10. August 2008 by admin.

Sandtrap ringed with trees

Ducks on Colwood pond

Colwood pond

Incense cedars at Colwood

Oregon white oak at Colwood

Colwood cottonwoods

Willows and pond

Pink flower by Colwood pond

Venerable Oregon white oak at Colwood Golf Course

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7. August 2008 by admin.

The next Colwood strategy meeting is Tuesday, August 12^th from 7pm to 8:30pm at Central Northeast Neighbors, 4415 NE 87^th Avenue. Please join us!

Colwood is scheduled to go before City Council on Wednesday, September 17^th. Some of the key things we need to work on to ensure success at the Council:

• Make new connections, maintain connections, and reconnect where needed with individuals and organizations who support keeping Colwood green! We need a critical mass of testimony and support being provided to the Mayor and Commissioners. If you support keeping Colwood green, be sure to contact them!
• Develop a strategy for effectively working with the media.

What’s new?

• The Port of Portland has tabled its plans for a third runway for the foreseeable future. This removes much of the Port’s drive for supporting the rezoning
• The Sierra Club has taken an official stand opposing the rezoning.  They join a long list of organizations and individuals opposed to the rezoning of Colwood
• The City of Portland continues to meet with the land owners in hopes of acquiring Colwood as a permanent public space.  Despite what some proponents of the rezone have stated publicly, the City has always had an interest in this property.

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23. July 2008 by admin.

The Portland Council hearing has been rescheduled. The hearing regarding the request to rezone Colwood Golf Course from open space to industrial is now expected to happen on September 17th. Formal notice of the hearing should be posted by the City on or before August 20th.

We will have a strategy meeting prior to the hearing but there are always opportunities to have your voice be heard and help keep Colwood green before the hearing:

• Talk to your neighbors, co-workers, and friends about this issue. Ask them to provide written or in-person comment the Portland City Council Members to Keep Colwood Green!
• Contact your neighborhood association. Ask them to adopt a formal resolution asking that the City Council deny the request to rezone Colwood and to let the Council know about it! Many neighborhood associations have already done this, including Concordia, Cully, Parkrose, the Central Northeast Neighbors Coalition, and the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods.
• Contact your local businesses and business associations 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!
• Contact the environmental organizations you are part of, ask them to join the Audubon Society and others in opposing the rezoning of Colwood!
• Tell the press. Comment on articles related to the rezoning and send letters to the editor showing your support to Keep Colwood Green! Here are links to a couple of recent articles and posts that directly address or are related to the Colwood rezoning request:

1. No Third Runway - July 20, 2008 Portland Tribune: A key impetus for the rezoning request for Colwood - and the possible future request to rezone Broadmoor from open space to industrial - was expansion of the airport. That expansion is off the table. You can also comment on the related post in Jack Bog’s Blog.
2. 2 public courses’ days may be numbered - July 15, 2008 Portland Tribune: This story notes that there is a push to rezone Colwood and Broadmoor Golf Courses to industrial. Both courses are zoned open space and previously were zoned agricultural. Both provide open space and recreation in an area that is underserved in both of these areas. The rezoning of either area would result in enviromental and local health impacts. Both areas should be preserved under their present zoning.

And be ready to provide written and/or public testimony against the rezone. We need you! The Portland City Council needs to hear from you!

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8. July 2008 by admin.

UPDATED: The Portland City Council will hold a hearing on Wednesday, August 20 at 6 pm Wednesday, September 17 (updated 7/23/2008) on the request to rezone Colwood Golf Course from open space to industrial. Formal notice of the hearing should be posted by the City on or before August 20th.

Spread the word!

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

Contact your neighborhood association. 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.

Contact the environmental organizations you are part of, ask them to join the Audubon Society and others in opposing the rezoning of Colwood.

And be ready to provide written and/or public testimony against the rezone.  We need you! The Portland City Council needs to hear from you!

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4. July 2008 by admin.

