Concordia Neighborhood Association | Portland, Oregon

Author Archives: Gordon Riggs

Cold Weather Tips

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From NECN:
With this severe weather, some of our vulnerable neighbors may be at risk: please take time to visit neighbors and check in with those who may need some assistance.

If you have the ability and time, please check on single parent families, young parent families, elderly, injured, disabled and frail neighbors to determine if they have food, water, heat, medicines, etc.

Help as much as you are able. If your neighbors need assistance that you cannot offer, and their health is in jeopardy, please call 911. Once the dispatcher determines that this is indeed an emergency, service can be dispatched. If not, you will be routed to the non-emergency number. Please do not hang up; be patient with the process.

A New Way to Report Aircraft Noise

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CNA has recently met with the Port of Portland’s Noise Management team to discuss concerns about the safety of increase F-15 travel over nearby residential areas as part of their present “test”. One outcome of those discussions has been a reminder that anytime – day or night – any resident has a concern about aircraft noise of any kind can call the Port of Portland’s noise hotline: 503-460-4100. But now you can also report your concerns – and view flight patterns – on-line using WebTrak.

WebTrak is an online flight tracking system covering the greater Portland/Vancouver area. WebTrak offers a wealth of information about each flight, ranging from altitude and direction to aircraft type and airline to flight or tail number. For security purposes, the system is delayed 90 minutes and does not show government, military or law enforcement flights.

I took WebTrak for a whirl. You pick a location and time period and then you watch plane icons move across an area map. Basically this gives you the option to clearly identify the flight that was causing you grief and you can report the problem using an on-line form in WebTrak. Try it out yourself by logging on at http://www.portofportland.com/Noise_Mgmt_Home.aspx, you definitely need a high speed connection to use it.

WebTrak is a neat tool but it is a little clunky and if you are experiencing a noise problem, you have to wait at least 90 minutes to identify the issue using WebTrak. It remains easier and quicker to just call the Port at 503-460-4100 when you hear a wayward and/or loud aircraft.

When you call the Port or submit a report on-line via WebTrak, the Port noise management team is required to thoroughly investigate and respond within 48 hours. In some cases, the information provided by citizens or obtained during the investigation, is used to refine the noise abatement program and in discussions with aircraft operators.

Neighborhood Meetings and Inclement Weather

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CNA has a number of regular meetings through out the month – general meeting on the 1st Tuesday, Board meeting on the 2nd Tuesday, and various committee meetings. ALL CNA meeting are open to the public – unless the Board is in executive session, which is exceedingly rare.

As we enter the inclement weather season, we will do our very best to have regular meetings as scheduled. However, if the schools are closed – the neighborhood association is closed (we aren’t the post office and we don’t want to be – call us wimps if you want to…).

So, if there is a meeting scheduled and PPS is closed, please don’t come out! Stay home, snuggle up with loved ones or a book in front of a roaring fire and think happy thoughts.

Peace.

Vision into Action Wants to Hear from YOU!

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In January, the Vision into Action (VIA) Coalition will announce a second round of Community Action Grants available for neighborhood and community organizations. Be looking for the application in early 2009!

Also, next year, the VIA Coalition will organize itself around at least two “action areas”. The VIA Steering Committee and staff have identified some potential action areas, focusing on parts of the vision that won’t be covered by the Portland Plan. We would like to hear from you about the action areas you would like the Coalition to prioritize next year. PLEASE CHECK NO MORE THAN FIVE IDEAS TOTAL listed in the survey (link below), even if you like all of them. Thank you.

Help Shape our 2009 Work! Fill out the survey here!

Stephanie D. Stephens
Program Manager, Vision into Action (VIA)
Portland Planning Bureau
1900 S.W. Fourth Avenue, Suite 7100
Portland, Oregon 97201-5380
503-823-9588
stephanie.stephens@ci.portland.or.us

Portland International Airport Open House

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The Port of Portland invites you to attend one of the following events to
learn more about the North Runway Extension and South Runway Rehabilitation.

Draft Environmental Assessment.
Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008
5 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Brief presentation at 6 p.m.
Meeks High School, 4039 NE Alberta Court, Portland, OR 97211

Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2008
5 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Brief presentation at 6 p.m.
Pearson Air Museum, 1115 E 5th, Vancouver, WA 98661
Refreshments provided.

