Parks Commission

City of Portland Parks Commission Agenda The mission of the Portland Parks Commission is to advocate for the enhancement and stewardship of our parks and open spaces. Review and propose projects that impact parks and open spaces and recommend action. Foster collaboration among park users and the City. Promotes public access and enjoyment. Advocate for public and private funding for parks and open spaces. Enjoy Portland for life. Commission Members: Alexis Lopez Del Vecchio, Ashley Burdick, Beth Rabbitt, David Little, Donna Gartland, Elizabeth Pagan, Griffin Bourassa, Jaime Parker, John Clark, Marie Gray, Robert Foster, Sarah Michniewicz (City Councilor), and William Elting. City Staff: Alex Marshall (Parks Director), Jen DeRice (Parks Assistant Director), Amber Brooks November 6, 2025 at 5:00 PM On the first Thursday of the month at 5:00 pm, the Portland Parks Commission will hold a meeting at Parks, Recreation, and Facilities, 212 Canco Rd., Suite A conference room. The Parks Commission will conduct this meeting in person. Public comments may only be submitted in person or in writing. To submit written public comment on an agenda item, email parkscommission@portlandmaine.gov. Submissions must be received by 12:00 pm the day before the Parks Commission meeting to guarantee their inclusion in the agenda packet. All submissions must include the person's name and legal address. To help ensure your comment is submitted for the correct item, please include the name of the agenda item (see below). Livestream Link: https://portlandme.portal.civicclerk.com/event/7494/media To submit written public comment on an agenda item, email ParksCommission@Portlandmaine.gov. Submissions must be received by 12:00 pm the day before the Parks Commission meeting to guarantee their inclusion in the agenda packet. All submissions must include the commenter's name and legal address. To help ensure your comment is submitted for the correct item, please include the name of the agenda item (see below). I. Call to Order II. General Citizen Comment Period a. Public comment emails from 9.5.2025 through 11.5.2025 III. Agenda Items a. Acceptance of Meeting Minutes: September 4, 2025 b. New Business i. Back Cove Festival Contributions ii. CIP discussion and vote c. Old Business i. Officer elections d. Communications and Updates i. Committee updates ii. Parks Division Report Page 1  iii. Land Bank Commission Report e. Commissioner requests for Agenda Items IV. Adjournment Page 2 10/31/25, 2:32 PM City of Portland Mail - Fwd: Payson Park traffic and safety concerns Fwd: Payson Park traffic and safety concerns 1 message J Fri, Oct 31, 2025 at 2:31 PM ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: S Boucher <Unknown> Date: Monday, September 15, 2025 at 5:10:11 PM UTC-4 Subject: Payson Park traffic and safety concerns To: parksco...@portlandmaine.gov <Unknown>, an...@portlandmaine.gov <Unknown>, Andrew Ransom-Keyek <Unknown>, andre...@bikemaine.org <Unknown> Dear Park Commissioners, I am writing today to bring up concerns my husband and I have about the traffic/parking in Payson Park. Our house abuts the Arboretum on 64 Brookside Rd and our backyard is literally on Arboretum Rd. We bought this house in 1992. We are cyclists with 45 years of experience in bike touring, commuting and recreational cycling. We also often are pedestrians in Payson Park. Two weeks ago I attended a meeting of the Parks Commission with the agenda being a renewal of the license for the Music Festival for additional years. There was discussion about the Arboretum Rd being closed to traffic for a few days around and during the festival. Interestingly, multiple Commissioners admitted to driving through the park on what appeared to be a daily weekday basis. There was also a comment about "Andrew was surprised at how many cars go through Payson Park". I am not sure if they meant Andrew Downs or Andy Keyek so I am including both of you in this email. Yes, indeed, a lot of traffic goes through Payson Park. While city officials and concert promoters spent considerable time planning for parking and traffic issues for the for-profit 2-day festival, there appears to be no such energy spent on the daily traffic and safety issues occuring in Payson Park for the city residents/taxpayers/park users for the other 360+ days of the year. I am including Andrew Zarro on this note as he heads the BCM who has this mission: "The Bicycle Coalition of Maine works to make Maine a better place to bike and walk." Certainly a Portland city park should be high on the list of safe places to ride or walk. Before going into the issues I do want to thank the Portland Trails group for the traffic calming they added to the entrance of Arboretum Rd. I believe it has been a big help and the most positive traffic change we have seen in Payson in years. This is much appreciated. We have a copy of the original 50+ page Master Plan, dated Winter 2000, for Payson Park which would be interesting reading for any of you that haven't seen it. This plan was more pedestrian friendly than where we have evolved to today. It did not even include a road down through the park on the