Important Madrone Update- Tuesday's Parks meeting

[elaine]

Madrone Wall Supporters. Tuesday was the most recent Parks meeting and there is some good news.........fingers crossed. This is what we got out of it.

 

1.) Current draft plans for implementing capital improvement at the site, necessary for park opening, are not scheduled before FY'09-'10 (County fiscal years start in July). Additional refinement of the County's draft five year capital improvement plan will occur at the next Parks Advisory Board (PAB) meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday 15 April PAB meeting (9101 S.E. Sunnybrook Blvd., Clackamas). Plan on attending if you would like to provide input. 3 Madrone supporters showed up- an elderly couple from the Trails Club and a PRG climber named Andrew.

 

2.) Clackamas County Parks received six proposals responding to their Madrone Wall Request for Proposal by their 03/13/08 deadline. There was a high level of interest from outside consultants to help with desinging the park. The County typically gets 2-3 bidders, and not six. The County expects to hire a consultant before the end of April to lead the parks master planning process at the Madrone Wall. This process is expected to take at least six months and there will be at least three times the County will solicit public input at meetings. The Madrone Wall Preservation Committee is planning to help the County publicize these crucial meetings so stay tuned. We'll want your attendance.

 

3.) After the County completes the parks master plan, it may, at their discretion, proceed with the following in FY'08-'09 ( again starting in July of 08): filing conditional use application to allow for park status on land zoned as timber, apply for Oregon Parks and Recreation Department matching grant for capital improvements to take place FY'09-'10, submission of State highway approach documentation to ODOT ( does ODOT need to modify the road at all to access parking?), and invasive plant pulling and trash clean up at Madrone Wall in preparation for park opening to be orgainized through Madrone Wall Preservation Committee and The Access Fund. This means that starting as early as next fall/winter, volunteers can go in and start pulling out trash and invasive plants. It will still be closed, but what that means is we can actually start "doing something."

The State will also recognize that there is active citizen involvement and interest at the site which will help with grants.

 

4.) Assuming funding can be secured ( $200K), park implementation and could start in the second half of 2009 ( Summer or Fall). It's sounding like they are confident they can get the funds needed.

 

 

A year ago, we had $150K in funding during the 2009-10 fiscal year. Four months ago they had pulled that funding and had nothing until 2011-12. Now they have moved some things around, and gave us some funds. Thank you to eveyone that wrote another letter!!

The PAB really tried to find more funding for the Madrone site on Tuesday night. They were trying to borrow more money from other park improvement projects, but so many of their parks are in need of help. Clackamas County can only apply for 2 grants from the State Park funds each year. They always typically get both of them when they do apply, and $100K will come from State Park grants. At the next PAB meeting in April, they will finalize their budget, knowing that it gets reviewed often. Please attend April's meeting if you can, but know there will be more opportunities for public input.

 

With what they told us, Phase 1 of construction and improvements can begin as early as July 1st 2009. With volunteers getting in early, this can help with the construction process. We will be working with their new natural resources coordinator on volunteer projects. She is already drafting up a plan for us. Stay tuned for the first work party at the Madrone Wall site ....hopefully by the end of 2008 or early 2009.

 

Kellie Rice

Access Fund RC- Oregon

 

 

 

 

[hemp22]

Thanks Kellie, that sounds like good news!

 

I'll try to make some of the planning meetings, and certainly the clean-up days.

The clean-up days may need to be a recurring thing also - I've heard some recent reports of high school kids using the area to party on weekends and smashing beer bottles, etc... (reminiscent of rocky butte?)

 

Oh, and anyone know whether there's a lot of poison oak out there these days? I need to avoid that stuff or wear a full hazmat suit...

[elaine]

The trash and poison oak is something we can address with the natural resources gal. She already has us on her radar to start coordinating some volunteer projects.

 

We were encouraged after Tuesday's meeting. We have been fortunate to be part of the process with Clackamas County and providing input, even though were are not citizens of that County.

 

Thanks for the support, Jeff