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Comp Plan March ’15 update

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Portland's Comprehensive Plan Update E-News
March 2015
Episode 5: Healthy, Connected Portland
Lights, camera, action! Final Centers and Corridors video released; more videos solicited for April film festival
Over the past few months, we’ve shared a series of videos about making great places, how Portland is growing and what makes a vibrant, safe and healthy community. These videos were developed to help explain what is at the heart of the city’s new Comprehensive Plan: growing in centers and corridors. We’re coming to the end of our story now with the fifth and last installment in the series, called A Healthy, Connected Portland.
Last video in series released
Planning and Sustainability Commission dives into Comp Plan work sessions
With so many Comp Plan issues and topics to learn about, review testimony on and discuss, the Planning and Sustainability Commission (PSC) is now up to four- or five-hour meetings every two weeks, with an extra one thrown in every now and then to pick up the slack. These volunteer commissioners are no slackers, though. Read more about who they are and what drives them to devote so much time and energy to the community.
Then see how the PSC schedule has expanded and morphed to accommodate additional testimony, staff analysis and commissioner discussion by clicking on the Learn More button below. 
PSC work sessions
EOA updated
News Flash: Public hearing on Economic Opportunities Analysis moved to April 28
The Economic Opportunities Analysis (EOA) demonstrates that the policies, infrastructure investments and land use map changes contained in the Proposed Draft of the Comprehensive Plan will support economic growth and provide adequate development capacity to meet Portland’s 20-year jobs forecast, consistent with Goal 9. 
The latest (not final) version of the EOA has been published in advance of the April 28, 2015, Planning and Sustainability Commission public hearing on the reports. Read the updated reports that make up the EOA by clicking the Learn More button. 
EOA
STAR award presentation
Comp Plan Outreach and Map App are STARs
The Comprehensive Plan Update team recently received the 2015 STAR Award for Citizen Involvement from the state’s Citizen Involvement Advisory Committee (CIAC) and the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC).
The award is intended to recognize organizations or individuals for outstanding work in public involvement in local land use planning, and for efforts to promote and implement the values of set forth in Oregon’s Statewide Planning Goal 1 regarding citizen involvement.
The award was presented to the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability for its work on the 2035 Comprehensive Plan, particularly for staff’s “efforts to involve the public in the process to evaluate and amend the comprehensive plan.”
The review committee found that, with the Map App and our efforts to reach communities of color and other Portlanders who don’t normally engage in land use planning, staff were able to use “high and low tech” to reach significantly more people and gather more meaningful feedback on the draft Comprehensive Plan.
“BPS realized from the get go that it had to do public engagement for the Comp Plan differently than in 1980,” said one reviewer. “Staff used technology in a way that made the proposed map changes personal and local. Everybody can relate to their own block.”

The committee also recognized the bureau for exemplary customer service, citing the Comprehensive Plan Helpline, Language Line interpretation services, bilingual staffing and “office hours” out in the community. And by collaborating with organizations representing under represented and underserved Portlanders, staff received feedback on how the plan could help address issues around affordable housing, displacement, and economic development for their communities.

On Thursday, March 12, Map App Developer Carmen Piekarski and SE District Liaison Marty Stockton (pictured above from left to right) traveled to Salem to accept the award from Greg Macpherson, chair of the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission, and Steve Faust, chair of the State Citizen Involvement Advisory Committee. Congrats to all!
Written comment period closes; push from community results in flood of last minute testimony
The written comment period for the Proposed Draft of the Comprehensive Plan closed at midnight on March 13, 2015. Comments were submitted in writing, via email and on the Map App.
Staff have been processing more than 4,000 pieces of unique testimony, submitted over a nine-month period since the Proposed Draft was released. All testimony has been delivered to the Planning and Sustainability Commission and can be viewed on the PSC testimony FTP site. An index of all testimony will be published soon.
The newest testimony submitted in early March is still being analyzed and synthesized by planners, who will then forward their additional recommendations in memos to the PSC in advance of the remaining work sessions scheduled for April 14, May 12 and May 26 (see calendar below). 
By closing time, the Map App (version 2) stats included: 

  • ~40,000 page views
  • 19,058 unique visitors
  • 2,312 comments (testimony)
“The unique visitor number is impressive,” says BPS Tech Services Manager Kevin Martin. “That’s almost 20,000 people participating in some way in the City’s long range plan.”
EVENTS

Planning and Sustainability Commission Work Session

Tuesday, April 14, 12:30 – 5:30 p.m. **
1900 SW 4th Ave., Suite 2500A

 

Mixed Use Zones Project Advisory Committee (MUZ PAC)

Wednesday, April 15, 4 – 6 p.m. 
1900 SW 4th Ave., Suite 2500A

Comprehensive Plan Update – Community Involvement Committee (CIC) Meeting

Wednesday, April 22 2015, 8 – 10 a.m.
1900 SW 4th Ave., Suite 2500A

 

Public Hearing: Revised Economic Opportunities Analysis (EOA)

Tuesday, April 28 2015, 3 – 7p.m. **
1900 SW 4th Ave., Suite 2500A

 

Tentative release date for Draft Recommended Plan reflecting PSC directions

April 28 – May 11, 2015
This is a draft of the PSC’s eventual recommendation to City Council, presented for their review. This staff-prepared draft reflects initial direction from the PSC in previous work sessions as well as staff recommendations that the commission has tentatively accepted. The PSC will have approximately a month to review it prior to a final vote. They may make further amendments at the May 26 or June 9 work sessions.

 

Portland is Growing: A Festival of Local Films

Wednesday, April 29 2015, 6:30 – 9 p.m.
McMenemin’s Kennedy School Gymnasium
5736 NE 33rd Ave.

Public Hearing: Growth Scenario Report Addendum followed by PSC work session

Tuesday, May 12, 12:30 p.m. **
1900 SW 4th Ave., Suite 2500A

Final PSC Work Session(s) and Recommendation (vote)

May 26 or June 9, 2015 **
 
** Please refer to the PSC Calendar approximately one week in advance of each meeting to see the specific time for this agenda item.
bps@portlandoregon.gov
1900 SW 4th Ave, 7th Floor | Portland, OR 97201 US
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Local Issues

MCDD Open Board Positions

The Peninsula Drainage District #2 and the Sandy Drainage Improvement Company are currently seeking to fill vacant board positions. The next few years will be a particularly important time for the districts as they undertake the investigation, repair, and potential improvement of the levee system that protects a critical portion of the Portland region.

Find more information here.

Board members must be either a landowner in the district or the representative of a land-owning entity.

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