TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Steve Powers, City Manager
FROM: Peter Fernandez, PE, Public Works Director
SUBJECT:
title
Approve the Bush’s Pasture Park and Deepwood Estate Gardens Cultural Landscape Management Plan.
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
Result Area(s): Welcome and Livable Neighborhood; Natural Environment Stewardship
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SUMMARY:
summary
Bush’s Pasture Park and Deepwood Estate Gardens encompass 96-acres of culturally and historically significant park land in the center of Salem. The Cultural Landscape Management Plan (CLMP) is intended to establish a vision for the future and guide management and protection of the cultural, historic, and natural resources while supporting physical activity, recreational enjoyment, and educational opportunities at these two unique properties.
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ISSUE:
Shall City Council approve the Bush’s Pasture Park and Deepwood Estate Gardens Cultural Landscape Management Plan?
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Approve the Bush’s Pasture Park and Deepwood Estate Gardens Cultural Landscape Management Plan.
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FACTS AND FINDINGS:
1. A Cultural Landscape is a landscape that has been influenced or shaped by human involvement and includes all cultural, natural, and historic resources associated with a particular historic event, activity, and/or long-term pattern of cultural or aesthetic values.
The Bush’s Pasture Park and Deepwood Estate Gardens Cultural Landscape Management Plan documents the significant features of the parks such as the Oregon white oaks, camas fields, and native and ornamental gardens, and provides recommendations for ways to protect and enhance these features with four management goals derived from an overarching vision for Bush’s Pasture Park and Deepwood Estate Gardens (see link Draft 2021 Bush's Pasture Park and Deepwood Estate Gardens Cultural Landscape Management Plan <https://www.cityofsalem.net/CityDocuments/2021_06_16_DRAFT_Bush_CLMP.pdf>).
Goal 1: Deliver an enriching park experience for Salem residents and visitors, centered on the cultural landscape.
Goal 2: Build awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the significance of this landscape to the Indigenous People of this area.
Goal 3: Support and protect the legibility of the historic character of the Bush’s Pasture Park and Deepwood Estate Gardens and their context.
Goal 4: Enhance the ecological health of the Oregon white oaks, camas and wildflower areas, and Pringle Creek.
The CLMP provides a comprehensive history of the two park properties and detailed guidance for management and protection. It provides a complete list and description of all “contributing” and “non-contributing” features listed in the National Register of Historic Places to ensure recognition and proper management of these features into the future.
The parks’ historic resources are officially documented in the 1986 National Register of Historic Places Nomination for the Gaiety Hill/Bush’s Pasture Park Historic District between a Period of Significance from 1878-1938. The historic resources covered by the CLMP include walkways, orchard trees, upper and lower oak woodlands, camas fields, Deepwood Estate Gardens, Bush’s Pasture, and stone walls along Mission Street SE. Buildings and associated structures are not included in the CLMP.
Features of local importance not included in the Period of Significance include the Rose Garden, play areas, ballfields, and soap box derby track, all of which will also benefit from guidance for their ongoing stewardship, protection, and/or future rehabilitation.
Fourteen management areas have been defined based on their unique characteristics and features. The CLMP profiles each area and provides specific recommendations, considerations, and management objectives for each management area.
The CLMP also includes recommendations for potential future capital projects for park maintenance and enhancement, better connectivity, and increased interpretive features, as well as long term management ideas to address potential climate change impacts.
An important component of the CLMP is the development of a “Decision Tree” (Attachment 1) that allows City staff to assess projects proposed for Bush’s Pasture and / or Deepwood Estate Gardens to ensure park management recommendations and historic and cultural policies and procedures are met prior to any project being approved for implementation at either park.
BACKGROUND:
The development of the CLMP is the culmination of research and input from the public stakeholders, and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. The work began in spring of 2020 with the hiring of Greenworks, Inc., who provided a multi-disciplinary consultant team with expertise in cultural, historic, and natural resources for this project.
Tribal Outreach
Regular updates on the development of the CLMP was provided to representatives of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, and the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation at four of Salem’s monthly Historic and Cultural Resource Compliance Coordination Meetings. Representatives from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde were in attendance at all meetings. Additionally, a site visit to Bush’s Pasture Park was conducted with representatives from the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde on July 22, 2020. Representatives from the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation, while not in attendance for the briefings or the site visit, were provided recordings as well as minutes summarizing the discussions. Members of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde provided written and verbal comments on the draft plan.
Public Outreach
A stakeholder advisory group was established early in the process. Stakeholders are identified as those who have a primary interest in the two park properties or facilities at the parks such as Salem Art Association, Mission Street Parks Conservancy, Deepwood Gardeners, South Central Association of Neighbors, Willamette University, Pioneer Trust Bank, Bush and Deepwood House Museums, and the Lord and Schryver Conservancy. In addition, entities such as South Salem High School who hold track meets at Bush’s Pasture and other recreation interests were also invited. A complete list of stakeholders invited to participate is found in Attachment 2.
Public input was received through three virtual open houses and surveys. Advertisement of the open houses included eight English and Spanish signs posted at both parks, a web page that included a YouTube video on the project, email notification signup, and pertinent project documents and summary reports. Facebook and Salem Connection e-newsletter were also utilized to announce project updates. A web page for this project has been kept current throughout the planning effort and includes open house and survey summaries, upcoming public meetings, opportunity to sign up for email notices, and contact information. Below is a brief summary of the open houses.
• Open House and Survey One were focused on background information about the two properties, the goals of the CLMP, how the properties are used, such as favorite features and activities, and the opportunities and challenges to managing the two sites. A total of 351 people responded to the survey. One person responded in Spanish.
• Open House and Survey Two were focused on describing the 14 management areas of the two parks and proposed recommendations for each. The survey asked respondents their level of agreement with the recommendations along with opportunity to add comments. A total of 259 people responded to the survey with two persons utilizing the Spanish version.
• Survey Three was done in concert with the presentation of the Draft Cultural Landscape Management Plan. The survey asks respondents to review the Draft and provide their level of agreement on the management plan recommendations and the process to move forward in the management of the two parks. Thirty-five people responded to the survey. Twenty-eight respondents or 80 percent indicated they agreed with the management plan recommendations and 21 respondents or 60 percent were in agreement that the management plan provides clear direction for future management, with thirty-two percent neutral.
• In addition to the survey, 11 individuals provided written comments. Changes were made to the draft CLMP document to reflect many of those edits and comments.
• All neighborhood associations were offered presentations. Presentations were given to NEN, Sunnyslope, and SCAN neighborhood associations, as well as the Historic Landmarks Commission and the Mission Street Parks Conservancy. Letters of Support are provided in Attachment 3.
• The CLMP was presented to the Salem Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on July 8, 2021. The Board recommended that Council approve the plan (Attachment 4).
Robert D Chandler, PhD, PE
Assistant Public Works Director
Attachments:
1. Draft Decision Tree
2. List of Stakeholders
3. Letters of Support
4. Salem Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Recommendation
5. Public Comment