City Council Inches Closer to Development on West Hayden Island Wildlife Area
July 30, 2010
City Council voted 4-0 (Randy Leonard was absent) to adopt the Mayor's resolution assigning the Bureau of Planning to develop a legislative proposal to allow 300 acres of industrial development on West Hayden Island. The resolution was improved to be more explicit that all development activities would be included within the 300 acres and to require additional analysis into cost/ benefits, alternatives and community impacts, but the bottom line is that the City is now going to spend hundreds of thousands of additional tax dollars moving West Hayden Island closer to development.
What's Next
This is far from over. Annexation is still at least a year away. We intend to fight development on West Hayden Island every step of the way and we are planning lots of events over the next year to send an even stronger message. We will continue to need your help. Here is what you can do now:
Email City Council and let them know what you thought about their decision last night.
amanda@portlandoregon.gov
nick@portlandoregon.gov
dan@portlandoregon.gov
randy@portlandoregon.gov
sam@portlandoregon.gov
Join our Save West Hayden Island Facebook Page to get regular updates about upcoming West Hayden Island events and actions.
Send a letter to the Oregonian
Add the name of your group/ organization to those already opposing development on West Hayden Island
Stop by Audubon and pick-up a "Save West Hayden Island" bumper sticker
Key Points
The decision last night was not a "win-win." It perpetuates a legacy of river degradation that we will pass onto future generations. Council has an historic opportunity before it to protect a unique and irreplaceable wildlife area and usher in a new era of sustainable Port development.
After more than 15 years, two public processes and millions of dollars of taxpayer money, the City and Port still cannot answer the most basic questions about the costs/ benefits of this project, alternatives to this project and impacts on the community and our environment.
Further review of this project must be independent and unbiased. The Port of Portland's direct participation in financing, managing and serving on project review committees has corrupted the integrity of the process to date.
Groups Opposing West Hayden Island Development
Audubon Society of Portland
Willamette Riverkeeper
Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership
Columbia Riverkeeper
Oregon League of Conservation Voters (Multnomah Chapter)
Coalition for a Livable Future
Hayden Island Livability Project
Friends of West Hayden Island
Hayden Island Neighborhood Network
Oregon Council of Trout Unlimited
Urban Greenspaces Institute
How Big is 300 acres?
More than 200 Portland City Blocks would fit within 300-acres
Mt Tabor would fit inside 300 acres more than 1.5 times
Disneyland in California is approximately 300-acres
Approximately 60 of the worlds largest aircraft carriers (or 161 Titanics) could fit within 300-acres
The entire Rose Garden, Memorial Coliseum and surrounding Rose Quarter District would fit inside 300 acres more than 9 times over
The United States Capital Building would fit inside 300 acres more than 75 times over
Fenway Park would fit inside 300 acres more than 33 times over
A New Vision For West Hayden Island
We envision a fully restored 8oo+ Acre Wildlife Area and Nature Park at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers: A place that provides habitat for more than 100 species including bald eagles, painted turtles, federally listed salmon and steelhead and extraordinary opportunities for people to hike, paddle and enjoy nature in an urban environment.
Visitors will explore a mosaic of wetlands, grasslands, beaches and one of the largest intact bottomland hardwood forests left on the Lower Columbia River. A new nature center will provide programs for children and adults about the unique role that confluence areas play in the migratory cycles of our imperiled fish and wildlife populations. Our local green economy will be supported by nature based recreation, restoration projects, and establishment of a regional mitigation bank to allow for marine development in more appropriate locations.
West Hayden Island will symbolize our commitment to restoring balance to our urban landscapes and leaving the land better than we found it for future generations.
