Help Keep Colwood Green!

What is happening?: The current landowners of the Colwood National Golf Course (7313 NE Columbia Boulevard - 140 acres) want to rezone the area from Open Space (OS) - its present designation in zoning maps and in the Comprehensive Plan - to General Industrial 2 (IG2). You can find details on the application as well as a site map in the Bureau of Development Services March 14 Staff Report.

The Bureau of Development Services held a hearing on the rezoning request and we are awaiting a recommendation from the hearing officer, Greg Frank. UPDATE: The Hearings Officer has recommended that the rezone request be denied.

Unless the land owners withdraw the rezoning request, the Hearings Officer’s recommendation will be submitted to the Mayor and City Commissioners for approval. As soon as we know when Council hearing on this issue is scheduled, we will post that information here.

Why should I care?: The result of this proposed rezoning would be a permanent and significant loss of open space for Portland - 140 acres; and once it’s gone, it’s gone!

Further, the Colwood Golf Course encompasses sizable portions of the Columbia and Whitaker sloughs. The impact on the habitat areas of the sloughs - especially the critical riparian habitat along the sloughs - will be substantial. This is why a number of local environmental activists have come out against the re-zoning proposal.

Finally the conversion of the open space to industrial use will result in increased air, water, and noise pollution. Portland has gained the dubious distinction of being the 3rd Most Toxic City in America. This is a result of historic misuse and abuse of industrial lands in the city. Converting pristine open space to industrial use and risking the local health and habitat is NOT the direction the city should be going in.

The rezoning of this area is in direct conflict with many of the goal, objectives, and policies of Portland’s Comprehensive Plan. It is also contrary to the goals of Neighborhood Plans in the area and Metro’s Greenspaces Initiative which has targeted the Columbia Slough for habitat preservation and recovery.

I get it, so what should I do?

BE HEARD AND SPREAD THE WORD!

How can you be heard?

1) Contact the Press: Keep the visibility of this issue alive by letting the local papers know that you care about the future of Portland’s open space and environment. Click here for contact information for the local papers.

2) Contact the Mayor and Commissioners: When a formal hearing date is set, you can let your elected officials know your concerns. Click here for mailing and email addresses for the Mayor and City Commissioners.

Not sure how to express your concerns? Feel free to use any of the information in the FAQs section in support of retaining Colwood as open space.

3) Stay informed about the rezoning process. Sign Up for Email Alerts about this issue. We will keep you up to date on all developments including when formal testimony may be submitted.

We will NOT share your info with any other individuals or organizations or use it for any other purpose.

When the Council has a hearing on this issue, we will need as many people their supporting open space as possible, so please stay engaged.

How can you Spread the Word?

Talk to your neighbors, co-workers, and friends about this issue. Tell them about this blog.

Contact your neighborhood association and ask them to stand up for open space and the environment along with Concordia, Cully, Parkrose, the Central Northeast Neighbors Coalition, the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, and others.

Contact your local businesses and ask them to join the North Northeast Business Association, Fox Chase Business Association, and many local businesses in supporting the livability and health of Portland’s residents.

We CAN do this! Make sure your voice is heard!

This entry was posted on 5. May 2008 at 19:31 and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.

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