arboretum side. It shows an entrance as there is today but that road only went as far as a 100-car parking lot at the bottom of the sliding hill. It did not go all the way down through the park. Additionally, the plan called for a total of 420 parking spaces in the park. I believe we are very far short of that number. The plan is 25 years old, but it had some great ideas. Maybe we should relook at it? Anybody who would like to see our original copy of this plan is welcome to contact me. Arboretum Rd has become a major thoroughfare for cut-through traffic from Ocean Ave to Baxter Blvd. At certain times of the day it is nearly a highway. Additionally, because there is a lack of parking in the park, Arboretum Rd becomes congested with parked cars creating a major safety issue for cyclists and pedestrians. These cars park on the grass right under 'do not park on the grass' signs and they park in the road which is not wide enough to accomodate parked cars, moving cars, and pedestrians and cyclists. We have never seen parking being monitored. https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=c89fc43190&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f:1847523292957686144&simpl=msg-f:1847523292957686144 1/4 Page 3 10/31/25, 2:32 PM City of Portland Mail - Fwd: Payson Park traffic and safety concerns Often, when walking up the road toward Ocean Ave I will motion to cars to slow down or move over (about 30% of cars coming at me have 2 wheels into the bike/walking lane). A few will apologize/slow down, but the vast majority either ignore me or give me an unwelcoming gesture. Also, when there is both a car and a bike, there really is nowhere for a pedestrian to go other than to actually get into the arboretum. We have noticed quite an increase in cyclists using Arboretum Rd which is a good thing. We now also have increased pedestrian traffic brought in by the new frisbee golf course (another positive thing!). We need to address the safety issues caused by speeding cars and parking issues. Recently, we downloaded an app that allows us to 'speed gun' cars coming down Arboretum Rd from our bedroom window. Virtually nobody goes 15 MPH despite the four 15MPH signs along this stretch. Many go double the speed limit and a few considerably more than double the speed limit. Between the speeds and volume of cars, as well as the poor visibility due to parked cars, this road is an injury waiting to happen. (I don't use the term 'accident' because it would be caused by willful breaking of the rules which is not an accident). When our kids were elementary-school aged, they freely walked across the arboretum and across this street to go to soccer or softball practice. Today, with cars lining the road most evenings and all weekends, we would not feel safe letting them cross this road alone at those times. As the members of BCM well know, today's motorists have little patience for cyclists and pedestrians who are 'in my way!' Drivers are much more aggressive and pay less attention to their surroundings than they did even pre-Covid. This past Sunday was the worst we have ever seen. The park was booming with people having fun playing soccer, softball, basketball, tennis, pickleball, frisbee golf, and some organization set up in the triangle, etc. Arboretum Rd was totally unsafe. Cars were parked on one side for the full length of the road and on the other side for part of it too. There isn't even room for cars parking on one side, but to have both sides with parked cars was just discouraging. Cyclists were having a hard time negotiating through. It is time for the Parks Commission to decide if Payson Park is for safe recreation for our citizens or if it is just there for motorists to use as a cut through for their convenience. If we can close this road for a few days for a for-profit event, why can't we close it altogether for the safety of our citizens the rest of the year? This would be my preferred solution, but I will also offer some other partial solutions: Prohibit parking on this road...not on the grass and not on the road. It is too narrow to accommodate parked cars and be safe for pedestrians/cyclists. Also, there is no safe place to even cross this road when it is lined with parked cars. Over the past few years this problem has grown and no parking signs have not been enforced. Let's add new no parking signs and actually enforce them. Address the width of the bike lane going down Arboretum Rd. It is already narrower than other bike lanes in the city and, in places, the pavement is broken up within this narrow space. It also has several drains that are on an angle and difficult to bike over. Why not paint a second line extending the width like that done on Ocean Ave, Baxter Blvd and other streets around Portland? This adds another 12-18 inches to the bike lane and narrows the driving lane which could contribute to slower speeds. Install speed bumps...either a temporary type like Falmouth has installed on either side of the Town Landing Store on Rt 88 or permanent ones. I have ignored the other road through the park for the most part here, but it also needs speed bumps as well as more 15 MPH signs. When