Green Tour de Force: 9th Annual Build It Green! Home Tour on September 25
Tickets are on sale for the 9th annual Build It Green! Home Tour on Saturday, September 25. Included in the 21-home tour is a straw bale house—the first to be permitted in Portland—and a Victorian home that received energy-saving upgrades from the Clean Energy Works program. There will be contractors and homeowners at each site to share their experience and the secrets of installing and operating solar panels and ecoroofs. Visitors will also learn about other sustainable practices such as rainwater harvesting, natural landscaping, water and energy conservation and alternative construction techniques.
The tour is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. An information fair with vendors, food, and music will be open from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Ecohaus, 819 SE Taylor Street.
Tickets: $15 adults, $10 car-free, students, and honored citizens. Free for children 14 and under
Purchase tickets with a credit card at www.portlandonline.com/bps/builditgreen or by cash or check at Ecohaus, 819 SE Taylor Street, 503.222.3881
Build It Green! Home Tour is presented by the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, and sponsored by Metro, Energy Trust of Oregon, Solar Oregon, Oregon Home magazine, and Bureaus of Environmental Services, Development Services and Water.
For more information visit www.portlandonline.com/bps/builditgreen, e-mail greenhotline@portlandoregon.gov, or call 503.823.5431.
Treebates Promote Cleaner Rivers and Healthy Watersheds
Between September 1, 2010 and May 1, 2011, Bureau of Environmental Services will credit your city water/sewer utility bill just for planting a tree in your yard. This special “Treebate” is good for half the purchase price of a mature tree, based on size and stormwater management potential. A small tree will receive up to a $10 Treebate, a medium tree, $20, and a large tree, $50.
How to Get Your Treebate
- Purchase a tree (Most tree species are eligible for a Treebate; see the eligible list for conditions and ineligible list for exclusions.)
- Plant the tree in your Portland residential yard.
- Complete and submit a Treebate form by May 1, 2011.
- Voila! Receive a credit on your city water/sewer utility bill.
For information on the program and to determine which trees are eligible for a Treebate visit: http://www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm?c=51399.
Motorcycle and Moped Parking Permit Program Launches
Motorcyclists get a break from having to feed a meter in Portland. The Portland Bureau of Transportation is offering motorcyclists a metered parking permit for $40 per month that allows motorcycle or moped parking in any metered on-street space without having to pay the meter.
The Motorcycle and Moped Parking Permit Program is scheduled to launch on Wednesday, September 1, 2010. The Bureau of Transportation will monitor the pilot program, make adjustments as needed, and adopt final rules in August 2011.
The current pay-and-display system doesn’t work for motorcyclists because the receipts can get stolen or blown off of parked vehicles. The new permit is to be used for limited, short-term stops at a meter but will not be allowed for long-term commuter parking. To remedy that, many garages, including the City’s SmartPark, offer significantly reduced rates for motorcycles and mopeds.
The metered parking permit can be purchased through the mail at Parking Control, 1120 SW 5th Avenue, Room 800, Portland, OR 97204 or by phone at 503.823.5412. The application is available online: http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=36173.
To learn more about the Motorcycle and Scooter Citizen Advisory Committee and to comment about the new permit or other motorcycle issues, contact Dan Bower in Transportation at 503.823.5667.
Public Open House/Meeting About the Proposed Bull Run Land Exchange
The public is invited to attend an open house and meeting on September 9, on the proposed Bull Run Land Exchange between the City of Portland and US Forest Service/Mt. Hood National Forest. The meeting is part of a 45-day public comment period that started on August 16, and is intended to provide technical information on this unique land exchange that is expected to take several years.
According to the Water Bureau and Mt. Hood National Forest, the proposed land exchange would consolidate City holdings to lands surrounding the two water supply reservoirs and associated infrastructure. Furthermore, it would help minimize administrative costs by reducing the number of easements and administrative processes necessary to access and manage water supply infrastructure.
The public meeting is Thursday September 9, 2010 in Room C of the Portland Building at 1120 SW 5th Avenue, 5-7 p.m. There will be a presentation and time to answer questions from the public.
More information on the proposed land exchange can be found at the Water Bureau and MHNF web sites: www.portlandonline.com/water/landexchange and
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mthood/projects/.
wow that is a lot for a month of motorcycle parking. I still have problems with the tickets all the time, but I never pay more than $10/mo. We take up like 1/6th of a spot with a motorcycle, it should be cheaper.
Well, since this is a pilot project the price might be reduced if enough riders speak up. It does seem like a lot considering how little space is consumed for parking.