Photo: Metro

Metro has kicked off the planning process to create a nature park at Willamette Cove, a former industrial site on the Willamette River in North Portland. Community members can share their insights and opinions on the future park through an online survey. The survey, which is open until May 10, is posted on the Metro website at oregonmetro.gov/cove.

Willamette Cove offers the region one of the few places the public can access the Willamette River in North Portland.

“Willamette Cove is a special place,” said Jennifer D’Avanzo, who is leading the park planning. “Community members have known this for a long time, and we’re excited to start creating a vision for what the future nature park can be.”

The future nature park will strike a balance between providing people with connections to nature and giving nature the space it needs to thrive.

The survey that’s out now will help Metro staff find that balance and understand what types of amenities and features community members would like to see at the park. The park will include trails, interpretive signage and access to the river, as well as parking and restrooms.

Park planners will use input from community to help shape a set of three initial design options. Community members will then have a chance to weigh in on those preliminary designs later this year.

Two cleanup projects at the site, one in the water and one on the land, are developing their work plans now. This preparatory work has progressed far enough that park planning can begin.

Since purchasing Willamette Cove in 1996, Metro has had a goal of building a nature park at the 27-acre property. Unfortunately, contamination from 70 years of industrial activity needs to be cleaned up first.

Metro and the Port of Portland have worked with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality since 2000 to prepare for the cleanup. Over the years, they conducted multiple studies to better understand the extent of the contamination. The partners also removed contamination from three portions of the site that needed immediate attention. In 2021, DEQ decided on a cleanup plan for Willamette Cove’s upland area.

When the cleanup is done and all of DEQ’s requirements are met, the entire site will be safe for people, plants and animals.

More information about the project is available at oregonmetro.gov/cove.

Source: Metro

Mark Mason