October 14, 2003
(Updated) Chasing The Non-Story Of The Destruction Of The 'Children's Garden'
Note: This post has been updated. Any and all updates appear at the end of the original post.
SW 13th and Alder
Courtesy PortlandMaps
Last week, there was a flurry of conversation over at the Portland IMC about the removal of the so-called "children's garden" which stood at SW 13th and Alder overlooking I-405, allegedly under the direction of Officer Jeff Meyers of the Portland Police Bureau.
The Portland IMC discussion can be found, in order, here, here, here, and here.
For what it's worth, since I sent a few emails off to various parties (namely the Portland Police Bureau and the First Presbyterian Church, under whose auspices the "children's garden" was first planted), I should pass along what actually happened.
First off, according to Police Bureau spokesman Sgt. Brian Schmautz (who was the first person at any of the places I contacted to get back to me), there were "ongoing complaints" and problem individuals going into the overgrowth, using the space as a bathroom, and leaving behind syringes. It was, said Sgt. Schmautz, "an area crime problem for the neighborhood."
Now, some Portland IMC people will argue that a Police Bureau spokesman wouldn't be expected to say anything else. But, as it turns out, here is what came to me today from J. Dudley Weaver of the First Prebyterian Church:
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the children's garden at 13th and Alder. That program started several years ago here at First Presbyterian under an agreement reached with the Oregon Department of Transportation.
The church was not unaware that the garden was to be eliminated. In fact ODOT and the Portland Police Department worked with us over a period of months to discern what the wishes of the church might be in regard to the garden. While it was a spot of beauty in the midst of the city and was enjoyed by many, it had also become, much to our dismay, a haven for illegal activity. While we and many of our neighbors enjoyed the garden, we did not feel that we were being the best of neighbors by continuing the garden. The decision to relinquish the garden was made by the governing body of the church.
So everyone over at Portland IMC whose panties are in a bunch over what they deemed to be an overly-authoritarian destruction of a community space constructed by children, if they really feel an injustice has been done, might want to go talk to the Church, since this was hardly some independent or unapproved action on the part of the Portland Police Bureau, the Oregon Department of Transportation, or anyone else. Let alone some random cowboy action by Officer Meyers.
Update
That image was not originally included when this item was first posted. It was added later.
Update
Tomorrow's Portland Mercury provides some context on the alleged plan to clear and sweep ODOT land on November 1. Regardless of whether there is a larger contextual issue involving the City's homeless population, I still think it's important to remember that the Church had the opportunity to go back to proper upkeep of the spot in question above.