traffic comes off Baxter into the park it is traveling pretty fast. There is no indication that they are in a 15 MPH zone until they are approaching the first stop sign. We need a 15MPH sign erected right at the park entrance on the Baxter end. Speed bumps on that side are also welcome. Many cars run the stop signs. Cars go way too fast for the large amount of activity in the park. Install flashing 15MPH signs or the flashing signs that tell you how fast you are going on both roads through the park. We see flashing speed signs all over the place in surrounding communities while biking. Let's put some up. Have the police set up a speed trap in the arboretum and issue tickets. (They will be really busy). They could also set up near the Little League field or basketball courts for both speeding and stop sign violations on that side of the park. Get the word out that speeding through Payson Park will no longer be tolerated. https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=c89fc43190&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f:1847523292957686144&simpl=msg-f:1847523292957686144 2/4 Page 4 10/31/25, 2:32 PM City of Portland Mail - Fwd: Payson Park traffic and safety concerns Parking for the users of the park is a major issue. The lot at the bottom of the sliding hill is in poor repair and isn't big enough to accomodate the cars parked in Payson. Can it be expanded? This would take care of the 3 seasons when the park is busiest and could continue to be closed during the winter . Can we routinely open the parking on the grass near the playground (above the underground tanks) and require cars to park only there or in designated lots like at Little League field or at the sliding hill but allow NO parking on the park roads at all? "Athletes" should be able to walk a bit to get to their venue of choice. I see that building multi-use paths are in capital project plans. Why not fix the parking areas instead and close Arboretum road beyond access to the parking lot at the bottom of the sliding hill so that Arboretum Rd becomes the multi-use trail? By closing the Arboretum Rd, the whole park from the arboretum all the way across to Catafalque Dr would be free of vehicular traffic and free to roam. Specific paths wouldn't be necessary. I welcome any questions or comments. As you can see I know the park and its issues as we have owned this house for nearly 35 years and use the park frequently. I welcome any of you to come to our house right next to the arboretum and observe for yourselves. You can also just listen to know when a flurry or cars or speeders are coming. We need to work together on implementing some fixes, However, the fixes all lead back to the original question......do you prefer to have Payson Park be a safe place to recreate or do you give priority to vehicular traffic and continue to allow it to be a major thoroughfare for cut-through traffic? Our vote as Portland's taxpayers is to have a park where we can recreate safely every day of the year. I am attaching 7 pictures from the past week...3 showing narrow bike/ped lane with difficulty for pedestrians, 1 showing cars parking right under the "Do not park on the grass" sign, 3 from Sunday showing extremely dangerous conditions with cars parked on both sides of Arboretum Rd. Two pics from the Master Plan book will be sent separately in another email. Thank you. I look forward to hearing from anyone with questions or comments. Nancy Boucher 207-420-1897 stevenanboucher@gmail.com 7 attachments 1 bikes in narrow lane.JPG 2482K https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=c89fc43190&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f:1847523292957686144&simpl=msg-f:1847523292957686144 3/4 Page 5 10/31/25, 2:32 PM City of Portland Mail - Fwd: Payson Park traffic and safety concerns 2 narrow & broken section just beyond 3rd sign.JPG 8242K 3 pedestrians.JPG 2561K 4 parking on the grass.JPG 4075K 5 cars parked in bike lane cycling.JPG 2619K 6 Sunday mess.JPG 2711K 7 Sunday cars both sides.pdf 247K https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=c89fc43190&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f:1847523292957686144&simpl=msg-f:1847523292957686144 4/4 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 City of Portland | Parks, Recreation and Facilities Management Ethan Hipple, Director Alex Marshall, Director of Parks Parks Commission September 4, 2025 Meeting Minutes This meeting was recorded and is available to watch on the Agendas and Meetings Portal here: https://portlandme.portal.civicclerk.com/event/7492/media Please note: Audio technical issues are resolved at timestamp 11.23. Present Commission Members: Alexis Lopez Del Vecchio, Ashley Burdick, Beth Rabbitt, Donna Gartland, Elizabeth Pagan, Griffin Bourassa, Jaime Parker, John Clark, Marie Gray, Robert Foster, Sarah Michniewicz (City Councilor), William Elting Not Present: David Little Staff: Alex Marshall Parks Director, Jessica Teesdale Senior Executive Assistant Call to Order: B. Rabbit called the meeting to order at 5:04 pm General Citizen Comment Period in person: none Agenda Items Acceptance of Meeting Minutes May 1, 2025: