Forum hears Lents ‘Green Ring’ ideas

Here’s why many outer East Portland folks came to comment on improving this amenity …

Participants at the “Lents Green Ring Community Action Forum” discuss how resources should be spent to improve the neighborhood’s recreation and transportation loop.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

The Kelly Elementary School gymnasium swirled with activity on the morning of June 2, when some 100 neighbors turned out for the “Lents Green Ring Community Action Forum”.

The Lents Green Ring is a loop of neighborhood streets and greenways, with four segments along SE Steele Street, 87th Avenue, 101st Avenue, and the Springwater Corridor Trail.

At the forum, Green Lents Executive Director Adam Brunelle listens to a neighbor’s concerns.

“Because the ‘Green Ring’ connects schools, Glenwood Park, Bloomington Park, and the Springwater Corridor, neighbors are telling about improvements they’d like to see at this forum,” explained Green Lents Executive Director Adam Brunelle.

“Neighbors are expressing many safety concerns today,” Brunelle told East Portland News. “Others are commenting about how to improve safety in the built environment, and other improvements — such as place making and community projects, such as litter clean-ups, to be funded in the future.”

Neighbors Kevin Ingersoll and Sarah Spero learn more about the projects from PSU facilitator Hannah Werthman.

Because the neighborhood has been working on the Green Ring project for several years, this forum focused on prioritizing among proposed improvements,” Brunelle told East Portland News. “In the past, we’ve heard that people want to see more lighting, pedestrian crossings, and more sidewalks; now we’re asking people to choose their top priority projects.”

Other ideas in interests included:

Intersection painting, demarking the Green Ring
Removing graffiti and maintaining the I-205 Pedestrian Bridge area
Removing trash left behind by “campers”
Making it a more beautiful and welcoming space
Increasing lighting for safety in Bloomington Park

On a map, participant Christo Brehm marks the route he uses to travel from Lents Town Center to downtown, avoiding hills and traffic.

Next steps
“After collating the information we’ve learned here today, we’ll convene with our stakeholder partners – organizations that intersect with the Lents community, including governmental bureaus and nonprofit agencies, to refine the plan,” Brunelle said.

You can find out at the project’s webpage on the Green Lents website: CLICK HERE.

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