I have complained for years about the sorry state of Eisenhower Park and can’t seem to get anyone’s attention. Most of the original trees have died, and the landscapers have killed or damaged more of the trees and shrubs. I planted many new trees on my own dime, but they died, too, and I was asked to stop planting them. Weeds are everywhere. The lousy bench and table they put in were broken within a few months. I offered to build a bench that’s twice as good as anything they’ll put in, but they don’t care. I just want to see a nice green park before I die. Why won’t anybody listen?
— Lou Greupner, Hazel Dell
Cheer up, Lou: Here comes some hope for this disappointingly scraggly west Hazel Dell site, which slopes steeply away from the back of Eisenhower Elementary School toward Cougar Creek.
In late July, officials from the Vancouver Public Schools, as well as the county’s parks and public works departments, surveyed the site with park neighbor Lou, and agreed that an improvement plan is necessary.
“We don’t have an argument with what Lou is saying,” said Todd Horenstein, the school district’s assistant superintendent for facilities. “He’s right that the condition of the park is not what we want. We are going to work with the county parks folks do to restoration work and get the grounds back up to an acceptable level.”
Eisenhower School Neighborhood Park is one of those shared green spaces that’s a schoolyard when school is in and a public park when school is out. It’s Clark County property, but it’s maintained by the Vancouver School District.
Since the school and its surrounding landscape on Northeast Ninth Avenue were demolished and replaced in 2006, Horenstein said, a variety of factors have conspired against the struggling greenery there — from irrigation problems and erosion on the sloping site to budget cuts and a commitment to keeping the landscape chemical free.
“We designated the school as a no-chemical school,” he said. “No weed killers, no artificial fertilizers. We planted a thick, heavy landscape based on that, with the idea of growing it pretty quickly. But because of weather and irrigation problems, it didn’t take off as fast as normal.”
Add to that a heavy winter storm in 2008, which sent a lot of good topsoil sliding downhill. Not to mention tight budgets that prompted the school district to not irrigate during the summers.
“It was an ideal situation for growing weeds” and stunting tree growth, Horenstein said. The result, he conceded, is a park that looks desiccated and dotted with small, unhealthy trees.
Moving forward, Horenstein said, county corrections and public works crews will keep after the weeds.
Replacement trees and other greenery will go in this fall, when the weather is wetter and new plants have a chance to take hold.
As far as Lou’s irrepressible volunteerism, Horenstein said, the school district is wary but willing.
“He was putting trees in the ground for the right reasons — but we do have to be somewhat cautious, we can’t have people just planting trees indiscriminately on our properties. We want the planning and installation work to be done by school personnel or park personnel,” he said. “It’s terrific to have a neighbor like him watching over things, and we think there’s a role for him. We can create opportunities for him.”
Horenstein said a new, sturdier picnic table and bench will be installed too.
Neighbor Lou said he’s not holding his breath.
Got a question about your neighborhood? We’ll get it answered. Send “What’s up with that?” questions to neighbors@columbian.com.
