City wide issues

EPA invitations

From the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:

Welcome to Thursday, everyone! We have three updates and one reminder for you regarding the Portland Harbor Superfund Site:

1. *Next Wednesday, 7/8 at 6:30pm Pacific* RSVP Now! Virtual Portland Harbor Community Advisory Group (CAG) Meeting Information

  • Topic – Community Workshop on Making Portland Harbor Cleanup Information Accessible. This workshop will be hosted online by the Portland Harbor Community Advisory Group, the City of Portland, and the Oregon Department of State Lands

2. *Comment by next Wednesday, 7/8/2020* State Seeks Comment on Temporary Closure of Willamette Cove

  • View the news release from the Oregon Department of State Lands

3. *Recording & Materials Available* Follow-Up from the virtual June 10th Portland Harbor Public Forum. A recording of the Public Forum and all materials from this event are now available on EPA’s Portland Harbor website in the ‘Public Participation Opportunities’ section!

4. *Reminder* Photo Request for the Final Portland Harbor Community Involvement Plan (CIP)

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Please read below for more information about these items:

1.*Next Wednesday, 7/8 at 6:30pm Pacific* RSVP Now! Virtual Portland Harbor Community Advisory Group (CAG) Meeting Information: 

  • When: NextWednesday, July 8th at 6:30 pm
  • Topic:  Community Workshop on Making Portland Harbor Cleanup Information Accessible. Join the Portland Harbor Community Advisory Group, the City of Portland, and the Oregon Department of State Lands online July 8 at 6:30pm for a virtual workshop and share how YOU would like to learn about the river cleanup. RSVP to reserve your spot. Learn more here!
  • How: Virtually! Please RSVP to reserve your spot and receive information on how to attend the meeting!
    • Please Note:  The July 8 online workshop is focused on understanding community members’ information needs. Tribal governments, public agencies, businesses, and waterfront properties are encouraged to contact project manager Dawn.Sanders@portlandoregon.gov to learn about the input opportunities tailored for each of those audiences.

·        Have questions? Please email Jessica Terlikowski, City of Portland, Community Engagement Coordinator at jessica.terlikowski@portlandoregon.gov

2.*Comment by next Wednesday, 7/8/2020* State Seeks Comment on Temporary Closure of Willamette Cove. The Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) is currently accepting public comments on a proposal to close Willamette Cove to boating and other river uses from mid-August through October 2020 to allow sediment and water samples to be collected. Please read below for more information:

  • Why is there a State comment period on Willamette Cove?  The Willamette Cove In-water Remedial Design Group (City of Portland, Oregon Department of State Lands, Port of Portland) are excited to start design work where they will determine how the approaches to address the contamination outlined in EPA’s cleanup plan for the Portland Harbor Superfund Site, such as capping and dredging, will be used. This first phase requires sediment and water samples to be collected by boats on the water. To facilitate these cleanup efforts and minimize health and safety risks to the public and project personnel, the Oregon Department of State Lands is considering closing the area mid-August through October 31, 2020.
  • When may I comment? The comment period is open June 8 through July 8. Comments must be received by July 8 to be considered.
  • How may I comment? Written comments may be submitted to DSL’s Richard Fitzgerald by email at richard.w.fitzgerald@dsl.state.or.us, or by mail at 775 Summer St. NE, Suite 100, Salem, Oregon 97301.
  • More information: 

3. *Recording & Materials Available* Follow-Up from the virtual June 10th Portland Harbor Public Forum. Thank you to everyone who attended the June 10th quarterly EPA Portland Harbor Public Forum (with DEQ and CAG support). A webinar recording and other materials from this event are now available both on EPA’s Portland Harbor website in the ‘Public Participation Opportunities’ section and below:

4. *Reminder* Photo Request for the Final Portland Harbor Community Involvement Plan (CIP):  Thank you to everyone who has already sent us photos! Even though the public feedback period is closed for the Portland Harbor CIP, EPA is still looking for high resolution photos to include throughout the CIP as we finalize the document. If you have photos that you would like to be considered, please send them along with the source of the photo to kprusia@triangleassociates.com.

Thank you!

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Local Issues

Bridgeton Neighborhood letter

Morgan Steele
Bureau of Development Services
Land Use Services

1900 SW 4th Avenue
Suite 5000
Portland OR 97201

Case File: LU 20-116560 EN

Dear Morgan Steele
Bureau of Development Services
Land Use Services:

Due to the pandemic we received your notice after the prescribed deadline. We encourage you to take into account our insights and requests anyway.

The Bridgeton Neighborhood strongly supports the Columbia Children’s Arboretum. It is a vital resource to our community. The proposed improvements to the path through the arboretum will improve access to younger families with children and our older neighbors that require surer footing.

The application provides clear evidence that responsible organizations can manage the tree canopy without being unduly limited by the tree code. The CCA has been allowed to remove trees that no longer fit their purpose and replace them with different species and locations. We urge you to consider this for non-governmental agencies as well.

The proposed changes stop short of providing better access to the arboretum for pedestrians. Neighbors in East Columbia and Bridgeton as well as Portlanders taking the bus must walk on 6th Avenue NE to reach the Arboretum. The speed limit on 6th Avenue is 40 miles per hour and there is no sidewalk. We are in support of creating a sidewalk on the eastern side of 6th Ave. NE from NE Marine Drive to the Arboretum. The improvements to the arboretum path will increase usage while simultaneously increasing the risk of pedestrian fatalities on NE 6th Ave. We request that the City of Portland accept this as a Condition of Approval and direct PBOT to construct the sidewalk.

Sincerely,

Erik Molander
Land Use Chair
Bridgeton Neighborhood Association
epmolander@gmail.com

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Local Issues

Arboretum improvements to begin

The Environmental Review of the planned changes in the Columbia Children’s Arboretum is now open for public comment. If you live nearby, you got a notice in the mail. You can see the notice at https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bds/article/757002 .

If you would like to comment, please get your written comments in before the deadline of 5 pm on April 8.

This plan is the result of efforts of many people, and led by Dick and Gyrid Towle who worked for over 8 yrs with Parks staff and Commissioners Nick Fish and Amanda Fritz to obtain funding for an ADA and more accessible park. An advisory group met the summer/fall of 2018 to review plans and advise the project. Parks planners have worked on the permitting for the past year having to get approvals for a number of zoning challenges to get to the filing of this Environmental Review.

The plans include a hard surface path, improved parking and an open shelter for group activities.

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