In anticipation of a City Council hearing in late August, there will be a Colwood strategy meeting at Central Northeast Neighbors on Tuesday, July 8

Meeting: Colwood National Golf Course Comp. Plan and Zoning Map Change Strategy Meeting
Time/Date: Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.
Location:

Central Northeast Neighbors Coalition
4415 NE 87^th Avenue (NE 87^th and Sandy – next to Fire Station)
Portland, OR 97220

Conference Room 2 (note there’s a separate meeting in room 1)

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24. June 2008 by admin.

A hearing before the Portland City Council on the request to rezone Colwood will be scheduled soon. The date of the hearing is expected to be in mid-to-late August.  We have requested that this hearing be held during evening hours to accommodate the residents and others who are unable to testify at a hearing during the day.

As soon as a hearing is scheduled, we will post the date here as well as any instructions on how to testify. In addition, we will scheduling a community action meeting.

What can you do now? Spread the word!

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

Contact your neighborhood association. 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.

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12. June 2008 by admin.

The Portland Tribune ran a piece on Colwood including a nice picture of the Columbia Slough going through the property. You can find the info on the article here:http://portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=121321827267952900

As with other press coverage on this issue, we encourage you to provide comment and/or letter to the editor in support of retaining the open space zoning. You may comment on the Tribune article directly or send a more formal letter to the editor via snail mail, fax, or their on-line form:

Portland Tribune
6605 S.E. Lake Road
Portland, OR 97222

Or fax: 503-546-0727

Or submit a letter to the editor via the Portland Tribune’s online form:

http://www.portlandtribune.com/forms/letters_form.php

Thank you for your support to keep Colwood green.

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27. May 2008 by admin.

The Hearings Officer recommendation has been highlighted in a couple of local newspapers:

The Daily Journal of Commerce

The Portland Mercury

Portland Sentinel - June Issue

Hollywood Star - June Issue

It would be a surprise and grave disappointment if the City Council went against the objective recommendation from the Hearings Officer on this rezoning request. However, it is still a possibility. Please stay informed and be ready to contact the City commissioners and the Mayor on this issue.

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16. May 2008 by admin.

City of Portland Hearings Officer Gregory Frank has considered the evidence related to the request to change the zoning of Colwood Golf Course from Open Space to Industrial.

To summarize the Hearings Officer recommendation:

“… the Colwood site open space is unique, is a practically irreplaceable asset, and therefore this application should not be approved.”

“…the Hearing Officer recommends that the application for a Comprehensive Plan Map Amendment from Open Space to Industrial Sanctuary be denied, the Hearing Officer also recommends that the Zoning Map Amendment from OS to IG2 also be denied.”

You can download the full recommendation report HERE.

What’s Next?

The Hearings Officer’s recommendation will be transmitted to the City Council for review. The City Council will hold a public hearing prior to making a final recommendation.

Until the Council acts, the request to allow industrial use of this open space is still alive.

We will post here when a Council hearing on this issue has been scheduled so you can send your comments and testimony to the Mayor and Commissioners and ask them to support the Hearings Officer’s recommendation.

A meeting to plan next steps is still scheduled for May 21, 8 pm in the Community Room of the Kennedy School (5736 N.E. 33rd Ave., Portland, OR 97211).

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13. May 2008 by admin.

If you are reading this it is because like so many local neighbors, businesses and organizations you support retaining Colwood Golf Course’s current zoning of Open Space. Thank you for your support and for protecting our environment and recreational opportunities!

As reported the hearings officer has recommended NO REZONE of Colwood. This recommend will then go to the Portland City Council for review.

Proponents for keeping Colwood zoned as Open Space will be reviewing the hearings officer’s findings and planning next steps on May 21, 8 pm in the Community Room of the Kennedy School (5736 N.E. 33rd Ave., Portland, OR 97211).

Refreshments will be served, so please join us and help us Keep Colwood Green!

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