The Port will provide an opportunity for written or verbal comments about the Draft Environmental Assessment.

Related Links:
North Runway Extension
Contact:
Dennis Sandstrom, Community Affairs, 503.944.7151
· PO Box 3529 · Portland, OR97208 · 503.944.7000

CNA HOLIDAY PARTY – TUESDAY!

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CNA HOLIDAY PARTY
Tuesday, December 2nd , 2008
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Concordia University’s Fine Arts Building

The ANNUAL CNA HOLIDAY PARTY is just around the corner, so please mark your calendars! Due to last year’s record crowd, we have moved the party location to a much bigger venue. Concordia University has generously donated their Fine Arts Building (FAB) for our event so there will be plenty of room to enjoy the festivities. The Fine Arts Building is located at 6410 NE 27th Avenue. All residents and business owners of the Concordia Neighborhood are invited to the free holiday festivities on Tuesday, December 2nd in lieu of our General Meeting.

The holiday party is a great way to meet new neighbors and mix and mingle with friends, old and new, in a festive and family-friendly atmosphere. This year we are again delighted to be serving homemade Indonesian food provided by Priska Hillis, Indonesian Personal Chef, a native of Bali and a resident of the Concordia Neighborhood. Priska’s recipes are passed down from her grandmother who lived in the rural eastern slice of the island of Java. More traditional finger-food and nonalcoholic beverages will also be provided by the CNA. Additionally, we will be having a cookie decoration station for children so they can create their own tasty treats.

A holiday party would not be complete without music! This year, we are pleased to announce that we will have two music groups performing festive songs for our listening pleasure. Trinity Lutheran School Band, under the direction of Ruth Gray, will be performing lovely ensemble pieces for the audience. The Portland Community Wind Band (PCWB), conducted by Cynthia Plank, will also be providing beautiful music for our celebration. The PCWB (www.PCWB.org) was founded with community in mind to provide an opportunity for adults to perform advanced band literature and to show students that there are many ways to participate in music after high school that may not include playing in a rock band or majoring in music in college. We are blessed to have both of these bands perform.

The CNA Green Team will also be collecting warm clothing, outerwear, and blankets at the Holiday Party to be donated to the HIV Day Center housed at Ainsworth United Church of Christ. So please do not forget those that are less fortunate than us during this holiday season and donate what you can. Men’s clothing is preferred. Lastly, the Green Team will be handing out “Green” Goodie Bags at the door. There is a limited supply, so don’t be late! We hope to see you all there for this fun end-of-the-year event!

New Cell Tower Regs Go to Council 12/4

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UPDATE: This has been moved to 12/4 at 2:30 pm

From David Soloos, Assistant Director, Office of Cable and Franchise Management, City of Portland, Oregon:

On Wednesday, November 26, 2008 December 4 at 2:30 pm, city staff will be going to Council with the final proposed amendments regarding the manner in which wireless companies may place antennae on utility poles, and replace utility poles with taller ones for wireless purposes.

The proposed amendments are designed to balance the need to retain neighborhood character and livability with the expanding need to provide wireless services in neighborhoods. They were developed over the course of two years. Staff conducted three public forums in March, 2008, followed by an online survey in April-May, 2008 (that was responded to by over 900 people, and over 350 individual comments were also received), followed by a citywide public meeting in October, 2008.

In short, staff is proposing to allow antennae on utility poles in residential areas on residential streets only as a last resort – when no other site or combination of sites for antennae is feasible. Even then, staff proposes to reduce the allowed pole replacement height in residential zones, and increase the replacement height allowance in both commercial, employment and industrial zones and on larger arterial streets to encourage placement there instead. In addition, the poles and equipment must be the smallest possible and must be painted to match the color of the pole. Finally, when a taller pole is proposed in a residential area, we will require the wireless carrier to conduct a meeting in coordination with the neighborhood association and provide notice of the meeting in advance.

We have placed several documents on our website to demonstrate and describe what we are proposing. Each document is numbered, titled and described for ease of reference. The document list can be viewed at http://www.portlandonline.com/cable/index.cfm?c=46289. Examples of specific documents include:

* A summary of the existing requirements, document #15

* A summary of the proposed requirements, document #20

* A comparison of current and proposed pole replacement heights, document #19

* The proposed contract amendment showing the exact edits to the contract language (“redline”), document #17

* A clean version of the proposed contract amendment, document #18

* A new application checklist the wireless carriers must fill out, document #16

* Several other documents, including the survey instrument, summarized survey results and specific survey results, are also on the website.

