photo credit: lumachrome

The Brooklyn Action Corps supports The Friends of Ross Island postition to create a no-wake zone in the Holgate Slough.  That is the area between the length of Ross Island and the Willamette’s east bank.  The slough and Ross Island are part of the Brooklyn Neighborhood so we have a real interest in the future recreational use.  Read below and do your part by copying, pasting, printing and mailing the letter in.

Please send this letter to: Mike Houck, Urban Greenspaces Institute, P. O. Box 6903, Portland, OR 97228-6903. We will put all the letters together in a packet to the state Marine Board)

Date

Oregon State Marine Board
PO Box 14145
435 Commercial St NE #400
Salem 97309-5065

To Whom It May Concern,

As a (kayaker, canoeist, walker_____________) who frequently uses the Holgate Channel and Ross Island Lagoon for (paddling, rowing, wildlife viewing, fishing) I am writing to urge the Marine Board to establish a no wake zone from the upstream tip of Hardtack and East Islands to the downstream tip of Ross Island. I would also like the Marine Board to designate Ross Island Lagoon as a non-motorized boating area.

The Ross Island complex, Holgate Channel and the adjacent 160-acre Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge constitute one of the most wildlife-rich and scenic stretches of the lower Willamette River. The Channel is also a unique place of tranquility and solitude in the heart of the state’s largest metropolitan area. Also, the Springwater on the Willamette is a regional bicycling and pedestrian trail that runs parallel to the Holgate Channel. The regional trail allows users to enjoy views of the river and the experience would be enhanced if one section would be free of motorized boat noise.

I/We support the Audubon Society of Portland, Urban Greenspaces Institute, Willamette Riverkeeper, Friends of Ross Island, and others who have petitioned the Marine Board to establish a No Wake Zone on a small fraction of the Willamette River and a non-motorized zone within the Ross Island Lagoon. The Holgate Channel, Ross Island complex and Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge are regionally significant fish and wildlife habitats in the Portland metropolitan region. The Channel is the only place in the Portland area that I can experience some peace and quiet on the river.

A No Wake Zone on Holgate Channel would be fair to both motorized and non-motorized craft in that it would provide equitable access to the river by setting aside two zones on the Willamette within the same reach, one on the west side of Ross Island for higher speed activities and a quiet zone on the east side of the islands for paddlers and slower speed motorized craft.
Sincerely,
Your name(s), organization, etc
cc Friends of Ross Island
Your Address, Phone and Email Address

(Please send this letter to: Mike Houck, Urban Greenspaces Institute, P. O. Box 6903, Portland, OR 97228-6903. We will put all the letters together in a packet to the state Marine Board)

Home Holiday Safety Tips-
Most of these tips are the same home safety tips that we always encourage, regardless of the season

As always, make sure to lock all doors and windows when you leave the house or when you are out of the room, even for a couple of minutes.
If you are planning on being out of town, make sure to ask a trusted neighbor or friend to check on your home for you. Make sure to hold your mail through USPS at  http://www.usps.com/all/optionsforreceivingmail/welcome.htm?from=household&page=optionsrecmail or have a neighbor pick up your mail for you.
Buy timers for the lights on your house. At a minimum, you should have your front and back porch lights on a dawn to dusk timer and consider having another light or two in your home on a timer, as well.
Make sure not to have holiday gifts visible through windows or doors. You don’t want to advertise the gifts that you’ve purchased.
After the holidays, put your recyclable gift boxes out only the night before, so there isn’t an opportunity for someone to find out what fun new gifts you received. When breaking down the boxes, fold them inside out before adding them to your recycle bin.
For other tips on how to make your home safer, please refer to the Portland Police Bureau’s Guide to Home and Vehicle Security at http://www.portlandonline.com/police/index.cfm?c=29869&a=31554
After the holidays, make sure to photograph and record the serial numbers of any new items that you may have received. It’s also a good time to engrave your purchases for added safety.
Be aware that occasionally some thieves will go door to door at this time of year to solicit money for a “charity” and then steal that money. Ask the person at your door for some identification.  Only donate to recognizable charities and even then, I prefer to ask for a card or information from the person at my door to send a check in to the charity directly. That way I can double check that it is a legitimate charity and I ask for their name, so they can still get the credit for the donation. Remember, personal checks give thieves your personal information as well as your bank account number.
For tips on how to avoid identity theft and how to check your credit reports, please refer to the Portland Police Bureau’s Identity Theft: It Can Happen to You brochure at “http://www.portlandonline.com/police/index.cfm?c=29869&a=111520″ .