Motion to accept meeting minutes: The motion was made by J. Parker and seconded by M. Gray. Motion passed 11-0 New Business Back Cove Festival Presentation: Andy Downs provided an overview of the festival agreement and the Department's recommendation to support the plans to address the issues and concerns that arose during the 2025 festival. Communication between the organizers and the City was open and positive. Next steps would be for the Parks Commission to make the recommendation to Cthe ity Council. Representatives of the promoter were present to help answer questions from the commission. Topics covered: ●​ Proximity and impact of the assisted living facility ●​ Permitting review process ●​ Cost analysis for city staff ●​ Ride share ●​ Potential for a community survey ●​ Tickets for adjacent neighbors ●​ Park closure to all 212 Canco Road, Suite A, Portland, Maine 04103 | parkscommission@portlandmaine.gov Page 16  ●​ Trail improvements and use statistics ●​ Traffic and Transportation ●​ Responsiveness of festival organizers ●​ Parking and accessibility ●​ Signage ●​ City partnership ●​ Community communication ●​ Security ●​ Noise complaints and accountability ​ B. Rabbit will pull all of the commission notes into a letter of recommendation ​ ​ Public Comment provided: Devon Green of Frenald Street, and Jeff Shaw, director of the Maine Academy of Modern Music ​ FY27 Capital Improvement Projects Overview: Alex Marshall provides the overview and answers questions about the CIP process and the projects on the list. ●​ Deering Oaks lighting ●​ Fitzpatrick track resurfacing and fencing ●​ Fore City Cemetery Erosion Mitigation ●​ Community garden raised beds ●​ Court resurfacing ●​ Deering Oaks courts crack mill and overlay ●​ Deering Oaks tennis court, adjacent road, and sidewalk ●​ Eastern Prom Cutter Street design ●​ Fencing ○​ Eastern Prom trail ○​ Back Cove trail ○​ The Riverside Recycling Trail connects Riverton Trolley Park and the Riverside Trail. ○​ North Deering Park ○​ Naysons Corner Park ●​ Fort Gorges preservation and wharf reconstruction ●​ Lincoln Park fence ●​ Portland Harbor Common Phase II grant matching ●​ Western Prom Valley St. retaining wall ●​ East End Playground replacement ●​ Annual playground element repairs and replacement ●​ Back Cove stabilization and guard rail Old Business Committee Report-October meeting will be a workshop. 212 Canco Road, Suite A, Portland, Maine 04103 | parkscommission@portlandmaine.gov Page 17 Communications and Updates-Tabled Parks Division Report-Tabled Land Bank Commission Report-Tabled Commissioner requests for Agenda Items ●​ Allocation of funds received from the music festival agreement ●​ Bayside Midtown parcel recommendation ●​ Interpretive signage ●​ Leadership nominations ●​ Outreach discussion Adjournment 212 Canco Road, Suite A, Portland, Maine 04103 | parkscommission@portlandmaine.gov Page 18 PRF 10 Year Capital Improvement Plan The following schedule illustrates the long term plan for upkeep and improvements of Portland Parks and Open Spaces. It represents the Parks Division's best estimate for timing and cost. Dates and amounts are subject to change at any time. Prior to implementation, all projects would need support of Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities, City Manager, and City Council. Note: FY27 Projects approved in March of 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 Annual Total District $5,855,000 $9,465,000 $7,145,000 $6,440,000 $7,680,000 $3,469,000 $3,485,000 $3,800,000 $2,237,000 $1,775,000 Athletic Facilities Deering High School Field Upgrades 5 $200,000 $275,000 Deering Oaks Baseball Lights and General Park Lighting 2 $500,000 Deering Oaks Infield Upgrades and Irrigation 2 $90,000 Deering Oaks Volleyball Court Replacement 2 $75,000 Fencing: Softball field at Talbot School 1 $75,000 Fitzpatrick Paving and ADA Improvements 2 $235,000 Fitzpatrick Stadium Entrance Upgrade 2 $75,000 Fitzpatrick to Expo Team Entrance Landscape Upgrades 2 $100,000 Fitzpatrick Track Resurfacing & Fencing Replacement 2 $600,000 $100,000 Fox St Irrigation Replacement 1 $75,000 Ludlow Baseball Field Upgrades 5 $500,000 Memorial Stadium Concession Stand Replacement 5 $500,000 Memorial Stadium Turf Replacement 5 $1,200,000 Payson B Softball Drainage and Irrigation 4 $110,000 Riverton Softball Lighting Replacement 5 $255,000 Synthetic Turf Field: location TBD $1,500,000 Cemeteries Evergreen Driveway Drainage and Paving--To be funded by Water Resources 5 Evergreen Repaving Roads 5 $125,000 $125,000 Forest City Coastal Erosion Mitigation 5 $100,000 $1,000,000 Gravel Road Reconstruction (Evergreen and Forest City) - Could be paid for by trusts 5 $100,000 Green Burial Area Development (Evergreen) 5 $30,000 Pond Restoration Engineering 5 $30,000 Pond Restoration Construction 5 $500,000 Wilde Chapel Masonry 5 $500,000 $500,000 Community Gardens Bayside Community Garden Relocation 1 $50,000 Community Garden Raised Bed Installation (Environmental Remediation at Payson, North St, Valley St, Clark St) Various $100,000 Fence Repairs/Additions (3-4 Gardens (CDBG potential) Various $50,000 $50,000 Shed Replacements (and Peaks