Damascus City Council approves plan for access to healthy food and active living

At their August 19th meeting, the Damascus City Council approved Edible Community: The Healthy Damascus Food Plan.  The Plan was funded by a Community Health Initiatives grant from Kaiser Permanente to examine and improve the community’s access to healthy food.  The 66-page report was developed by Senior Planner, Elise Scolnick, with the help of City Staff, a Technical Advisory Group, a Community Advisory Committee and a consultant from Oregon Public Health Institute.  It outlines what the Damascus community and food environment looks like and how to ensure access to healthy food and active living opportunities so that people have choices when trying to maintain or improve their health.  Having access to healthy choices can help to improve overall community health and wellbeing through preventative measures.

Edible Community: The Healthy Damascus Food Plan is a set of recommendations that provide a roadmap for implementation of healthy food and active living strategies through voluntary community partnerships.  A separate document from the City’s Draft Comprehensive Plan; the food plan presents strategies, programs and projects to improve urban agriculture, healthy food retail, farmers markets, nutrition in public places and active living opportunities.  It also reflects policy and code language within the yet-to-be-adopted Damascus Comprehensive Plan and Development Code, but the Food Plan itself is not regulatory.

Copies of Edible Community: The Health Damascus Food Plan can be found on the City’s web site, www.damascusoregon.gov , at City Hall or at the Damascus Fresh & Local Market (Thursdays 3-7 PM, SE Foster/Damascus Lane, across from Safeway).  For more information contact John Morgan, Community Development Director, (503) 658-8545 or Amy Gilroy, Oregon Public Health Institute (503)227-5502, ext. 229.