Board OKs park goals

Park priorities are set.

Portland Park Board on Tuesday approved its set of priorities for its five-year parks plan.

Brian Ison, who has spearheaded the plan along with John Moore, told his fellow park board members Shauna Runkle, Chris Compton, Glen Bryant and Giles Laux he felt the best way to approach the priorities is to look at them park-by-park rather than as a whole.

Suggested priorities for the parks included:

•Portland Memorial Park — Restore baseball and softball fields; begin implementing incremental, multi-year upgrades to refurbish and expand spectator seating and install sidewalks; and explore adding pickleball courts.

•Hudson Family Park — Explore adding shelter houses or gazebos; add equipment for youth activities such as gaga ball; utilize green space, possibly for soccer fields; better utilize the amphitheater for community events; keep the park clean and safe; explore expanding trails and walking paths, and make sure they are well-marked; and add trees and shrubbery.

•Portland Water Park — Consider adding a splash pad; work on a plan for repairs to facility as needed; and create a plan to address rising maintenance costs.

•Haynes Park — Develop a plan to repair or replace aging playground equipment; place an emphasis on landscaping and address concerns about safety issues caused by aging trees; and add equipment for youth activities.

•Weiler-Wilson Park — Work with Portland Junior League and other organizations to develop plans for repairs and replacement of facilities.

•Milton Miller Park — Determine the best future uses for the park and how it can best fulfill the needs of the community.

Overarching priorities for all of the parks including prioritizing security, addressing vandalism, continuing to build public-private partnerships and coordinating with organizations for park use. The priorities also suggest periodic park inspections by board members as well as an annual parks tour to review facilities.

Board members unanimously approved the list of priorities to be added to the five-year plan. The board expects to improve the final plan at its December meeting.

The board also heard from Matt Shauver of the city’s street and parks department. He noted that multiple parks have had vandalism recently and that security camera video has been turned over to Portland police for investigation.

Shauver also noted that slides have been fixed and the amphitheater has been power-washed at Hudson family Park, crews are continuing to fill in the area of the former tennis courts at Milton Miller Park and new windows were installed at Portland Water Park.

He also reported that employees from Crossroads Financial Federal Credit Union will be in the city’s parks to help with upkeep from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Monday as a service project.