Island City Acres Shed)*** Various $45,000 Courts--Tennis, Basketball, Futsal Bayside Basketball Court - New Construction 1 $150,000 Page 19 PRF 10 Year Capital Improvement Plan The following schedule illustrates the long term plan for upkeep and improvements of Portland Parks and Open Spaces. It represents the Parks Division's best estimate for timing and cost. Dates and amounts are subject to change at any time. Prior to implementation, all projects would need support of Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities, City Manager, and City Council. Note: FY27 Projects approved in March of 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 Annual Total District $5,855,000 $9,465,000 $7,145,000 $6,440,000 $7,680,000 $3,469,000 $3,485,000 $3,800,000 $2,237,000 $1,775,000 Court Resurfacing: Various (DHS Tennis, Reiche, Pleasant St, Taylor St, Munjoy South) Various $150,000 $75,000 $75,000 $75,000 $75,000 Deering Oaks Tennis and Basketball Court Crack Mill & Overlay 2 $450,000 Deering Oaks Tennis Court Lights--Add (to be completed Fall 2025) 2 $350,000 Dougherty Field Basketball Pavilion 3 $150,000 Eastern Prom Tennis and Basketball Court Resurface 1 $50,000 Fox Field Basketball Court Repaving 1 $300,000 Futsal Court #2, location TBD $200,000 Longfellow Basketball Drainage and Reconstruction 5 $175,000 Payson Additional Basketball Court 4 $150,000 Peaks Island Multi-use Pickleball/Basketball Courts (2)*** 1 $300,000 Pickleball Court Construction (NEW) - Location TBD TBD $500,000 Riverton Tennis Court Fence Replacement 5 $100,000 Park Infrastructure Bell Buoy Park Design/Engineering & Construction--ADA 1 $75,000 $750,000 Bramhall Square Reconstruction $250K budget, $100K from Maine Medical, $150 from Public Works CIP, $100K other sources 2 $750,000 Deering Oaks ADA Sidewalks and Curbing--Farmers Market Rd. (State to Deering) 2 $300,000 Deering Oaks Pond Plaza and Dock--ADA 2 $100,000 Deering Oaks Pond Wall Reconstruction - Phase II 2 $400,000 Deering Oaks Ravine Wading Pool Rehab--ADA 2 $475,000 Deering Oaks Rose Circle Entrance--Convert to Brick--ADA 2 $75,000 Deering Oaks Roadway Repaving--Tennis Court Road 2 200,000 Disc Golf Course Expansion, Location TBD $50,000 East End Beach Bath House Replacement--ADA 1 $1,500,000 East End Recreational Boat Ramp Reconstruction 1 $500,000 Eastern Prom Cleeves Accident Fence Reconstruction 1 $50,000 Eastern Prom Cleeves Monument ADA Plaza 1 $125,000 Eastern Prom Cutter St Design (DPW will submit) 1 $300,000 Eastern Prom Cutter Street/Parking Reno--ADA (joint project with Public Works) 1 $2,750,000 Fencing: Eastern Prom Trail, Back Cove Trail, Riverside Recycling Trail, North Deering Park, Nason's Corner Park 1 $375,000 Fort Gorges Composting Toilets 1 $100,000 Fort Gorges Parapet 1 $250,000 Fort Gorges Preservation Plan (Structural Stabilization) 1 $120,000 $200,000 Fort Gorges Sea Level Rise Intervention 1 $250,000 Fort Gorges Wharf Reconstruction (materials and engineering) 1 $100,000 Page 20 PRF 10 Year Capital Improvement Plan The following schedule illustrates the long term plan for upkeep and improvements of Portland Parks and Open Spaces. It represents the Parks Division's best estimate for timing and cost. Dates and amounts are subject to change at any time. Prior to implementation, all projects would need support of Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities, City Manager, and City Council. Note: FY27 Projects approved in March of 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 Annual Total District $5,855,000 $9,465,000 $7,145,000 $6,440,000 $7,680,000 $3,469,000 $3,485,000 $3,800,000 $2,237,000 $1,775,000 Fort Sumner Reconstruction--ADA 1 $450,000 Fort Sumner Trail Lighting--to be paid for by Friends Group 1 Harborview Concrete Stair and Plaza: Resurfacing with Granite 2 $100,000 Harborview Stairs from Circle Trail Intersection to Commercial St 2 $100,000 Lincoln Park Fence--Federal St Phase I 1 $200,000 Lincoln Park Fence--Federal St Phase II 1 $350,000 Lincoln Park Fence--Franklin St (likely covered by Franklin St Project) 1 $300,000 Lincoln Park Walkway Lights 1 $250,000 Longfellow Park Bollard Lighting*** 3 $50,000 Ludlow Pond Drainage 5 $150,000 Martins Point Access Improvements 4 $150,000 Noyes Park Pathways, Seating and Trees--ADA 2 $500,000 Park Walkway ADA Paving, various locations (E Prom, Deering Oaks) various $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 Payson Park Front Street Entrance Plaza Improvements and Cross-Park Trail to Baseball Parking Lot- Possible C3 or Portland Housing Authority funding--ADA 4 $200,000 Payson Park Parking: Reconstructing Sledding Hill Parking Lot--ADA 4 $250,000 Payson Park Skating Rink Improvements (Expansion) 4 $75,000 Picnic Pavillion: Deering Oaks and Payson Park--ADA various $150,000 $150,000 Portland Harbor Common Phase II, Match for ORLP 1 $500,000 $1,000,000 Public Restrooms: Upper Western Prom, Ft Allen Park, Others? various Quarry Run Dog Park Expansion and Renovation (Invasives Removal, Trail resurfacing, fence replacement)--ADA 4 $100,000 Riverton Trolley Park to Riverside Golf Course Trail: Move Fence for trail connection 5 $100,000 Veranda Street