Friends of Trinity Park Making Strides to Upgrade Local Pocket Park

If you were asked what the most visible public park in Portland is, what would spring to mind? Monument Square or Deering Oaks would top most people’s lists, but little Trinity Park in our beloved Woodfords Corner neighborhood could be among the city’s most visible parks as it occupies a prominent place on Forest Avenue, one of the city’s, and state’s, busiest streets.

Most people don’t think of Trinity Park as a public park, but it is one of the many “pocket parks” that grace Portland’s neighborhoods. Pocket parks are owned by the city but generally tended by volunteers. Trinity Park is managed by Trinity Episcopal Church in conjunction with private citizens and neighbors. The Friends of Trinity Park is a non-profit association of volunteers who care about Trinity Park, and are variously neighbors of the park or affiliated with either Trinity Episcopal Church or Friends of Woodfords Corner (or both!)

Neighbors may have noticed in recent years that the flower beds in Trinity Park have been substantially improved with a vibrant collection of annuals and perennials. The city has placed a solar compacting trash barrel near the picnic table at the bus stop and is redoing the intersection of Lincoln Street and Forest Avenue to make it more pedestrian-friendly.

Currently, Trinity Church and the Friends of Trinity Park are interested in building on these improvements and exploring ways of taking them to the next level. In consultation with the city’s Parks Department and Friends of Woodfords Corner, they have tentatively engaged a landscape architect to evaluate the space and make recommendations for improvements. 

The planning process is just beginning. If you have ideas for the space that you would like to be considered or want to contribute your time or financial support to the effort, please contact Davis Hartwell at friendsoftrinitypark@gmail.com. We hope to schedule a couple of opportunities for people to meet the designer in October and offer public input.

We are also looking for volunteers to help with bulb planting and fall cleanup. Stay tuned for details in upcoming FWC newsletters.