Completion of Errol Heights Park, and new paved streets, celebrated

Brentwood-Darlington neighbors were again invited to Errol Heights Park for the formal celebration of its completion – June 1.

The announcement from the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Errol Heights Street Improvement Project Team came as they were also celebrating paving about 1.2 miles of unimproved streets in the area, and putting in stormwater management facilities.

As previously covered in THE BEE half a year ago – complete with video! – Portland Parks & Recreation previously held a “soft opening” to show off the park just before Christmas, on December 23. You can see it all here – https://tinyurl.com/4xj44hra

“Although this amazing park was substantially completed a bit earlier this year, we wanted to have an official ribbon-cutting and community ceremony in June, when it was warmer,” PP&R Director Adena Long told THE BEE. “I was delighted to help acknowledge the many neighbors, advisory committee members, colleagues, and government agency staff who made the reimagined Errol Heights Park possible!”

Long presided as Master of Ceremonies during the program. One of the featured speakers was Portland City Commissioner Mingus Mapps: “Because I am the Commissioner in charge of both the Portland Bureau of Transportation and Portland Bureau of Environmental Services, I came today to speak about the substantial role these two bureaus had in this project.

“This neighborhood was challenged, because the steep streets were unimproved, and driving on them would cause pollution and cause the dirt to run off into Johnson Creek and kill natural habitat – but now, rainwater will be captured and safely disposed of,” Mapps said.

Other speakers: The Errol Heights Park PAC, an Errol Heights neighbor; and Terresa White and Mike Suri, the artists responsible for the sculpture that now adorns the meadow area in the park.

As the speakers went on, clouds darkened overhead. By the time the ribbon was rolled out for cutting, pelting rain caused the observance to quickly conclude after the ceremonial snip.

Go check out Errol Heights Park for yourself; it’s a city park, and it’s located at 4807 S.E. Harney Drive in the Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood, just north of Johnson Creek Boulevard, off 45th Avenue.