Waterfront Open Space landscaping - MDOT property 4 $150,000 Western Prom "NEW" Sidewalk along Western Cemetery--ADA 2 $250,000 Western Prom Play Area 2 $150,000 Western Prom Bandstand, Toboggan Run Improvements 2 $150,000 Western Prom Roadway Tree Allee 2 $300,000 Western Prom Upper Park Walkway Reconstruction--ADA 2 $250,000 $250,000 Western Prom Valley Street Trail and Stone Retaining Wall Phase II 2 $150,000 Western Prom Vista Clearing and Plantings 2 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 Western Prom Walkway Lighting 2 $200,000 Western Prom Walkway Reconstruction, Phase II--ADA 2 $150,000 Playgrounds, Skateparks, and Fitness Courses Adams School Playground 1 $250,000 Deering Oaks Playground Equipment Replacement 2 $450,000 Page 21 PRF 10 Year Capital Improvement Plan The following schedule illustrates the long term plan for upkeep and improvements of Portland Parks and Open Spaces. It represents the Parks Division's best estimate for timing and cost. Dates and amounts are subject to change at any time. Prior to implementation, all projects would need support of Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities, City Manager, and City Council. Note: FY27 Projects approved in March of 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 Annual Total District $5,855,000 $9,465,000 $7,145,000 $6,440,000 $7,680,000 $3,469,000 $3,485,000 $3,800,000 $2,237,000 $1,775,000 East End School Playground 1 $450,000 East End School Playground Design 1 $50,000 Fox Field Playground 1 $400,000 Fox Field Playground Design 1 $50,000 Great Diamond Island Playground 1 $150,000 Hesletine Park Playground 4 $250,000 Heseltine, Stroudwater, Taylor Street & Munjoy South Park Playground Designs various $125,000 Munjoy South Playground 1 $550,000 Ocean Avenue School Playground 4 $500,000 Ocean Avenue School Playground Design 4 $50,000 Peaks Island Playground 1 $250,000 Peaks Island Skate Park 1 $150,000 Peppermint Park--East Bayside Playground 1 $350,000 Peppermint Park--East Bayside Playground Design 1 $50,000 Playground Equipment Replacement: Various Locations various $75,000 $75,000 $75,000 $75,000 Portable Pumptrack: Moveable Neighborhood Skatepark various $150,000 Presumpscot Playground 4 $650,000 Presumpscot Playground Design 4 $50,000 Rowe School Playground 5 $600,000 Rowe School Playground Design 5 $50,000 Stroudwater Playground 3 $150,000 Taylor Street Playground 2 $100,000 Tyng-Tate Street Playground: Fencing and Seating*** 2 $25,000 University Park Playground (NEW) 4 $200,000 Will's Playground (Eastern Prom) 1 $500,000 Trails Back Cove Stabilization & Guard Rail 1 750,000 Back Cove Trail Reconstruction and Stone Dust Resurfacing 4,3,1 $150,000 Bayside Trail Resurfacing--by Public Works 1,2 Dougherty Field Bike Path Improvements*** 3 $100,000 Eastern Promenade Sidewalk Resurfacing--by Public Works 1 Fore River Parkway Trail Resurfacing--by Public Works 2 Payson Park Cross Park Trail (Arboretum Road) 4 $150,000 Recreation Facilities Page 22 PRF 10 Year Capital Improvement Plan The following schedule illustrates the long term plan for upkeep and improvements of Portland Parks and Open Spaces. It represents the Parks Division's best estimate for timing and cost. Dates and amounts are subject to change at any time. Prior to implementation, all projects would need support of Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities, City Manager, and City Council. Note: FY27 Projects approved in March of 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 Annual Total District $5,855,000 $9,465,000 $7,145,000 $6,440,000 $7,680,000 $3,469,000 $3,485,000 $3,800,000 $2,237,000 $1,775,000 212 Canco Rd Community Room improvements 4 $200,000 Community Center Construction ??? Community Center Planning $200,000 Reiche Pool Renovation/Replacement 2 Unknown Reiche Pool Filter 2 $115,000 Ice Arena ADA Sidewalk and Access Issues (Park Ave to Horse Barn) 2 $400,000 Chiller Replacement (Refurb in 2024 will get us to est 2034) 2 $350,000 Front of building wall repairs? 2 Ice Arena Improvements 2 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 Redesign (Office to Locker Room) 2 $345,000 Sign Replacement (Ice Arena & Expo) 2 $85,000 Sprinkler Upgrade 2 $100,000 Structural Analysis of entire building 2 Golf Course Bridge over Dole Brook: Phase II 5 $300,000 Bunker Renovation--North Course 5 $987,000 Bunker Renovation--South Course--Phase II 5 $250,000 Cart Barn engineering & design 5 $50,000 Cart Building Building Replacement-South Estimate 5 $500,000 Cart Building Building Replacement-North Estimate 5 $1,250,000 Course Improvements 5 $150,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 Ice Rink Reconstruction add LED lighting 5 $210,000 Irrigation system replacement towers 5 $150,000 Irrigation System Replacement--TOTAL 5 $1,000,000 $1,000,000 $1,000,000 Golf Simluators/Roof Adjustment 5 Materials Storage--Covered 5 $144,000 Paving Parking Lot--North Course Phase I 5 $150,000 Paving Parking Lot--North Course Phase II 5 $150,000 Public Assemblies Expo Renovations 2 $1,000,000 Merrill Interior Doors 1 $100,000 Merrill Loading Dock Engineering 1 $50,000 Page 23 PRF 10 Year Capital Improvement