versus having them locked. For 2 years one neighbor has never seen anything when they walked by early mornings and used the bathroom.
COMMUNICATION WITH THE OLD TOWN NEIGHBORHOOD
Neighbors along Furnace Street that are impacted by the pathway were told they would be informed and engaged with the city as the pathway was planned. They are asking about fencing to protect their properties? The project timing for the construction? Safety of their properties with this increased exposure?
Neighbors in Old Town also expect proactive communication and information sharing from all the City departments involved (Parks & Rec + police + fire + traffic). Kyra will be the Neighborhood Association Keynote Speaker at our annual meeting in October. We want to make sure that communication flows back/forth before, during and after that meeting. For that reason we have consolidated questions and concerns from neighbors.
ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT GRP AND THE NEW PATH
Please don’t advertise this outside of LO. It’s already crowded at GRP and the beach and the parking lots. GRP is the #1 attraction in LO on TripAdvisor.
WHAT’S THE “BIGGER PLAN”?
CONCERN opening a path from Portland to Lake Oswego and into West Linn
INCREASED RISK WITH CONNECTION TO PATHS COMING FROM PORTLAND INTO LO
LO residents identified increased security and safety risks as the path is finished in LO and then Portland wants to connect to it. People say “great vision but how will this be made safe so it’s not like the situation in Portland now?”
Same security risks that recently stopped the construction of a pedestrian bridge to cross the river from LO to Milwaukee.
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