Milwaukie staff lay out parks and green-space goal; aim to substantially complete Milwaukie Bay Park by 2027

Milwaukie — City staff told the Milwaukie City Council at a May 6 work session that the city’s parks and green-space goal will prioritize delivering Milwaukie Bay Park, advancing the Kellogg Creek natural-area restoration tied to the Kellogg Dam removal, expanding equitable access to green space, and adding a measurable tree-canopy objective.

The goal matters because staff say the period from 2025 to 2027 offers a narrow window to secure funding, finalize partner agreements and begin construction on projects that city leaders say will expand access to parks in historically underserved neighborhoods.

Public Works Director Peter Pasarelli and Parks Development Coordinator Adam Moore led the update and described milestones and measures staff will use to track progress. Pasarelli said the city has “a unique opportunity to deliver transformative environmental and recreational amenities” and read the goal statement that frames parks and natural areas as “vital to the city’s livability, health, and equity.”

Most urgent: Milwaukie Bay Park

Staff identified Milwaukie Bay Park as the top near-term priority. According to staff, North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District (NCPRD) and the city reached roughly 50 percent construction-level design for Bay Park before work paused; as of Dec. 31, 2024 the next construction phase was not fully funded. Staff said their objective is to have final construction plans and a funding agreement in place with NCPRD and other partners so construction can proceed, with a goal of being “substantially complete” by the end of 2027 if funding is secured on an aggressive schedule.

Adam Moore said the project team reached about 50 percent design and that the project has been through collaborative value-engineering conversations. Staff told the council that if a funding agreement is finalized by September, contractors could be engaged and construction could start in early 2026; staff described the overall timeline as optimistic and aggressive.

Funding and partnerships

Staff outlined several funding and partnership sources they are pursuing: a state funding request already submitted to the state legislature; Metro-led Community Choice/Nature Neighborhoods grants; the city’s Good Neighbor program; and a mix of other grants. Key clarifications provided in the meeting:

- The city’s Good Neighbor program generates about $145,000 per year (roughly $1 per EDU) and is being used to support green-space work along targeted corridors. - Metro has multiple funding streams described in the briefing: roughly $2–3 million available for park amenities (broken into awards of about $250,000 with a one-third local match) and a separate $15 million fund described as available for acquisition to support Community Choice priorities. - The city opened an application period for the Good Neighbor funds on March 15; staff said about $370,000 was available in the current round and the application window closes June 30. Staff also plan to run an annual cycle going forward.

Staff stressed that some grant programs restrict what amenities can be removed or altered because grant awards are often tied to specific project elements. As staff put it: “you gotta use a scalpel, not an axe” when adjusting a project’s scope to match a reduced budget.

Tree canopy, green‑space definition and metrics

Councilors pressed staff to add an explicit tree‑canopy goal. Staff agreed to add language and to…