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Sustainability , special ^
Toxic Sites Made Useful Again
Community garden serves as example
by
J ake T h o m as
I he P o r tla n d O bserver
O n a w arm m orning on E m erson
S tree t in n o rth e a st P o rtla n d , v o l-
u n te ers c lad in C a rh a rtts and d irty
je a n s ra k e p itc h b lack soil o v e r a
v a ca n t lot.
It’s been nearly 15 years o f back-
and-forth w ith the state and the
county, testing soil, and recruiting
sp ra w l an d th e sta te is se e in g an
in flu x o f p e o p le , d e v e lo p in g th e se
site s w ill b e im p o rta n t to a c c o m ­
m o d a te n e w c o m e rs.
There is no precise num ber o fh o w
m a n y p r o p e r tie s q u a lif y as
brow nfields in the state, in part be­
cause there is no uniform definition
o f w hat constitutes such a property,
according to Gil W istar, the O regon
D e p a rtm e n t o f E n v iro n m e n ta l
Q uality’s brow nfields coordinator.
H e said th a t p o llu ta n ts on e ac h
site v ary , b u t p e tro le u m , P C B s,
m e ta ls, a n d s o lv e n ts are c o m m o n
p o llu ta n ts , an d th e se site s n e ed a
c le a n b ill o f h e a lth fro m D E Q b e ­
fo re b e in g d e v e lo p e d .
overgrow n w ith w eeds for about 50
years will flourish as a com m unity
garden.
This site is a brow nfield, a prop-
erty that people are reluctant to use
because o f either real or perceived
contam ination. A nd as m ore people
flock to O regon, the use o f such
properties will becom e increasingly
im portant in creating sustainable
and
h e a lth y
com m unities.
B ro w n fie ld s
A groundbreaking cerem ony is planned Satur­
often sit idle for
day, July 31 from 4 p.m . to 7 p.m . for the E m erson
years, co n trib u t­
Street G arden at 822 N.E. Em erson St. The event will
in g to u rb a n
include free entertainm ent, food and art activities for
b lig h t and p re ­
youth, teens and adults.
senting potential
T he com m unity garden space w as designed to
h ealth h azard s.
engage local residents and the A frican A m erican
N orth and n o rth ­
com m unity, and to incorporate the history o f the
east Portland has
K ing N eighborhood into the site. The property was
no sh o rta g e o f
a form er brow nfield because o f pollution, but has
these sites, and
been cleaned up. Y outh from K ing E lem entary and
as the area sees
the B lazers B oys and G irls C lub helped in the pro­
new interest eco ­
cess.
nom ic interest in
D o you have som ething to contribute to the
it, m any are b e ­
garden? To help or R SV P, contact C assie at 503-662-
ing developed.
2590 or via email atcassie@ groundw orkportland.org.
W hen T riM et
b e g a n . p r e . p a r -
volunteers, but later this m onth a ing fo r the in sta llatio n o f the M A X
the w ork o f a dedicated few w ill pay Y ello w L ine in the late 1990s, th e
o ffw h e n a once toxic and neglected m a ss tra n s it a g e n c y in itia te d a
lot that has rem ained unused and b ro w n fie ld in v e n to ry alo n g N o rth
Groundbreaking Celebration
B artz sa id th a t in o rd e r to g e t a
b ro w n fie ld d e v e lo p e d th ey h a v e
photo by J ake T homas /T he P ortland O bserver to b e a ss u re d th a t th e y w o n ’t be
Teri Phillips sets aside her cane and picks up a rake to spread
sla m m e d w ith m o re c o sts i f m o re
around soil at a lot on Northeast Emerson Street. This site used
p o llu ta n ts are la te r fo u n d o r re g u ­
to be a brownfield, a polluted site, and will be opened up as a
la tio n s c h a n g e . D E Q o ffe rs te c h ­
community garden later this month.
n ic al a ss is ta n c e to d e v e lo p e rs an d
can o ffe r so m e lia b ility p ro te c tio n
In te rsta te A v e n u e . W ith a g ra n t law yer at Schw abe, W illiam son, and i f m o re c o n ta m in a n ts are fo u n d ,
fro m th e E P A , it to o k an in v en to ry W yatt, w ho does w ork for develop- w h ic h B artz s a id is key.
o f b ro w n fie ld site s in th e area. It ers w orking on brow nfields,
B ut in a d d itio n to c o m m e rc ia l
id e n tifie d tw o fo rm e r gas sta tio n s
H e e x p la in e d th a t i f a p ro p e rty d e v e lo p e rs , th e re a re g ra s sro o ts
th a t re q u ire d little c le a n u p an d is in a g o o d lo c a tio n w ith lo ts o f a c tiv is ts try in g to tu rn p o llu te d
n o w h o u se o ffic e sp ac e as w ell as e c o n o m ic a c tiv ity th e re is a g o o d a re a s in c o m m u n ity sites.
a h e a lth c lin ic ru n by P ro v id en c e , c h a n c e th a t a d e v e lo p e r w ill tak e
T he lo t o n E m e rso n S tre e t first
“T h e re ’s go t to be som e sort o f a c h a n c e on a p ro p e rty .