Vehicle Holiday Safety Tips-

Always keep your car clear of personal belongings. We all know that we need to keep “valuables” out of our car, but it’s important that you keep your car clear of ANY personal belongings. Even the items that we don’t consider valuable might be considered valuable to others!
Try to park in well-lit areas and be aware of your surroundings. Avoid parking in dark areas.
Always lock your doors and shut your windows.
Try not to be distracted when walking to your car or mass transportation. It is important to be aware of your surroundings.

Business Holiday Safety Tips-
Keep all personal belongings in a locked, secure place at your office or business. Limit the number of people that have access to the office area.
At this time of year, you are probably being visited more often by delivery trucks, as well as customers. Always double check that all delivery doors are locked and secured after each visit. At the end of the night, double check that all windows and doors are secured before leaving as you would at any time.
Provide training for all employees on security procedures for your business. Enforce clear policies about employee theft, reporting crime, opening and closing the business and other security measures.
Shoplifting Prevention- Make sure to greet all customers and make sure that employees focus on good customer service. Thieves don’t want to shoplift when employees are being attentive and aware. Post signs that you will prosecute shoplifters and follow through! A get-tough attitude is important to send a message that shoplifting will not be tolerated at your business. Keep shelves low and aisles clear to increase visibility. Install enunciators on all unlocked doors. Limit the number of clothes that are allowed into fitting rooms. Have employees ask customers to hold any items that they want to purchase at the counter for them, as well as hold items for trying on in the fitting room. Try to eliminate as many blind spots in the store as possible and use convex mirrors to keep blind spots to a minimum.
Don’t forget: You should ALWAYS report crime to non-emergency at 503-823-3333 or 911 for a crime in progress. Make sure that all employees know the non-emergency number!

Last, but not least, we hope that you have a warm, safe and happy holiday season!

Brooklyn Park is covered in about 2 inches of snow.

A big smile from a first time sledder.

Commissioner Saltzman and the Office of Sustainable Development (OSD) recently opened the public comment period for the proposed High Performance Green Building Policy.  This innovative policy seeks to cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce energy costs and accelerate the growth of green jobs in Portland.

 The proposed green building policy was developed by OSD staff with input from stakeholders in the design, development, construction and real estate sectors.  It includes the following components to encourage energy efficiency, sustainable site development and material use, waste reduction, water conservation and improved indoor environmental quality:

 New commercial buildings larger than 20,000 square feet would receive a reward payment if they achieve a high performance green building certification, such as LEED Gold or Platinum, or would qualify for a fee waiver by meeting LEED Silver certification. Projects that build to the minimum Oregon code would pay a one-time fee to offset emissions from future operations.  

• Existing commercial buildings larger than 20,000 square feet would be required to participate in a reporting program to assess water use, indoor environmental quality and building characteristics. Owners also would need to identify whether the building qualifies for Portland’s Clean River Rewards incentive for stormwater management.
• For new residential projects, a performance target would be set for a percentage of homes to be built to green building standards.  If the target is met, no new regulations would be enacted. If the target is not met, an incentive program similar to that for new commercial buildings would be established.  
• Existing residential buildings would have no new requirements. City staff are currently developing options to make it easier to finance home upgrades.

 More information about the proposed policy, including a link to the online comment form, can be found at www.portlandonline.com/osd/gbpolicy.  Comments received by January 20, 2009 will be provided to City Council before consideration in early 2009.

 In addition to providing your comments, please share this information with your colleagues and neighbors and invite them to comment on the policy at the Web site listed above.

 Questions about the policy can be e-mailed to gbpolicy@ci.portland.or.us or call 503-823-3246

photo credit: TheTruthAbout…

*The new meeting date is on December 4th.

