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Oakmont Park Wins 2004 American Institute of Architects People's Choice Award
<br />Nearly 300 votes were cast last weekend at the Eugene Celebration's 2004 American Institute of
<br />Architects (AIA) People's Choice
<br />Awards, and Oakmont Park,
<br />Eugene's newest neighborhood
<br />park, emerged as the winner in
<br />the "Commercial/Public
<br />Landscape Architecture"
<br />category. The 5.5-acre park,
<br />which was constructed during
<br />summer 2003, is located in an
<br />established neighborhood adjacent to the recently renovated Oakway Center, one of Eugene's premier
<br />commercial districts. Through a series of public workshops beginning in fall 2001, Oakmont Park was
<br />designed to provide basic amenities including a children's play area, a play field, pathways, park
<br />furnishings, trees, turf, a small basketball court, and more, but also unique features that set the park
<br />apart, including water play features, public art, a restored native upland prairie, and more naturalized
<br />play settings. Restoration of the upland prairie provided the key to addressing the desire for passive
<br />recreation, buffering between the developed areas of the park and the surrounding neighborhood, habitat
<br />improvement, and cost-effective alternatives to managed turf. Funded by the 1998 Parks and Open
<br />Space bond measure, Oakmont Park is the eighth new neighborhood park to be constructed in Eugene
<br />over the past five years, and its innovative design serves as a new benchmark for future park design in
<br />Eugene.
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<br />The Southwestern Oregon chapter of the AIA has sponsored the architectural People's Choice Awards
<br />for the past 15 years. The competition drew 21 entries this year and winners were recognized at an
<br />awards ceremony. Other projects that received first place awards included the Aurora Building, a St.
<br />Vincent de Paul Iow-income apartment building, and the advertising agency of Cappelli Miles Wiltz Kelly
<br />for interior design. City staff involved in this project include Landscape Architect Robin Hostick, (project
<br />manager, design); Landscape Architect Emily Proudfoot, (design development, construction); Landscape
<br />Designer Adam Steffen, (construction inspection); Parks Maintenance Specialist Jeff Hanson; Irrigation
<br />Specialist Tom Utt; Natural Resources Maintenance Supervisor John Clark; Natural Resources
<br />Operations Coordinator, Trevor Taylor; and Natural Resources Maintenance Specialist, Jesse Cary
<br />Hobbs. The project entry board was created by Kim Mast, Public Works graphic designer.
<br />
<br />For more information about Oakmont Park, call Robin Hostick, designer and project manager, at
<br />682-4915 or Emily Proudfoot, construction project manager, at 682-6019.
<br />
<br />Volunteer Enerqies Unleashed at Alton Baker Off-Leash Doq Park
<br />On Wednesday evening over 15 volunteers, ranging in
<br />age from 3 to 62, turned out to help spruce up the off-
<br />leash dog area at Alton Baker Park, located off Leo
<br />Harris Parkway behind Autzen Stadium. While the dogs
<br />freely socialized, volunteers resurfaced a third of the
<br />park's trails, removed blackberries from the fence line
<br />and pruned Iow-lying tree branches. Even the youngest
<br />member of the group, a 3-year-old boy, pitched in and
<br />gathered all the pruned tree limbs in a pile.
<br />
<br />Volunteers In Parks Coordinator Matt McRae was
<br />impressed with the industriousness of the volunteers.
<br />"Nearly half of the volunteers were recruited on the spot
<br />and just jumped in to help, and several worked for the
<br />whole three hours non-stop," he said.
<br />
<br />The work party was sponsored by the City's Volunteers In Parks program and a group of active park
<br />users. For the last two years, this group of key volunteers, all patrons of the dog park, has worked with
<br />City parks staff to design and maintain the dog park. The group raises funds and organizes work parties
<br />such as this one. The group has been instrumental in making the dog park a reality, identifying
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<br />EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 5
<br />October 1,2004
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