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Residents still waiting for Liberty Park makeover Monday Feb 26, 2018 at 12:01 AM Damian Mann Mail Tribune @reporterdm Residents of a poor west Medford neighborhood known as Liberty Park recently pitched their ideas to revitalize this neglected corner of the city, hoping that this time Medford officials will follow through on their promises. "It's an 'I'll believe it when I see it' attitude," said Bob Shand, who heads the Liberty Park Neighborhood Association. City officials have talked to local residents, who have made it clear they place a priority on better streets and better sewer connections, along with more low-income housing that would be paid for through the bulk of $20 million in Medford Urban Renewal Agency dollars. The views of about 40 residents were compiled during an open house held Jan. 31. Shand said many residents he talks to still have a pessimistic outlook about the city's intention to revitalize their neighborhood based on past history when MURA largely ignored this area during almost $70 million in revitalization efforts over the past 30 years. So far, though, he said he's heartened by the discussion and interest in Liberty Park, which he'd like to rename Liberty Village. "It's going in the right direction as long as the city communicates with the neighborhood," Shand said. He said many of the neighbors can't attend all the city meetings and would like Medford officials to reach out to them as often as possible so they can keep track of any new developments. A city-formed committee has recommended a general list of improvements to help the neighborhood, which is roughly bounded by Bear Creek on the east, Central Avenue on the west, McAndrews Road to the north and Jackson Street to the south. Liberty Park is also called the Beatty-Manzanita neighborhood after the two streets that bisect it. The committee's recommendations align with the suggestions made by local residents. Street improvements on Manzanita and Edwards streets are needed to make the neighborhood safer, including finding ways to make it safer for children by installing sidewalks and traffic-calming devices, the committee suggested. Another recommendation is to replace sewer connections from houses to the streets because many residents report having to clean out their lines once a year. Housing assistance is a top priority — both to attract new low-income developments and to help existing homeowners who need to remodel, the committee suggested. The committee, whose recommendations will be discussed March 1 at the MURA board meeting, decided not to suggest too many specific projects until after a master plan for Liberty Park is completed. The committee also suggested the city seek more public input before proceeding with any specific project. Residents had other ideas for their neighborhood, including cleaning up Bear Creek, speed-control bumps, crime reduction, a community swimming pool, trash removal, yard beautification and planting more trees. Kim Wallan, president of the MURA board and a city councilor, said the city is considering hiring a manager or executive director under a contract arrangement to help shepherd projects through for the Liberty Park neighborhood. "We're seeing it as a temporary contract," she said. She said the city has too much on its plate at the moment to expect staff to handle the Liberty Park projects as well. "It's just going to founder if we don't have the right person pushing it," she said. Some of the work will likely involve separating sewer and storm water lines, which may require creating a riparian area for the storm water. Wallan said the MURA manager would have to be well versed in handling waterway laws. While many MURA board members would like to see a flagship project for Liberty Park, Wallan said the limited amount of money might result in projects that aren't as glamorous, such as fixing streets, sewer lines and storm drains. "I don't think that what we're going to do is going to be sexy," she said. "I thought this would be pretty utilitarian." If the right set of circumstances occur, Wallan said, it's possible that an apartment complex or some other high-profile development could take place. "Maybe we will have a flagship project," she said. — Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected]. Follow him on www.twitter.com/reporterdm.