Page 4 * The St. Johns Review * #22 OCT. 30, 2015
Email: reviewnewspaper@gmail.com * Mail: PO Box 83068, Port. OR 97283 * Web: www.stjohnsreview.com * Phone: 503-283-5086
COMMUNIT
Ivy Island
Continued from Page 1
By Gayla Patton
nization is in favor of the removal
of Ivy Island. Lindsay Jensen, Ex-
ecutive Director for St. Johns Main
Street said, “We are in support of it
happening. We recognize that sig-
nificant planning, resources, and
neighborhood input went into de-
veloping the St.
Johns/Lombard
Plan, which is
the basis/reason
for Ivy Island
being vacated.
While it’s al-
ways good to
re-visit planning
documents and
to update plans
to align with the
current needs of
the
neighbor-
hood, we feel
that the vacation
of Ivy Island
is still relevant
and an important
Resident and business owner John Teply would
step to improve
like to see Ivy Island remain where it is. It may be
removed with a coming development.
the
Lombard/
Richmond intersection.”
Johns works well as a clear entry
Jensen added, “The current Ivy Is- point. One can see through the
land configuration is not currently trees on Ivy Island to the street and
safe or accessible, being surround- businesses beyond. It is a welcom-
ed on all sides with traffic lanes and ing “doorway” into our Business
no supportive adjacent uses. The District, and the present slip lane
proposed development will include works well with the triangular
two additional open spaces, one of shape of this intersection; being
which will be dedicated as perma- both inviting to visitors and mak-
nently open to the public. The two ing it easy for folks to drive into
additional open spaces will be sup- St Johns. Imagine now, instead of
ported by the adjacent commercial the current entrance, we construct
spaces and residential units above. a brick wall at this entryway to St
In addition the open spaces will be Johns. The intention of a wall is to
safer than Ivy Island, only having keep people out. This is in essence
one side of the space exposed to what the new entry way will be; a
traffic lanes.
four story brick apartment building
St. Johns Main Street appreci- that will block the natural flow of
ates Farid Bolouri willingness to movement into the St Johns Busi-
personally invest in the St. Johns/ ness District.”
Lombard plan, but we also recog-
Jensen said in her email to the
nize that this is a great opportuni- Review: The current configuration
ty to leverage the street vacation of Ivy Island is auto-centric and
process to encourage Farid and does not create a safe pedestrian
his team to address some essential or bicycle environment at the in-
neighborhood concerns about the tersections of Richmond & Lom-
development (which will happen bard and Charleston & Lombard
regardless of the Ivy Island out- (as supported in the Intersection
come). In a letter sent to the city Safety Audit of North Richmond
in partnership with the St. Johns and North Jersey by ODOT, 2011).
Neighborhood Association last The reconfiguration of the inter-
month, here were our key requests: section through the vacation of Ivy
• Having the developer sit down Island and the proposed develop-
with the Housing Development ment will reduce the traffic speed
Center and/or Portland Housing of vehicles entering the St. Johns
Bureau to learn about potential af- town center by replacing the “slip
fordable housing resources or po- lane” with a dedicated hard-right
tential partners. We are committed turn. This coupled with pedestrian
to bringing more affordable hous- crossing improvements at the inter-
ing into the neighborhood and con- section of Richmond & Lombard
sider this to be a top priority for St. and Charleston & Lombard will
Johns.
increase pedestrian safety and use.
• Ensuring that our iconic St. Johns
Teply’s idea is to keep Ivy Island
marquee is preserved and placed and add sculptures, art and make it
somewhere visible on the property an island garden that people will
(ideally in the public plaza)
want to come see. “We could even
• Having the developer and his put in some special lighting,” he
team incorporate native greenery said. “It would then be an entrance
into both of the plaza spaces to help into St. Johns that people from all
offset the loss of greenery from the over will want to visit.”
traffic island
The next meeting is at the Plan-
• Investing in a marketing campaign ning and Sustainability Commis-
for the business district during con- sion on November 17. They will
struction to ensure that customers make their judgment and then it
know that business is open as usual goes to city council approximately
• Ensuring that a memorandum of six weeks after that where Council
understanding is developed and will decide whether to vacate the
signed between the public library property or not.
and the Union at St. Johns regard-
The Planning and Sustainabili-
ing the use of the shared parking lot ty Commission is at 1900 SW 4th
• Having the city and/or the devel- Ave, Suite 2500A. According to
oper conduct a traffic impact anal- their website meetings are general-
ysis that includes the surrounding ly 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
residential area and make recom-
What are your thoughts and ideas
mendations for transportation im- about keeping or vacating Ivy Is-
provements on local streets to miti- land? Share them with readers.
gate potential traffic impacts.
Email: reviewnewspaper@gmail.
In a letter to the Review by com. Letters will be accepted also
Shae Uisna (#18 Sept. 4 2015 is- by sending them to: The Review,
sue,) Uisna said, “Right now the PO Box 83068, Portland, OR.,
Eastern entrance to Downtown St 97283.
Citizens tak
By Barbara Quinn
The Review
The Portland Harbor Community Ad-
visory Group (PHCAG) hosted a press
conference on Monday, Oct. 19, 2015
to announce written testimony to the
EPA’s National Remedy Review Board
in response to the Conceptual Plan for
the cleanup by EPA Region 10. Mem-
bers representing north and northwest
neighborhood associations, Audubon
and Willamette Riverkeeper, gathered
with individuals and other community
groups to make a unified statement to
media, while a fisherman cast from the
Cathedral Park beach behind them.
As the superfund process contin-
ues to build momentum, residents are
encouraged to keep updated with The
Willamette Insider, the PHCAG’s free,
brief, bimonthly newsletter that offers
updates on the process and will publish
the yet-to-be-decided dates for formal
public comment period coming up with-
in months. Those interested can sign up
for the newsletter is through Portland-
HarborCAG.info on the righthand side
of the website.
Below are excerpts from the PHCAG
statement and paper, which can be ac-
cessed at http://portlandharborcag.info/
sites/default/files/CommentstoNRRB-
fromPHCAGr.pdf.
Excepts from the PHCAG paper and
statement:
“We take seriously the goal of a long-
term remedy meant to last into future
centuries and recognize this process as
a unique opportunity. We have perse-
vered though this long process for more
than ten years despite delays by pollut-
ers, external pressures and the challeng-
es of bringing together a very diverse
community. Now it is finally time for
the community to be heard.
None of the cleanup alternatives pre-
pared by the Lower Willamette Group
and revised by the EPA, labeled Alter-
natives B through G, will achieve either
fish that are safe to eat or satisfy re-
quirements of the Clean Water Act. We
have told the EPA that we want a clean-
up plan that says at the end, there will
no longer be a need for fish advisories
like the sign posted at Cathedral Park.
We do not want pressure for cheap
and fast to override the need to get it
done right! Getting it right is the most
important criterion. We favor maximum
removal of contamination from the
lower Willamette that will offer a long-
term, effective solution. Contamination
left behind is a continuing risk to hu-
man health and the environment. EPA
needs to address these issues by imple-
menting a more vigorous remedy—an
alternative we call G+.
It is critical to protect members of
our community, especially underserved
members who have suffered exposure
to river contaminants for many decades.
These effects include direct health im-
pacts, the psychosocial stresses of liv-
ing with contamination and the loss or
reduction of critical community oppor-
tunities such as subsistence and cultural
fishing, recreation and access to the riv-
er. We are particularly concerned about
members of the houseless community
living in contaminated areas, under-
served communities that rely on sub-