Oregonian article

Deal puts Mt. Tabor land sale in the past
Upset neighbors – The controversial plan appears to be over, and everyone is “thrilled”
by Edward Hershey, May 18, 2007, The Oregonian

Neighborhood residents and the Portland Parks Bureau have reached an agreement on how the city should proceed with determining the future of the maintenance yard and nursery at the southern edge of Mount Tabor Park.

The two-page agreement, signed Monday night and unanimously ratified Wednesday by the Mount Tabor Neighborhood Association board, comes after four mediation sessions in the past month. It does not mention a proposal to sell or lease as much as 9 acres to Warner Pacific College for athletic fields but appears to derail the plan.

Mediation agreement, May 2007

PROPOSAL FOR A PUBLIC PROCESS FOR MT. TABOR PARK AND THE PORTLAND PARKS & RECREATION BUREAU’S CENTRAL MAINTENANCE FACILITY

We, the undersigned, the director of the Portland Parks & Recreation Bureau (“PP&R”) and
community representatives, hereby agree to the following.

I
A formal PP&R policy related to property disposition is needed.

Recommended action:
The undersigned agree that PP&R needs “a pre-disposition process and guidelines” for recommending to Council if and when land should be declared surplus. That topic has not been the direct subject of the mediation engaged by the undersigned. At this point in time, with our current information, we are not able to comment completely on that proposed process except to
stress:

1. the need to use an open and transparent public process to create the pre-disposition process and guidelines;
2. that the pre-disposition process and guidelines themselves will also be open and transparent and will also include full public involvement; and
3. that although this issue is on a separate timeline and process from the process described below, the development of the pre-disposition process and guidelines is expected to be complete June 30, 2008.

II
An Updated Mt. Tabor Master Plan that includes the Mt. Tabor Park Central Yard and Nursery is also needed.

Recommended action:

1. PP&R agrees to make every effort to sign a contract to hire Jamie Damon and Mary Forst by June 25, 2007.
2. By September 1, 2007, Jamie Damon and Mary Forst will design, in concert with PP&R and the community representatives, a public involvement process for the Mt. Tabor Park Master Plan Update. That process design will include the method by which the participants in the public process will be selected.
3. By September 1, 2007, PP&R and community representatives, working with the Office of Management and Finance, will complete the Feasibility Study for Development of Service Zones Facilities (a system-wide financial analysis of PP&R maintenance facilities) using the assumption that the function of the Mt. Tabor Park Central Yard and Nursery is not relocating.
4. PP&R and community representatives will report jointly to City Council in September 2007 on the recommended public process for the Mt. Tabor Park Master Plan Update. It is understand that they will also jointly request funds to update the Mt. Tabor Park Master
   Plan using the agreed-upon public process.
5. The Mt. Tabor Park Master Plan Update will be conducted through the above described public process. We believe that the public process will be most efficiently led by J. Damon and M. Forst. That public process will:
   1. ensure an open, transparent, community-wide and inclusive process, where all ideas are welcomed and considered;
   2. explore the best use of the Mt. Tabor Park Central Yard and Nursery within the public domain and under public administration consistent with the values articulated in the current Mt. Tabor Park Master Plan.
   3. consider community and PP&R pros and cons for maintaining, refurbishing, enhancing, or relocating the Mt. Tabor Park Central Yard and Nursery; and
   4. conduct financial analyses in response to the needs identified during the public process.
   5. PP&R and the community representatives will jointly take the recommended Mt. Tabor Park Master Plan Update to the City Council for approval by June 30, 2008.

   May 14, 2007
   SIGNATURE
   PRINT NAME & ORGANIZATION
   PROPOSAL FOR A PUBLIC PROCESS FOR MT. TABOR PARK AND
   THE PORTLAND PARKS & RECREATION BUREAU’S
   CENTRAL MAINTENANCE FACILITY
   SIGNATURE
   PRINT NAME & ORGANIZATION