Keep off the grass, respect the sod
Pearl District neighbors feeling fenced in by delays at Fields Park
The oval grassy area that makes up the majority of the Fields Park will remain closed off by chain-link fencing until spring, according to Portland Parks & Recreation.
The move is to ensure that the underground drainage system works, and that the grass above has time to take root.
As reported by in the NW Examiner last October, crews from Hubbard-based Oregon Turf & Tree Farms put down 100 rolls of the finest perennial rye grass for the park, an amount that totals three acres of sod. Rye grass is softer, greener and less thirsty than other types of grass, and sod establishes much faster than seed. Back in October, the grass experts we spoke with said the sod would be ready to go in about four weeks. That was 15 weeks ago.
Meanwhile, residents will have to keep walking their dogs around in circles, and stay on their side of the fence. But there may be some good news for dogs soon.
Portland Parks is overseeing the last phase of the project. Leading up to this, PacificCorp managed the bulk of the long tunneling project that involved tearing up the park in order to lay underground electrical lines that extend under the Willamette River. The work is part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund cleanup of the long-ago industrial-polluted Willamette River bottom.
To park watchers it looks like the grass has taken root, and after two years of not being able to use the park, they are growing restless. Recently, signs posted on the fencing and in the elevators of nearby buildings urged people “to respect the growing sod.”
“The signs went up because there was a report of a small fire, and of people lifting the fence and entering with their dogs,” Parks Community Engagement Coordinator Malcom Hoover said. “The fence will come down in spring. We’re making sure the grass is firmly rooted for the kind of activity we’re expecting.”
“I understand,” he added, “people want their park.”
Bill Truncali of the Pearl District Neighborhood Association said there should be an announcement about the reopening of the park after the Parks Committee meeting on March 3. “We hope to coordinate the reopening of the park with some renovation being planned for the adjacent off-leash area.”
On Tuesday Portland Parks crews were adding more native plants and trees in the landscaped beds between the walkway and the dog park.
The Fields Park is the third park within the 2002 River District Park System, with Tanner Springs Park and Jamison Square to the south along NW 10th Ave.
Above, watch a 21-second flyover of Fields Park, from north to south, showing the rich green perennial rye grass, and the chain-link fencing that still — more than 15 weeks after the sod was laid — prevents people from entering. Sod professionals and numerous online sites report that rye grass sod fully roots within 4 to 6 weeks. Video by Walden Kirsch
Big public events in the past like the Cider Fest have left this field smashed. Seems like the deeper the planting can be in our current less-water climate, the better; the grand opening will be a test.