We’ve had a contentious past with cell towers in Brooklyn.  The good news is we’ve got a bunch of them, so we’ve got good service.  The bad news is… we’ve got a bunch of them, standing at the corner of Schiller and Milwaukie you can see half a dozen in the panorama.  For most neighbors the bad outweighs the good.  One of our newer towers is on the Yummy Garden property and it’s very close to a lot of residences (including kids).  So without getting too into the science/myth/general consternation here is what the City has to say;

On Wednesday, November 26, 2008, 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 #20c
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

The main topic will be a conversation on train noise.  At a recent neighborhood board meeting, we heard from a representative from the Union Pacific Railroad that confirmed that train noise is indeed increasing due to increasing rail traffic and new federal regualtions which require them to sound their horns.   There are several options before us on how to move forward on this issue.

We will also have an update on a land use case at 3523 SE 13TH Avenue where a new infill home is planned to be built.  Neighborhood residents recently met with the property owner, and some progress has been made towards a resolution.

I hope to see you there on Wednesday night!

Lance Lindahl, Chair of the Brooklyn Action Corps

photo credit: eyeliam

TriMet has launched ther new website for the Portland to Milwaukie MAX light rail project.  This new site can be accessed at http://www.trimet.org/pm/

The state of the art athletic club will include a swimming pool, whirlpool, spa and steam rooms, private men’s and women’s lounges, a basketball court, cardio, circuit training and free weights, a group exercise area, and a kid’s club.  Construction is slated to wrap up in the spring, and the club plans to open for business on May 1, 2009.

Members of the Brooklyn Action Corps Board are excited to see this project move forward.   The Rose Manor Motel was in a very poor state of condition in recent years, and had become a home to cirminal activity.  Demolition of the site was a long and messy process, and area sidewalks have been closed for many months now.

The new retail center will bring much needed jobs and commercial variety to our neighborhood.  The project will all feature stylish architecture, an underground parking lot, new landscaping and street trees, and wider and safer sidewalks along both McLoughlin and Holgate Boulevards.

Retail space is still available.  Spaces range in size from 1,600 to 9,000 square feet.  Most spaces will feature 17 foot tall ceilings and 11 foot glass storefronts to allow natural light into the buildings.  Resturant tenants are being sought,  and outdoor seating areas will be available.   If you are interested in locating your business in this new development, please contact either Dan Bozich or Ashley Heichelbech at Urban Worsk Real Estate, 503-228-3080.

This was a difficult decision for our organization to make. Unlike many other neighborhoods in Inner Southeast Portland, the Brooklyn Action Board generally supports residential infill development. Increased residential density reduces suburban sprawl, revitalizes nearby commercial areas, and helps to provide much needed affordable housing.

The Brooklyn Board believes that the partition proposed for Mr. Haak’s land at 3523 SE 13^TH Avenue sets a dangerous precedence for the neighborhood. By a unanimous vote, the Executive Board of the Brooklyn Action Corps has voted to oppose the proposed adjustment.

Chief among our concerns is the minimal setbacks being proposed for the existing home on the site. City Code 33.110.220 states that the purpose of setback regulations is to “maintain light, air, separation for fire protection, and access for firefighting”.

Fire access to the existing home will be seriously compromised if this partition is allowed to take place. The northern property line lies only 1.3 feet north of this house. If a fire was to break out on this side of the home, it would be next to impossible for a firefighter in his or her fire gear to navigate through this space in order to access the back or side yard.

The new southern property line proposed for Parcel #1 is only 3.3 feet from the existing home. Adequate fire fighting access to the back of the home and to the back yard area will only be possible by crossing onto the neighboring properties to the north and to the south. A setback of 1.3 and 3.3 feet leaves very little defensible space to prevent fires from spreading from one vehicle to the next. We believe that this places an undue burden and risk onto the adjacent property owners.

Allowing an adjustment to the standard requirement of 5.00 foot setbacks will also place an extra burden on the natural environment. Setbacks of 1.3 and 3.3 feet do not allow for adequate access to the sun for natural heating and light. This lack of sunlight will lead to increased electrical use for heating and light in the cool, dark weather that is common here during eight months out of the year. A lack of adequate air circulation will likely lead to increased air conditioning costs during the other four months of the year when it is warm.

