Edith Mirante commutes by bike on the Springwater Corridor path right outside the door of her Sellwood neighborhood home. Since she moved there in 2007, the path between Southeast 9th and 11th existed as a goat trail of rocks and dirt alongside rarely used railroad tracks. When Portland Parks & Recreation announced plans to pave the path back in January, Mirante never expected to be the loudest voice in opposition.
13 years after it was officially identified, the City of Portland plans to finally close a major gap in the Springwater Corridor.
The Springwater Corridor is finally preparing to connect most of the way through the Sellwood neighborhood, but nobody’s decided yet what the land alongside the path will look like.
Metro finalized an agreement yesterday that will allow them to secure the required easement rights to extend the Springwater Corridor Trail. The agreement will close more than half of the existing “Sellwood Gap” south of SE Tacoma Street.
According to a Metro press release, they reached an agreement with Oregon Pacific Railroad Company for $618,000. The agreement also included the sale of a 5,000 square foot property to Oregon Pacific in the Sellwood area.
The Sellwood Gap is a thorn in the side of many people in the Portland area. When the trail reaches Sellwood, the popular multi-use path snakes through residential streets for about a mile until the trail picks up again.