https://linktr.ee/rockwoodgreenspacenow
Please sign the petition addressed to the Mayor of Gresham and Gresham City Council Members. Help us preserve some of the last remaining tree canopy and greenspace in Rockwood!
Background
Residents of the Rockwood Community located in Gresham, Oregon are asking the City of Gresham to save the Douglas fir trees and greenspace located on a 1.22-acre parcel located at270 NE 188th Avenue.
SGS Development LLC, the same developer that attempted to destroy a 260-tree forest and wetland in Gresham in 2021, is at it again and is now trying to destroy a 50+ Douglas fir forest in the heart of Rockwood.
In 2021, the City of Gresham was able to use funds from Metro, East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District, along with state funds to purchase eight acres of woods and wetlands next to Southwest Community Park in order to save those 260+ trees in Shaull Woods. The City of Gresham paid $2.5M for the Shaull Woods property. The property at 270 NE 188th is listed at $459,900, a considerably lesser price. Purchasing this property would be an invaluable investment in the Rockwood community.
We are now asking the City of Gresham to follow that same precedent in Rockwood and purchase the parcel on 188th Avenue to save these 50+ Doug fir trees and preserve this greenspace for our Rockwood community!
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Appendix 39 – Central Rockwood Plan
The City of Gresham already has a plan for creating “pocket parks” in Rockwood. It is part of the Gresham Community Development Plan, and it is called the Appendix 39 - Central Rockwood Plan.
On page 13, the plan identifies several “Future Parks Opportunity Areas.” The trees and greenspace on 188th Avenue are locatedexactly within one of those designated future parks areas, and if turned into a “pocket park” by the City of Gresham, it would help fulfill the intent of the plan that the City has already laid out.
Why this petition matters
Lack of Tree Cover and Greenspace in Rockwood
Rockwood is a community in Gresham, Oregon that is severely deficient in tree cover and greenspace. The families of Rockwood do not have safe and convenient access to natural areas or greenspaces within walking distance. There are large areas where it is impossible to reach a public park or greenspace without taking a circuitous route of almost a mile and crossing major arterial streets. This is dangerous for the children of Rockwood. Children need access to nature to be healthy and to grow up strong.
Disparity vs. Equity
Greenspace accessibility and tree coverage is a major equity issue in the Greater Portland Metropolitan Area. Wealthy, predominantly white neighborhoods have far more tree coverage, while lower income and racially diverse neighborhoods like Rockwood have less. The Rockwood area has been documented as being greatly under-served by neighborhood parks, with an extreme deficiency in tree cover, and a high percentage of renters without back yards.
From Rockwood Community Development Corporation (CDC): "Rejected by both Portland and Gresham, Rockwood is a community that has never been embraced. Years of neglect and underinvestment have led Rockwood to be Oregon's largest, under-resourced, and challenged community. Rockwood is the result of a system designed to oppress those on the margins. This system has achieved its goals: the result is a long history of racist and oppressive policies and practices."
From the Rockwood Identity Atlas: "Compared to many other areas in Multnomah county, Rockwood is covered by fewer trees, lawns, parks, and gardens. Low green space coverage means less vegetation to reduce heat, manage rainwater, regulate air quality, and fewer parks for recreation and to promote health and social cohesion."
Deficient Tree Canopy
There has been a loss of more than 800 acres of tree canopy in our region from 2015 to 2020. Residential areas specifically lost a total of 523 acres of trees over 5 years.
The west side of Multnomah County averages 51% tree coverage, whileour area of Rockwood has only 13.1% tree canopy cover.
Heat Index
Rockwood’s lack of tree cover leads to a disproportionately high and life-threatening heat index in the summer.
During the 2021 heat dome event, East Multnomah County reached 125 degrees while Northwest Portland was 99 degrees.
Birds and Wildlife
Migratory Birds like Varied Thrush and Western Tanagers return to Rockwood annually through their migratory cycle. Western Tanagers nest in Douglas firs. There are over 50 Douglas fir trees on this lot that support and provide food and habitat for these and other migratory birds, as well as local birds, such as Cooper’s Hawks, Northern Flickers, Anna’s Hummingbirds, Spotted Towhee, as well as native bees and other wildlife.
Community Building
Rockwood needs this greenspace for community building! The Rockwood community needs this pocket park as a safe place for the children of Rockwood to play, for folks to walk their dogs and exercise, for planting a community garden, for having picnics with neighbors, for art and music events, for community-based skill building classes, and for creating a space of love and lifting Rockwood up!
The Central Rockwood Plan – Rockwood Rising
The City of Gresham by way of the Gresham Redevelopment Commission has been working on the "Rockwood Rising" plan in recent years and states that the effort is "creating opportunity and empowerment in the heart of the Rockwood community."
If the City of Gresham allows for-profit developers to destroy this greenspace in the heart of Rockwood, then the City will not be helping Rockwood to rise!
If the City of Gresham allows for-profit developers to create greater and greater density in housing that cannot be effectively covered by our existing fire and police services – then the City will not be helping Rockwood to rise!
If the City of Gresham allows for-profit developers to create greater and greater levels of housing density with ever increasing rents and decreased livability in Rockwood, then the City willnot be helping Rockwood to rise!
The Solution
If the City of Gresham truly wishes to help Rockwood “rise”, then they must be willing to follow their own plan - the Appendix 39 - Central Rockwood Plan – and use Rockwood Urban Renewal Funding, grant funding available from Metro, along with East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District and state funds to purchase the 1.22 acre forest located right in the heart of Rockwood, and build the community a desperately needed “pocket park” as outlined in the plan in order to preserve some of the last remaining tree cover and greenspace that is left in Rockwood!
The families of Rockwood desperately need this park and greenspace for their health and well-being. The “Future Parks Opportunities” outlined in the Central Rockwood Plan need to not stay in the future – they need to be created NOW!
Rockwood Greenspace NOW!
https://linktr.ee/rockwoodgreenspacenow