If the narrow setbacks are allowed, the existing home will have very little privacy from its neighbors. This problem is compounded by the fact that the house has a very small setback from the front property line. This places the existing home within close proximity to three out of the four property lines. This appears to be directly contrary to the stated purpose of setbacks in City Ordinance 33.110.220 to “promote a reasonable physical relationship between residences” and to “promote options for privacy for neighboring properties”.

Saturday, October 18 from 10 am – 3 pm
at Sacred Heart Villa Hall,
3925 SE Milwaukie Ave.

The drive honors their son Danny, who died in an auto accident in 1998.  Drop-ins are welcome but appointment times are available by calling 503/232-9907.

photo credit: fortes

This is a great opportunity for those of you who are concerned about Portland’s projected growth.  The following is the City’s request for applicants…

The City of Portland is accepting applications through October 31, 2008, for 12 community members to serve on the Community Involvement Committee (CIC) for the Portland Plan. The Portland Plan is a comprehensive, three-year planning project lead by the City’s Bureau of Planning. The purpose of the Portland Plan is to develop policies and actions to guide Portland’s growth and development over the next 30 years. The planning effort will result in an update to the city’s Comprehensive Plan and the Central City Plan.
The charge of the CIC is to review and make recommendations on the public involvement efforts and accomplishments of the Portland Plan. The committee will review past involvement efforts and results, preview upcoming involvement activities, and make recommendations to the Bureau of Planning on ways to continue or improve its public involvement activities to meet the overall goals of the public involvement strategy of the Portland Plan.
The CIC will be made up of three Planning Commissioners and 12 members of the community at large. CIC members should expect to meet quarterly over the three-year period of the planning project. However, in the beginning, the committee may need to meet more often.
Additional information about the CIC is available at: (http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=203993).

photo credit: Trevor Blake

The nonprofit group Friends of Trees is bringing its tree planting expertise back to the Brooklyn Neighborhood.  Volunteers will be planting street trees in the neighborhood on November the 22nd.  However, property owners must sign up by September 26th.  There is very little cost for property owners, but the benefits of addiing trees are significant.

Although many of the residential parts of Brooklyn have a healthy tree canopy, most of our commecial and industrial districts are tree defcient.  Many academic studies have been published in recent years showing that trees increase property values, decrease energy costs in the summer time due to an increase in shade, help to curb global climate change, and reduce the amount stormwater that runs into our sewers.

Please contact Friends of Trees for more information in having trees added to the parking strip outside your home or business.  Information about the Brooklyn planting can be found at https://friendsoftrees.org/volunteer/plant-with-us.php.  You can also contact Melissa, the Brooklyn neighbhorhood coordinator at 206-240-0725 or BrooklynNeighborhoodTrees@gmail.com.

Increasing and preserving the local tree canopy will continue to be a high priority for the Brooklyn Action Corps over the next few years.  Current plans for the Milwaukie Light Rail project call for street trees to be added to full length of SE 17th Avenue bewtween Powell Boulevard and McLoughlin Boulevard.  The BAC will be working with Trimet and the City of Portland to ensure that these plans make it into the final design plan.

Look for future announcements and posts outlining the ways that we can work together to make Brooklyn a cleaner and greener place to live and to work.

Has been spotted in Brooklyn

We’ve recently received a couple of reports that a self proclaimed pedophile has been spotted in Brooklyn.  He’s exploited his freedom of speech to frighten the broader community on local media and the web.  But you have the same freedom to speak your mind.  One place to start is the police non-emergency line 503-823-3333 x 1.  Our cops would like to keep tabs on this guy, so let them know.  He’s been spotted where kids gather.

Current plans call for construction of a new MAX light rail line from Portland State University in downtown Portland to the intersection of Park Avenue and McLoughlin Boulevard in Clackamas County.  Construction is slated to begin in early 2011, with passenger rail service starting in the fall of 2014.    The Brooklyn Neighborhood will be served by three different stations, and trains will run down an expanded SE 17th Avenue right of way.

Trimet will have several staff people on hand to discuss the project and how it will help reshape the Brooklyn Neighborhood in the years to come.