We encourage you to review these materials and forward this notice to anyone you know who might be interested.
For more information please contact Melvin Riddick at 503-823-0066 or Melvin.Riddick@ci.portland.or.us. If Melvin is unavailable please contact me using my contact information below. Thank you very much,

David Soloos, Assistant Director
Office of Cable and Franchise Management
City of Portland, Oregon
1120 SW 5th Av, Room 1305
Portland, Oregon 97204
Tel 503.823.5359

To help ensure equal access to City programs, services, and activities the City of Portland will reasonably modify policies/procedures and provide auxiliary aids/services to persons with disabilities. Call 503-823-2036 or 503-823-4000 with such requests.

Airport Futures October Update

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Airport Futures is currently half way through its the planning process. Between now and June 2009, the project’s subcommittees will draft three major products:

  • A 2010 Master Plan for PDX
  • A Land Use Plan for the area around the airport
  • An ongoing public engagement process to ensure continued public participation in planning at PDX

    • You- the noble public – are encouraged to join the drafting process, either by attending the larger Planning Advisory Group meetings or joining one of the project’s subcommittees. Public review of the draft products will begin summer 2009.


    Here is the latest update on this project from the Port.

    Why is this important? Because this is a key conduit for shaping how the Port of Portland is going to develop. The Port is presently sitting on hundreds of undeveloped acres and, as indicated by the on-going issues surrounding rezoning Colwood National Golf Course, they would like to add even more that that mix.

    NECN is represented on this project’s Planning Advisory Group by Patrick Metzger and Denny Stoecklin. However, they always welcome more support and input from local residents and businesses.

    It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane…yeah, that is a plane…

    Posted on by Posted in Archive, Land Use & Transportation

    That is the sound and sight of F-15 fighter jets roaring over the neighborhood at low altitudes. The Oregon Air National Guard has been practicing combat-style landing patterns in the area as a “test”. Typically, these drills have been practiced outside of residential areas. However, the National Guard is hoping to make the practice of military maneuvers over local residential areas a permanent fixture.

    Let me repeat that, although NO public outreach or notification regarding this “test” of military combat training over residential areas occurred, what you are hearing and seeing now could become a permanent experience.

    The present “test” will proceed until the end of February, then the Port of Portland will decide whether to allow this to continue ad infinitum or not.

    The Cully Association of Neighbors (CAN) has come out formally against this making this testing permanent because of the noise and safety concerns. The Concordia Neighborhood Association intends to take a formal position on this issue at its December Board meeting.

    However individual residents and businesses are free to voice their concern about low-level military maneuvers in the area IMMEDIATELY by contacting the Airport Noise Complaint line at 503-460-4100 and/or sending a letter to the Jason Schwartz, Noise Program Manager PO Box 3529, Portland. OR 97208.

    As always, it never hurts to also contact the Portland City Council about your concerns. We will keep you posted on this issue in the Concordia News and at concordiapdx.org.

    Colwood Decision Appealed

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    The City Council finalized its decision on the proposed rezoning of the Colwood Golf Course at its October 22 meeting. The Council voted unanimously to deny the request to rezone Colwood Golf Course from open space to industrial.

    In its exhaustive findings on the matter, the Council underscored the conclusion that any potential economic benefits of converting Colwood to industrial would not outweigh the negative impacts on the City’s environmental and open space policies.

    Despite the Council’s final decision on this matter, it ain’t over ’til its over. The landowners are exercising their right to appeal the City’s decision to the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA).

    LUBA is a state-level body that hears and rules on appeals of land use decisions made by local governments. LUBA’s rules are very formal and the body operates like a court. LUBA is the only forum that can hear appeals of local land use decisions. LUBA consists of three Board members who are appointed by the Governor. All the Board members are attorneys with an expertise in land use planning law.

    The LUBA review and hearing process could take up to three months. Their decision could take a variety of forms including affirming the City’s decision, rejecting it, or send the decision back to the City for further consideration.

    CNA maintains its position opposing the rezoning of Colwood and this opposition and the evidence supporting it is part of the record that will be reviewed by LUBA.

    We will continue to provide updates on the Colwood decision process in the Concordia News and at concordiapdx.org.