c a u g h t th e e y e o n S y b il K e lle y , an
excitem ent and desire to be there,1
B artz sa id th a t g e n trify in g a r­ in s tru c to r at P o rtla n d S ta te an d
said D avid B artz, an environm ental eas, lik e n o rth and n o rth e a st P o rt­ n e ig h b o rh o o d a c tiv is t, in 1995
lan d , o fte n a ttra c t th e in te re st k ey w h en she liv e d n e arb y . A h o u se
to g e ttin g b ro w n fie ld s d e v e lo p e d . h a d o n c e b e e n th e re in th e 1950s,
W ««» AM ETTF
A re a s lik e B u rn s o r M o lla la are b u t n o w it w as a m e a n -lo o k in g
h a rd e r to d e v e lo p , h e said .
C o m m u n it y
v a c a n t lo t, o v e rg ro w n w ith u n ­
H o w e v e r, th e re a re b a rrie rs to k e m p t fo liag e.
C onnectors !
tr a n s f o r m in g th e s e p r o p e r tie s
K e lle y saw p o te n tia l in th e site
T R I ß? M E T
f r o m d a n g e r o u s e y e s o r e s to an d g o t th e g e a rs c h u rn in g on
p la ce s th at w ill b e n e fit p e o p le w ho tu rn in g th e lo t in to s o m e th in g
Project Name: Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project East Segment RFP No. RH 110162JB
liv e n e a rb y .
b e tte r.
Willamette Community Connectors is a joint venture (Granite-Hamilton-RailWorks). We are an equal opportunity
O n e o f th e b ig stu m b lin g b lo ck s
S h e g o t th e c ity to do an in itia l
employer and request qualifications from all interested firms, including DMWESBs. We are seeking qualified
to d e v e lo p in g th e se p ro p e rtie s is in v e stig a tio n o f th e site u n d e r its
DBE s interested in this project upon award. This is not a hard bid proposal. We are seeking firms who would be
th e u n c e r ta in ty th a t s u rro u n d s b ro w n fie ld s p ro g ra m , an d in 1997
interested in working with us upon award. Please attend one of our upcoming events to learn more regarding
th em . I t ’s se ld o m c le a r h o w p o l­ sh e te ste d th e so il, w h ic h c o n ­
scopes and have aq opportunity to meet with our team.
luted the area is, how m u ch it m ig h t firm e d th a t it w as c o n ta m in a te d
c o st to c le a n it up, e x p e n s iv e it w ith, lead- a co m m o n p roblem w ith
Please join us at one of our “Meet the Project Team” Events
m ig h t be to c le a r it u p , an d th e r e ’s o ld e r re s id e n tia l p ro p e rtie s.
the p o s s ib ility th a t n ew c o n ta in ­
K e lle y la te r p a r tn e r e d w ith
Friday, July 9th
Thursday, July 15th
m e n ts m ig h t b e fo u n d later.
G ro u n d w o rk , an o rg a n iz a tio n th at
OAM E - Amelia Conference Room
WCC O ffice
“ T h e r e a l c h a l l e n g e w ith w o rk s on d e v e lo p in g b ro w n fie ld s
4134 N. Vancouver Ave.
4 105 SF. International Way, Ste 503
b ro w n fie ld s is th e m y ste ry b e ­ to g e t v o lu n te e rs to h e lp out.
Portland, OR 97217
Milwaukie, OR 97222
9:30 to 11:30 am
3:00 to 5:30 pm
h in d th e m ,” sa id Je n n B ild e rse e ,
T h e c ity d o n a te d so il to d ilu te
a c t i n g c o o r d i n a t o r o f c i t y ’ s th e lead , w h ic h v o lu n te e rs h a u le d
b ro w n fie ld p ro g ra m . P o rtla n d is fro m a tru c k in w h e e lb a rro w an d
Suzanne Donaldson, DBE Consultant
o n e 4 0 c o m m u n itie s in th e U .S . to ra k e d a c ro ss th e 3 ,1 2 5 fo o t sq u are
360-280-2321
be a w a rd e d g ra n ts b y th e E n v i­ fo o t lo t g e ttin g it re a d y fo r its
suzanne@donaldson-enterprises.com
r o n m e n ta l P r o te c tio n A g e n c y . p re s e n ta tio n to th e c o m m u n ity
T h e c ity w a s a w a r d e d a b o u t la te r th is m o n th . S o o n th is p o iso n
Willamette Community Connectors Team
$ 4 0 0 ,0 0 0 to h e lp a sse ss h o w to x ic p la c e w ill b e c o m m u n ity g a rd e n .
b ro w n fie ld s are.
“ I ’ve alw ays saw brow nfields as
H A M IL T O N
CONSTRUCTION
B e c a u se O re g o n h as stric t lan d an opportunity, not a p ro b lem ,” said
O ’W
MPA
NY
WCC Joint-Venture Managing Partner
eOT C
UK
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u s e la w s d e s ig n e d to p r e v e n t Kelley.
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G R nniT E
i
S railworks