What a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon! We were so glad to come to the block party and help inform about green streets around Portland and the neighborhood. Thanks for the food and wonderful company!
Follow this link for some fun photos of the block party.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/40987741@N08/sets/72157621809817333/
Above are the drawings created by the three table groups during the design workshop. There are a lot of really great ideas here. Feel free to post comments below or bring them to the next meeting.
A big thanks again to everyone who made it out to our design workshop (7/11/09) and made it such a success! A special thanks to Rev. David Zaworski and Waverly Heights Church for providing a place for our large group to meet.
The workshop was a visioning session where neighbors came together to brainstorm and envision how they want the three block site to look, feel, function and more. The collaborative process involved large maps of the site, tracing paper, art supplies and a lot of fun. Here is a recap of the discussion and the ideas that were generated at the meeting:
It was expressed that some neighbors are concerned that their voices are not being heard with regards to not wanting a green street in front of their homes. We appreciate these concerns and would like to reassure everyone that nothing will happen in front of a person’s home without their expressed permission.
If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas please feel free to contact your neighborhood contacts Adrienne Stacy – adriennestacy@mac.com and Randall Clarke – RClarke@realtytrust.com or the PSU Capstone students and project leaders – NandWCapstone@googlegroups.com or come to one of our meetings. We love to hear from you!
Below is a list of ideas for the site that were generated at the workshop. The original drawings from the workshop will soon be posted.
Thanks to everyone for coming out on Saturday for the design workshop. We had a great turnout and were able to generate some big ideas for this project. Thanks to all the friends and neighbors for coming out. Check back for the next meeting!
Check out this Flickr stream for photos of the event http://www.flickr.com/photos/40987741@N08/sets/72157621885068974/
Green Streets are coming to the Brooklyn Country Lane neighborhood! Please join your neighbors and project leaders to discuss design options for the bioswales that the neighborhood has requested. Come and see for yourself the possibilities for this ground breaking and exciting project!
Neighborhood Contacts: Adrienne Stacy adriennestacy@mac.com
Randall Clarke RClarke@realtytrust.com
PSU Capstone Contacts: NandWCapstone@googlegroups.com
We hope to see you there!!!
We would like to thank the Spring Capstone students for all their hard work last term and also wanted to introduce you to the new students joining this team!
Rob, Alicia, Chad, Deborah, Amanda, and Kirk will all be joining Steve Shackman in helping your neighborhood move this exciting idea forward!
The spring term at Portland State University is coming to a close, and the Neighboorhoods and Watersheds Capstone will be giving a presentation detailing it’s involvement with your neighborhood’s “Brooklyn Country Lane” project. We’ve had a great time meeting and working with you all, and would love to have you there! The presentation will take place on June 11, 2009 from 09:00 to 10:00 AM in room 220 of the Urban Center located at 506 SW Mill St..
Welcome to the Brooklyn Country Lane website. This site is dedicated to providing neighbors and partners with information about the status of the proposed Brooklyn Country Lane green street project. Updates will be posted regularly so check in often for the most current information.
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Special thanks to Bob and Adrienne Stacey for opening up their house for the last neighborhood meeting Wednesday May 27th. Here are some answers to questions raised from the first meeting:
How to deal with large trees? Can they be incorporated into the design? Large trees will benefit from the design in a number of ways. The roadway can meander away from larger existing trees, allowing for additional root zone which will limit compaction, damage, and increase water and airflow to the trees. Another strategy that will help in limiting impact of large trees is the inclusion of permeable pavements, which still provide water to sensitive root areas, and require less compaction than traditional pavements. The combination of existing large trees will guide the roadway alignment, and new areas for trees will be chosen for their fit with the design as well as the desire of adjacent property owners.
Shade issues/will this create too much solar access? The length of the roadway will vary from areas of deeper shade to those areas with full sun, providing a variety of planting and amenity opportunities. Large existing trees will be maintained and other areas where there no existing trees will be planted with a variety of species that will provide for wildlife habitat, sun protection, scents, stormwater management, and be compatible with adjacent uses.
Who picks the plants? The adjacent homeowners will have the ability to decide from a range of planting scenarios that are both appropriate to the neighborhood context, reflective of a range of aesthetic choices, and compatible with the need for productivity, stormwater management, and other uses. Depending on the condition and use of the space, there are specific plant species that work well to meet specific goals, augmented by a collaborative selection of other species.
Funding? All projects within the Tabor to the River (Brooklyn Creek Basin) Program are funded through Capitol Improvement dollars. These are rate payer dollars specifically set aside for infrastructure improvements.
Maintenance? City maintenance crews visit facilities as needed, but at least twice a year to weed, prune, clean out sediment, and replace plants. We welcome help from neighbors to keep the facilities free of litter and leaves.
Thanks to all the attendees who came out to walk the site and share their visions and concerns about the proposed Brooklyn Country Lane Green Street Project on Saturday May 9th. Special thanks to Catherine Noll for allowing us to meet at her house. Below are some of the major themes which came out of the meeting:
Issues
– Parking, potential spill over from other areas
– Liability of green streets (who is responsible?)
– Maintenance
– People are involved in the process
– Talk to all of the homeowners
– Who picks the plants
– How to deal with large trees?
– Shade – too much/solar access
– Funding
– Parking Spacing/Safety issues
Opportunities
– Agriculture/Edibles
– Herb Garden/Community Garden Space
– Community Volunteer Opportunities
– More Shade Trees (think of solar access)
– Community Art
– Usable community space
– Mushrooms/edible & phytoremediation
– Native Habitat Rehabilitation
– Bee Hives
– Walkability
– Lowered Speed Limit
– Demonstration Gardens/Signage
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Brooklyn Country Lane 