Plan The following schedule illustrates the long term plan for upkeep and improvements of Portland Parks and Open Spaces. It represents the Parks Division's best estimate for timing and cost. Dates and amounts are subject to change at any time. Prior to implementation, all projects would need support of Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities, City Manager, and City Council. Note: FY27 Projects approved in March of 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 Annual Total District $5,855,000 $9,465,000 $7,145,000 $6,440,000 $7,680,000 $3,469,000 $3,485,000 $3,800,000 $2,237,000 $1,775,000 Merrill Loading Dock: Extend, Reorient & add bus parking 1 $300,000 Merrill Marquee 1 $200,000 Merrill Orchestra Pit Lift - PSO/POV/Opera offering funding 1 $300,000 Merrill Seating Replacement--adding to existing CIP of $200K 1 $100,000 Ocean Gateway: Add Catering Kitchen 1 $250,000 Outdoor venues - Barricades--moved to operating budget $140 various There were no new requests submitted in this years public process Page 24 ​ ​ CITY OF PORTLAND​ CITY OF PORTLAND ​ Parks, Recreation & Facilities Department​ Parks, Recreation & Facilities Department ​ Ethan Hipple, Director​ Alex Marshall, Parks Director Memorandum TO: Parks Commission and Land Bank Commission FROM: Alex Marshall, Parks Director, Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department SUBJECT: Parks Division Update DATE: August/September/October 2025 Parks Division Staffing ●​ Total Budgeted positions in Parks Division: 43 ●​ Vacancies: ○​ Arborist ○​ Parks Maintainer ○​ Contracted Project Manager Citywide Unhoused Report At this time, there are 33 encampments citywide, which is 12 fewer than this time in 2024 and 243 fewer than that of 2023. Of the 33 active tent sites, 3 of them are located on City property. Overall, in 2025, City Staff (primarily Rangers) have tagged and removed 632 tents citywide. Park Rangers continue to tag and remove between 5 and 20 tents from City land each week and conduct a thorough clean-up afterward with the help of other Parks staff or contractors. There continues to be a steady capacity available at the Homeless Services Center. Annual Ft Gorges Maintenance On September 18th staff from the Parks Division took a trip out to Ft. Gorges with the help of Rippleffect and their beach landing vessel. Overgrown vegetation and invasives were removed to allow for easier accessibility and viewing from various locations throughout the park. The Friends of Ft. Gorges also joined us to help with the project. Riverton Trolley Park & Maine Outdoor Film Festival Also on September 18th was an afternoon and evening event at the transforming Riverton Trolley Park through a collaboration with the Parks Conservancy. There was a tutorial on mountain bike riding with The Greater Portland New England Mountain Biking Association, a park history walk with former City Arborist Jeff Tarling and a short film showing in the ballfield with the Maine Outdoor Film Festival. It was a wonderful way to activate and shine a spotlight on this beautiful space. Resurfaced Riverton Courts The Riverton Courts are now open with 6 new surfaced and dedicated Pickleball courts and 1 multiuse tennis court. The soft opening was highlighted on September 19th when we invited members of the daily Deering Oaks pickleball group over to play in Riverton and show the Parks Director how it is really done. 212 Canco Road, Suite A • Portland, Maine 04103 Page 25 • www.portlandmaine.gov parkscommission@portlandmaine.gov ​ ​ CITY OF PORTLAND​ CITY OF PORTLAND ​ Parks, Recreation & Facilities Department​ Parks, Recreation & Facilities Department ​ Ethan Hipple, Director​ Alex Marshall, Parks Director Preble Field & Fitness Course Open The long awaited Preble Field and Fitness Course are now open after a ribbon cutting ceremony on September 5th. Members of the community, city staff, the project team and the mayor all joined in the celebration of how impactful this new stormwater infrastructure will be for the city and how beautiful this reconstructed recreation facility is. The underground tanks hold 3.5 Million gallons of combined sewer/stormwater during each storm which is important as it will all be treated by the water treatment plant as capacity allows instead of being discharged into the ocean due to that limited treatment capacity. The playing field will be programmed for use in the Spring of 2026 while the fitness course is open for fun and exercise. Forestry Fall Planting & Co-Op Program The Forestry Team planted a total of 166 trees this Spring and Fall as part of their annual tree planting program. The focus in 2025 was in the low tree equity score neighborhoods and surrounding areas such as continued efforts in Bayside. Additionally, of these 166 trees, there were 35 co-op trees planted across the city. The 166 trees were watered with the previous 300 trees planted in 2024. Annual Meadow Mowing Each season the parks team identifies and promotes ‘no mow’ or ‘low mow’ areas within the parks. These areas are typically established in underutilized spaces that would be better served to promote pollinator habitat and activity. In order