talking points

funding Milwaukie Bay Park

Below are a wide range of points you could include in an email or public testimony in support of Milwaukie Bay Park. Please pick a few points that are most meaningful to you to use.

·       The City of Milwaukie has 16 parks in the North Clackamas Parks & Recreation District (NCPRD), all of which are owned by the City of Milwaukie.  Many of these parks were owned by the City prior to the creation of NCPRD in 1990. 

·       The City of Milwaukie has a long history of securing grant funds or contributing city funds to park acquisition and development. Milwaukie neighborhood associations and the Milwaukie Parks Foundation also have a long history in supporting and raising funds for park development. 

·       Milwaukie Bay Park – previously Milwaukie Riverfront Park – is made of up land purchased or donated to the City of Milwaukie.  Design work, fundraising efforts, and construction of the first two phases were funded in part by the City of Milwaukie in partnership with NCPRD. Many of the grants used in funding the first two phases of work at NCPRD were matched with City of Milwaukie funds. 

·       The third phase of construction at Milwaukie Bay Park is supported by City of Milwaukie general fund dollars, SDC funds, and the City’s allocation of Metro Local-Share dollars.  These City funds combine to over $3 million.  The Milwaukie Parks Foundation has already raised $50,000 for Milwaukie Bay Park and plans on another capital campaign soon.  

·       Milwaukie Bay Park hosts multiple community events, including Winter Solstice (thousands of attendees), Juneteenth Celebration, and many others which attract participants from around the district and metro area. 

·       To reach community goals of equity and accessibility, MBP needs new infrastructure to support play and usability for all residents. 

·       The city’s climate goals support adaptive planning, including the installation of shading structures and tree canopy to lower temperatures due to urban heat island effect. Community members will rely on shaded greenspaces for future heat wave events. 

·       Parks and greenspaces are critical components to COVID management strategies, and government agencies have been directing residents to utilize these spaces as alternatives to indoor gatherings. 

·       The City of Milwaukie and the North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District have been coordinating on the development of MIlwaukie Bay Park for several years, and the city has invested significant resources into the completion of the park. 

·       Milwaukie community organizations including the Milwaukie Parks Foundation have continued to advocate in the community and raise tens of thousands of dollars in charitable donations for the completion of Milwaukie Bay Park. 

Milwaukie Comprehensive Plan (2020) Goals & Policies:  

The completion of Milwaukie Bay Park with efforts made to promote habitat restoration and ecosystem services is essential to completing Milwaukie’s Willamette Greenway goals and policies in the Milwaukie Comprehensive Plan, including: 

·       GOAL 4.5 - RECREATION Enhance the recreational use of lands within the Willamette Greenway boundaries while protecting and conserving natural resources. 

o   POLICY 4.5.2 Define the primary intent and purpose of each park within the Willamette River Greenway in the Parks and Recreation Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan. The parks within the Willamette River Greenway will serve a variety of needs for the City including:  

  • Access to the Willamette River for water sports - boating, fishing, swimming, kayaking etc.,  

  • Recreational trails along the river,  

  • River and natural area viewing,  

  • Picnicking, and  

  • Community events.

o   POLICY 4.5.5 Work with state agencies and other partners to encourage equitable and safe use of the Willamette and to provide protections for the most vulnerable river users, including but not limited to swimmers, human-powered watercraft, and anglers.  

·       GOAL 4.7 - DOWNTOWN Maintain Milwaukie Bay Park, Dogwood Park, and Kronberg Park as the key public amenities in the downtown that attract people to the area to enjoy the open space, public trails, riverfront access, and riverfront-related development, consistent with the Downtown and Riverfront Land Use Framework Plan and park master plans. 

The completion of Milwaukie Bay Park is critical to achieving the Parks and Recreation goals and policies outlined in the Comprehensive Plan, including goals and policies focused on continued coordination with regional agencies, enhancement of recreational and ecosystem features, addressing community needs, addressing equitable access to parks for all community members: 

·       GOAL 9.1 - PARTNERSHIPS AND FUNDING Continue to work with the city’s parks and recreation provider, other public and governmental agencies, and private organizations in providing park and recreational facilities and services, and habitat conservation.  

o   POLICY 9.1.4 Pursue prioritizing proportional contributions from new development and redevelopment for the expansion of public recreation opportunities in underserved areas of Milwaukie. 

·       GOAL 9.2 - PLANNING AND DESIGN Plan, develop, and enhance natural areas, parks, and recreation opportunities that meet the needs of community members of all ages, abilities, cultures, and incomes while creating solutions that are environmentally sustainable. 

·       GOAL 9.4 - PARK DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE Maintain, develop, and expand a city-wide park and recreation system which meets the needs and delivers services for all neighborhoods and members of the city as a whole.