Category Archives: Land Use & Transportation

The Concordia University Board of Regents voted to recommend that Concordia University begin construction of its 74,000 square foot learning center in May of 2008. Their recommendation will move forward to two governing bodies of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod for final consideration in early 2008. The new Concordia University learning center will double the capacity of the current library, and expand space for academic program centers, meeting rooms, and faculty offices. The estimated cost of building construction is $15 million.

Concordia University officials have made a point of including community interests in all its plans for campus development. Neighbors will have access to library resources and meeting rooms in the learning center, and a new athletic complex will also be open to community use.

“This project will transform our campus and our neighborhood community,” said Concordia University President Chuck Schlimpert. “Our ability to develop the learning center supports the vision that a university engaged in the community can provide expanded opportunities for its students and help its neighborhood thrive.”

The learning center will be built on the current site of the University’s soccer and baseball fields, and construction will finish in August 2009. Concordia will temporarily vacate its current athletic field until the new athletic complex is complete in March 2010. The athletic complex will occupy the two blocks north of campus that are currently used for married student housing. The first home will be moved offsite by the end of October 2007. Concordia is developing plans to add new student housing along 27th Avenue.

[Third and final in the Land Use & Livability series – here’s an announcement from the Environmental-Green Team, a subgroup of the committee.]

Once you’ve done your annual yard sale, sent your good leftovers on to ARC or Goodwill, and you’ve dumped the back yard debris in the dumpsters at the yearly neighborhood clean-up, there’s often hard to get rid of items left behind.

September 21, and 22 (Friday and Saturday) you will have your chance at Metro’s Hazardous Waste Clean-up from 9am to 3pm at the Parkrose K Mart parking lot, 12350 NE Sandy Blvd.

Hazardous is the key word, so what will they take?

Fire extinguishers, propane tanks, paint, and empty paint cans; all kinds of batteries. fertilizers and pesticides, especially those that have aged beyond usefulness; medical waste in approved containers; aerosol cans of all types; household cleaners and disinfectants.
Old anti-freeze, motor oil, oil filters, Solvents, new compact fluorescent bulbs, fluorescent, mercury tubes, and light fixtures.

Basically, they’ll take all of those items that you were hesitant about throwing out in your weekly garbage because you had concerns about their possible long-term effects in a land fill. Now you can discard them with a clear conscience. And, best of all, it’s free. So finish your cleaning up for this year.

[The second in a series on the CNA’s Land Use & Livability committee. Click on the Land Use & Livability category at left to get all the news related to their work.]

George Bruender, committee chair, shared the answers to some questions frequently asked of the committee:

Are there more or fewer planes flying over Concordia this summer?

PDX has distributed the cargo planes out over a wider approach area as of this summer, so other neighborhoods are getting more planes than in the past. But at the same time, the total number of flights is increasing, so you may not notice a major change, especially on the day you decide to entertain in your back yard.

Will there be a third runway at PDX?

Actually we already have three runways – the 2 major North-South runways and the “crosswinds runway” that is directly over us. So then are we getting a fourth runway? In an agreement between the City and PDX, a committee to discuss and plan the future of PDX has been established. CNA spokesmen and other neighborhood groups persuaded the City Council to assign an equal number of citizen representatives as business and PDX interests have so that everyone can negotiate on a level playing field. Concordia has 2 of those reps. Patrick Metzger will represent NECN, our coalition of 12 Northeast neighborhood associations. Denny Stoecklin will be a rep of ONI, the office that oversees all of the associations. So we will have 2 strong voices supporting our residents’ wishes in the future. Expect to hear from them. And a fourth runway will very likely be a major item on their agenda.

What should I do about suspicious activity going on in a neighbor’s home?

We hope that you read Ginny Kauffman’s article in last month’s issue of the Concordia News. She and her neighbors were concerned about activities (trash, graffiti, loud partying, possible drug-related activity) going on for some time in a small apartment complex in their immediate vicinity. They talked to each other, petitioned Erik Sten who’s responsible for housing in Portland, contacted other officials and reported suspicious activity. Currently the landlord has assigned a property manager to deal with problems and he has met with neighbors, the local police officer and the area’s crime prevention specialist.

To resolve problems, you and your neighbors can do the same thing. The most important is to get a record of activities with police officials. Every single incident needs to be reported. Call 911 if immediate action is needed; otherwise call the police non-emergency number at 823-3333. Everyone who sees the incident or situation needs to call and report. Have as many details as possible: address, time, date, etc. Call Officer Jim Quackenbush, our neighborhood officer, at 823-5793. Call Mary Tompkins, our crime prevention specialist, at 823-4763. They need to hear from you and they will tell you what to do next for your particular situation.

[Ed. note – one of the reasons I was inspired to volunteer to manage the CNA web presence was all of the great information on local development issues provided by the Concordia News. Our Land Use, Livability & Transportation Committees don’t just keep us abreast of what’s happening, however – they are working actively to make a difference, and their efforts always impress me. Here’s the first in a series of updates on their excellent work.]

Land Use, Livability, Transportation and Green Team Meet

There was no summer vacation for the CNA’s Land Use, Livability, and Transportation committees as they met with a full agenda on the first Thursday of August. That’s business as usual for the combined groups. They are now joined by a new sub-committee working on grassroots environmental issues called the Green Team. That group meets at the same time and usually finds their own space in McMenamins. Be sure to attend the next general meeting on residential recycling. Thanks goes to Gayle Booher, a past CNA chair, for getting this effort off the ground.

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