to keep these meadows flush with natives and desired vegetation, we need to mow them annually so that woody plants and invasives do not overrun them. This schedule starts around the end of September and runs through October/November as there is an incredible amount of ground to cover before snowfall. Some locations see a mowing in the late Spring after insects have left the space. Annual Tulip Planting The City Horticulture Team has removed all annual flower displays, prepped those beds for tulips and planted the Spring tulip display for 2026. With upwards of 10,000 tulips in the ground this year we are eagerly awaiting the beauty they bring each Spring. Some of these spaces include Fessenden Park, Deering Oaks and the Western Prom. The Horticulture Team also partnered with the Yellow Tulip Project to have a new Hope Garden prepped and planted with 1,000 yellow tulips at the Deering Avenue entrance to Deering Oaks. Monument Square Game Equipment We hope folks were able to stop by Monument Square over the month of October to utilize some of the new game equipment that was placed out there. A Ping Pong Table, a Bean Bag Toss set, giant Connect Four, and a Foosball Table were the highlights of this activation. The items have been stored away for the Winter so look for them to re-appear in the Spring of 2026. 212 Canco Road, Suite A • Portland, Maine 04103 Page 26 • www.portlandmaine.gov parkscommission@portlandmaine.gov ​ ​ CITY OF PORTLAND​ CITY OF PORTLAND ​ Parks, Recreation & Facilities Department​ Parks, Recreation & Facilities Department ​ Ethan Hipple, Director​ Alex Marshall, Parks Director Maine Mural Festival A local muralist who goes by the name The Color Wizard, initiated the first year of the Maine Mural Festival which took place down in East Bayside along the Bayside Trail. This festival brought in 25 professional graffiti artists from all over New England to showcase some of their work on the exterior building walls along the Bayside Trail between Cove and Diamond Streets. The artwork spans 20,000 sq/ft of primed walls and is truly impressive to see. Lincoln Park Fence Celebration On November 3rd, City Staff and the Friends of Lincoln Park hosted a celebration of the completion of 50% of the Lincoln Park Fence restoration. Special guests included the contracted Conservator, the Mayor, The District Councilor and others. It was a beautiful day to shine a light on this accomplishment. A huge Thank You goes out to the Friends Group who carried the financial weight of the Pearl Street section by raising over $100,000 of the $180,000 project. Trott Littlejohn Fitness Station Installed on Peaks Island​ The Friends of Trott Littlejohn Park and city Playgrounds Staff worked to install a new fitness station near the Peaks Island Community Garden. It was a great partnership that resulted in a wonderful new piece of exercise equipment for folks to use out on the island. Park Projects and Department Updates Staff are working on the following Park Improvement projects: ●​ Deering Oaks Park ADA Walkway improvements: Phase 3, providing ADA access to the wading ravine, was completed in the Summer of 2023. Phase 4, which is the sidewalk along Tennis Court Drive, is going out to bid later this Summer for a potential Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 construction. ●​ Riverton Preserve: Recreation improvement plans are in progress and will consist primarily of a trail network with other improvements. This project is intended to fulfill LWCF conversion requirements, and final approval of the improvement plan rests with the state and National Park Service, which has a public engagement process. ●​ Lower Western Prom Park Improvements: This project has been bid out and did not receive a bid within the allocated budget, so it will be revised and re-advertised in the coming months. ●​ Longfellow Elementary School Playground: Playground Equipment has been selected. The project went out to bid in the Spring of 2025 only to receive one bid substantially over the budget for the project. Portland School Staff and Park Project Managers are working through the next steps to keep this project going. ●​ Portland Harbor Common: Ground breaking will be happening in November ●​ Stroudwater Bridge: Bids have been received and the contract is being finalized. ●​ Public Restrooms: So far, the city has installed 15 new public restrooms citywide over the past 3 212 Canco Road, Suite A • Portland, Maine 04103 Page 27 • www.portlandmaine.gov parkscommission@portlandmaine.gov ​ ​ CITY OF PORTLAND​ CITY OF PORTLAND ​ Parks, Recreation & Facilities Department​ Parks, Recreation & Facilities Department ​ Ethan Hipple, Director​ Alex Marshall, Parks Director years. Recent modifications were done to the units at The Eastern Promenade, Commercial St/Fish Pier, and Fox Field to include a vault for increased storage capacity. 4 more public restrooms are on the way with one at Lower Western Promenade, 1 at the Spring and High street parking lot, and 2 at the Eastern Promenade near the existing bathhouse. 212 Canco Road, Suite A • Portland, Maine 04103 Page 28 • www.portlandmaine.gov parkscommission@portlandmaine.gov