We are working hard to prepare for the City Council hearing on September 17th. The next meeting for the Keep Colwood Green Coalition is Thursday, September 4, 7 pm - 8:30 pm at Central Northeast Neighbors, 4415 NE 87th Avenue.
All are welcome please join us and feel free to invite other folks as well. We have also established a Google group for discussing this issue. Anyone may join the group here: http://groups.google.com/group/keep-colwood-green
The Keep Colwood Green Coalition is working on a two key things:
1) opposing the rezoning of Colwood from open space to industrial; and
2) supporting acquisition of the property for a new regional park.
*Keep Colwood Zoned Open Space!*
We support the Hearings Officer's findings on the rezoning proposal, namely that the rezoning request should be denied by the Portland City Council. Colwood is one of the last parts of the environmentally sensitive and diverse Columbia Slough area that has not been lost to development. Our region cannot afford to lose another inch of open space in this unique natural area.
Also the area surrounding Colwood is extremely deficient in parkland, natural areas, and other open space. The Cully neighborhood access rate is 2,780 people per park acre, compared with a citywide average of 40 people per park acre. Loss of this last significant open space in the neighborhood would mean that this deficiency could never be adequately addressed.
*Create a "Colwood Regional Park"! *
Following Council action upholding the open space zoning for Colwood, the Keep Colwood Green Coalition supports acquisition of the area for a regional park. Without permanent public ownership we believe there will always a chance that this unique area could be permanently lost.
Given the landowner's desire to sell the property, the overwhelming need for public open space in this area, and the regional goals related to environmental stewardship and enhancement of livability, the creation of a "Colwood Regional Park" seems like a logical outcome.
Possible funding sources for acquisition include Metro's Natural Areas Bond and the City's parks system development charges. It is important to note that both of these funding sources may only be used for park and open space acquisition. Use of these funds would not affect the funding of other pressing needs in Portland or the region.
What would you find at Colwood Regional Park? There are a lot of ideas out there: a canoe launch and interpretive trails like those found at Smith and Bybee Lakes, a learning farm similar to the Sauvie Island Center, new bike and pedestrian access to the Columbia Slough Trail and 40-mile Loop Trail System, more play fields and playground space, a state of the art driving range, cultural and sustainable industries educational facilities, and so on.
These are just some of the ideas out there. What is YOUR vision for a new 140 acre regional park?
*How can we Keep Colwood Green?*
Submit formal testimony in opposition of rezoning Colwood from open space to industrial no later than 4 pm on September 17th. Submit your testimony to the Portland City Council Clerk via email, kmoore-love@ci.portland.or.us, or standard mail to Karla-Moore Love, Council Clerk, 1221 SW 4th, Room 140 Portland, OR 97204.
Other things you can do:
* 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!
As always, thanks for your support to Keep Colwood Green!
All the best,
Tony Fuentes, Co-Chair
Concordia Neighborhood Association
keepcolwoodgreen.com
