GREEN RIBBON COMMITTEE

September 18, 2001

Metro Council Chamber

 

Notes of Meeting

 

Chair: Walt Hitchcock

 

Attendance

Present: Committee members, Councilor Daoust, Darcy, Gilbert, Grant, Hermann, Hitchcock, Houck, Judd, Kadlub, Kincaid, King, Mayor Lehan (Wheeler), Councilor Neeley, Siegel, Walker

 

Not Present: Committee members: Mayor Grant, Moore

 

Metro Councilors Present: Presiding Officer Bragdon,

 

Chair Hitchcock opened the meeting at 5:45 PM. Guests introduced themselves.

 

The notes from the 9/11/01 meeting were accepted.

 

Site Reviews

The committee concluded its technical review of sites with consideration of the eight trails. Jim Desmond and Heather Kent made the presentations. Jim Desmond gave a brief introduction of trails as a whole, given their different nature from the natural area sites. Trails were often the result of local efforts that were able to generate a limited amount of money, initially. Intermittent portions of trails were then developed as money and local initiative allowed. Rather than completing entire trails, Green Ribbon allocation would, rather, help nudge things along, to a greater or lesser degree. The trail presentations were: Beaverton Powerline, Council Creek, East Buttes/Butler Ridge, Fanno Creek, Gresham to Fairview, Portland Traction and Springwater Corridor.

 

Committee Deliberation

Chair Hitchcock explained that the next step was for the committee to designate which sites should move forward in the process. Those sites would be subject of financial review, regarding costs of master planning and development. He felt that there were two categories of sites that probably should not move forward at this time: 1) sites that did not seem to need much development to open. These sites could be high in natural resource and habitat value and might be assumed to have limited access for visitors. 2) A second category included sites that did not seem to be complete in terms of acquisition, or were otherwise considered to be not ready.

 

The committee then proceeded to discuss sites that met either of those designations, ultimately selecting 10 sites to be held back from further consideration at this time. They are:

 

 

LIMITED USE

COMMENT (sample)

Multnomah Channel

Fine as it is.

River Island

Good habitat, channel still moving, park exist across river.

Banks Wetland

Great bird watching site.

  

NOT READY

 

Morand

Gas spill, other sites on Tualatin, Wildlife Refuge work continuing.

Willamette Narrows

Access problem, more acquisitions needed.

Weber Farm

Park across river, distant from population, great site in future.

Lone Fir Cemetary

Not in park deficient area.

Newell Creek Canyon

Fragile habitat, needs more acquisition. Consider as trail site.

Clear Creek

Restoration and acquisition needs, distant from population, few ties to regional trails.

Parsons

Great fishing, park exists across river.

 

Other sites also received comments, and remain for consideration, including Willamette Cove, which Portland City Councilor Francesconi said remained one of Portland’s highest priorities. Other sites receiving comment: Ambleside/Hogan Cedars, Ancient Forest, Canemah Bluffs, Gales Creek.

 

The committee agreed that all trail sites should move forward at this time, and that trails were likely to receive wide local jurisdiction and public support.

 

Next Steps

All remaining sites will be rated by committee members according to the criteria established by the Council. Sheets should be sent to Council staff as soon as possible so that they can be tabulated, and results presented to committee at the next meeting. The next meeting will take up the analysis of master planning and development costs for remaining sites.

 

Next Meeting: 5:30 to 8:30 PM

   Tuesday, September 25, 2001

   Metro Council Chamber

   600 NE Grand Avenue

   Portland