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Potential Changes to Marylhurst Park - Keep it Natural

Tue, 06/19/2007 - 9:26am — kpgluck

Perhaps some of you have already heard, but there's serious discussion about changing the look of the Marylhurst Heights park area between Kapteyns and Suncrest. If you would like to see the area remain in its natural state, you really need to voice your opinion. A petition has already been prepared and is attached for those interested. Please sign and return it to John Huntsman at 19390 Kapteyns Street by June 27.

 You can also sign the petition online by clicking here.

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Marylhurts_Heights_Park_PETITION.doc20.5 KB
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Thu, 06/21/2007 - 10:22am — John Huntsman (not verified)

The Park

Hi, Along with a number of others I started this "petition". We have know for a long time that there was a plan to develop the Marylhurst Heights Park and every year that has passed we were all so happy to see it stay the same. What finally got us going was that the plan is actually going to the planning commission and the city council soon. The park plan isn't bad and it wont be the end of the world if it gets built.

The plan is just full of features that I don't think will get much use. There is a water feature for kids to play in, a large parking lot, basketball court and now more features are being added. I just love the space the way it is. I went to the first planning meetings about five years ago and I heard many people asking for a natural park. The group was told that having a natural park was not a possibility and the group was asked what features they wanted in the park. Soon a list of features was gathered and the park plan was developed from that list. That was how the current park plan was developed.

To be fair there are people who support the plan, the plan has gone to the Marylhurst Neighborhood Association and was incorporated into their neighborhood plan. Many of the same people who participated in the planning are also active in the MNA. If I remember right there were about twenty people at the planning meetings and less that twenty at the MNA meetings. The goal with the petition is to get the City Council and the Planning Commission to look at this again and with any luck they will just leave it the way it is. We just need to let them know how valuable the space is right now, the way it is. There are so many developed parks already.

How many natural parks are there? A developed park will grow grass and worms and not much more. There is no wildlife habitat. Right now all the trees are full of birds and bird nests. The trees are a mix of fruit and berry trees. There is even a family of Owls that usually comes to visit in the fall. The plan calls for removing all of the small trees, re-grading the North part, near Valley View, to be flat and open. As it sits there are open spaces for kids to play, paths and trees for them to run around.

West Linn is also in a financial crunch because of the failure of the police levy. The estimate to develop the park is $100.000.00 to $300,000.00, that is CDC money but it could be used for other more vital needs.

Anyway, that is my view on the Marylhurst Heights Park plan. I really hope it stays the way it is but the worst that will happen is it will be a park. Kinda hard to loose. Feel free to send me an email.

We need all the support we can get so please post or send me a petition.

John