Discover Portland Neighborhoods: Powellhurst-Gilbert

"This place is really and truly an unpolished gem," says Mark White, President of the Powellhurst-Gilbert Neighborhood Association. Located between 82nd Avenue to 145th between Powell and Foster Roads, it's encompassed by the natural beauty of Powell Butte, Mt. Scott, and Kelly Butte.

White cites population explosion, poor zoning, crime, and a lack of infrastructure among the big problems faced here. But in spite of a recent shooting near his home that didn't get covered in the newspaper, he remains upbeat about its future.

"Our neighborhood has the potential to be something truly special," he says, rattling off its features. "We have 1/2 acre lots for small urban farms, so it could be the go-to spot for fresh food. There's a tremendous amount of good work going on. Our association is extraordinarily active. We have the Springwater Corridor; Zenger Farm's wetland project; Leach Botanical Garden. And the East Portland Exposition." The last was a planned three-day celebration in Ed Benedict Community Park at the end of July.

  Leach Botanical Garden

Leach Botanical Garden

 Springwater Trail

Recently, the Powellhurst-Gilbert Neighborhood Association lent its conditional support of the failed Beavers baseball plan in Lents Park. "We would have backed it if they added a streetcar line," White says. "We're focused on safey and infrastructure."

A recent PSU poll showed that residents want more mixed-use buildings and fewer multi-family housing projects here. White explains:

Our neighborhood is the most populous in the city. We've grown tremendously in the past 10 year or so.  At last count, there were 10,733 USPS deliverable households within our boundary. We have six schools within our boundary—four elementary and two middle schools.  Enrollment at the end of last year was 3,675, which does not include the huge number of high school students who live in the Neighborhood and attend David Douglas High School just on the other side of the Neighborhood border.  We also have a tremendous amount of zoning that allows for the highest allowable levels of residential construction, specifically multifamily housing. There are 63 different languages spoken by students in the school district, which is a direct reflection of the cultural diversity in the Neighborhood and a primary reason for the many multi-generational families who reside here. There are numerous social service, adult foster care, and elder care facilities in the Neighborhood. Bus service is substandard and there are dozens of Trimet stops without a paved platform.

But White remains undaunted.

"Most of the city leaders are cognizant of what is going on," White says. But for them "everything still revolves around downtown."

In spite of the area's complexities, the association's community-building work continues: The first movie night, a screening of Shrek was held at Ed Benedict Park Earl Boyles Park on August 1; on-going graffiti cleanup has been successful; a soft surface path will be completed August 15 for the Springwater Corridor in West Powellhurst Park.

Livability is the goal, so that kids like Colton Burnett, who sits at Ed Benedict Community Park waxing his skateboard on a summer day, can do just that. The ten year-old's been coming to this skate park for about half a year now, and lives nearby. The most challenging element of the skate park, he says, pointing to the center of the concrete plaza, is a series of five steps. No doubt he will master it.

 

Located on Southeast Powell between 100 and 104th streets, the park was named for community activist and three-term Oregon legislator Ed Benedict, who championed healthy public spaces.

The skate park mimics typical urban structures that most of us interact with daily, but that skaters are compelled to scale sideways. Benches and steps with handrails, surfaces with various heights and angles all imitate office tower plazas. The level of difficulty varies as kids practice their jumps and slides, frequently catching air before crashing back to earth. There's a half-pipe, and a storm water drainage system in certain sections.

Tranquility is the draw at the nearby Memory Garden, located on the eastern edge of Ed Benedict Park at 104th and Powell. The gated garden is dedicated to people afflicted with Alzheimer's and was designed with their needs in mind. A lone visitor sat on a bench under purple clematis studying a map. Benches dedicated to supporters and loved ones are spaced at intervals. The garden consists of an inner and outer loop and is entirely accessible by wheelchair. Deep flowerbeds line each side of the path, filled with artfully arranged plants intended to spark memory and stimulate the senses. This restorative spot is open to everyone, but it's especially intended for those with Alzheimer's and their caregivers.

 

On outer Southeast Foster Road the storage warehouses start to give way to farmland, and you see the natural beauty that surrounds it. When you spot cornfields growing by the side of the road, you'll know you've arrived at Zenger Farm, 11741 SE Foster Road.

Summer day camp is in full swing and there are kids are out among the crops that surround the farmhouse. Others prepare lunch in a large open kitchen. (Camps are offered to kids aged six and up and fill up early).

Prairie Hale, the farm's community involvement coordinator, gives a brief history.

"The farm's been here since 1913," she says. "It was a dairy for years, and then it was sold to the City of Portland in the ‘90s. Friends of Zenger, a non-profit was formed around that time to manage the farm, protect the wetland, and offer workshops to the public. It's 16 acres, and ten of those are protected wetland. There are three community livestock projects, and close to 500 volunteers keep this place going year round through work parties."

Classes like Worm Composting 101, Chickens 101, and Home Dairying are offered, with residents of Lents and Powellhurst-Gilbert receiving a 15% discount.

The East Side Egg Co-op is located here, too, and consists of 14 families who oversee it. Food grown here is sold to a few area restaurants and at the Lents International Farmers Market, held every Sunday 9 am to 2 pm through October 25, at SE 92nd and Foster.

A young woman working on the farm gives a quick tour: "Over there in that shed are honeybees. Over there, turkeys, and chickens. Here, red and white onions, leeks, winter squash. And behind you, currants, apple and pear trees, watermelons." Her pride and enthusiasm are evident.

The "other Portland" as the tireless White calls it, is well worth getting to know.

Corrections: Corrections are noted above with strike throughs. We apologize for the errors.

Editor's Note: We hope you'll find this additional information useful: 1.Leach Botanical Garden is actually in the Pleasant Valley neighborhood, which borders Powellhurst-Gilbert. It's the only public botanical garden in Portland. 2. The wetlands project is not just Zenger Farm. It is actually called the Springwater Corridor Wetlands project and includes the 10 acres behind Zenger Farm. 3. Ed Benedict was also a Powellhurst-Gilbert resident who lived on the other side of Powell Boulevard.]

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