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Plans to improve access to the Willamette River south of the Ross Island Bridge and provide better connectivity with the Sellwood and Brooklyn neighborhoods took another step forward following a recent open house hosted by the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability.

The bureau’s River Plan/ builds on the 1987 Willamette Greenway Plan and will update existing policies and regulations, prioritize future investments in the area and develop an implementation strategy.

In addition to strengthening connections to the nearby neighborhoods, the plan seeks to improve access to the river by exploring options for new docks and identifying opportunities for and existing obstacles to land-based and river-based recreation. Addressing fish and wildlife habitat, environmental restoration and floodplain management are key parts of the plan as well as an assessment of zoning code provisions that apply to riverfront communities and floating homes.

Debbie Bischoff, a BPS senior planner, noted that almost half of the land in the project area is devoted to parks, open spaces and natural resources while the remainder is single-family, multifamily and floating homes and some businesses. The developable area is mostly built out.

鈥淎n important consideration in planning work is to provide and expand public access via streets and trails to and along the riverfront and into the river,鈥� she stated via email. 鈥淎nother consideration is to protect and enhance natural resources for people, fish and wildlife.鈥�

Some of the challenges involved in the South Reach project relate to completing the greenway trail system in places where development exists. Generally, public trail sections are built when a significant development or redevelopment project is reviewed for land use or building approval. Another challenge is striking a balance between protecting natural resources while promoting public access and recreation on land and in the river.

鈥淔or example, shallow water habitat areas are often desirable places for swimming,鈥� Bischoff pointed out.

Following a visioning workshop and several other outreach events, the聽BPS held an open house Dec. 1 at Llewellyn Elementary School that allowed it to synthesize the feedback it has received from the community so far and provide the public with some initial concepts the bureau is considering for the plan, BPS planner Jeff Caudill stated via email.

鈥淥ne important outcome of the project will be a South Reach Urban Design Concept and underlying 鈥楤ig Ideas,’鈥� he stated. 鈥淭hese concepts present a future vision for the area and highlight specific actions we may pursue as a part of the plan.鈥�

Bischoff said the bureau has received a robust amount of feedback from community members, and some central themes include protecting and enhancing natural resources; improving the safety of trail users by establishing a speed limit for bicyclists and separating pedestrians from cyclists; and adding amenities such as benches, restrooms, water fountains, a dock and a boat launch. The multipurpose dock could be located near Oaks Amusement Park.

Others suggested expanding the river setback for new development and redevelopment adjacent to the river. Community members also recommended completing the riverfront trail system and extending the trail to Lake Oswego. In addition, the plan could include recreating the historic channel through Ross Island to reduce algal blooms.

An inventory and analysis of existing conditions began last winter, and visioning for the urban design concept will continue through the spring. The bureau plans to present a proposed draft in spring 2019 and gather recommendations during Planning and Sustainability Commission hearings. A recommended draft will be presented to the City Council for hearings and final action in early 2020, according to the project’s timeline.

The riverfront area in Dunthorpe, which is in unincorporated Multnomah County, is included in the project because the city and county have an agreement that Portland will conduct planning for the county’s unincorporated areas.

Elizabeth Milner, co-chairwoman of the Sellwood-Moreland Improvement League‘s Stewardship of Natural Amenities Committee, attended the initial visioning workshop and the Dec. 1 presentation. Neighborhood residents are excited for more access to the river, an improved public swimming area, enhanced boat access, and better signage to remind dog owners to clean up after their pets, she said.

鈥淲e have some committee members who are working to save some open space that is privately owned between Llewelyn Elementary and the (Wilhelm Portland Memorial) funeral home, and if that works out that could be a potential trailhead to Oaks Bottom because the current trailheads are pretty far apart,鈥� she said.

With 305 acres of public parks, natural areas and open spaces, the South Reach is home to threatened and endangered species that include Chinook, coho and sockeye salmon and steelhead trout as well as Pacific lamprey and cutthroat trout, which are federal species of concern. It is the only section of the Willamette River in Portland that has floating home moorages, and Oaks Bottom is the only designated wildlife refuge in the Rose City. Oaks Amusement Park, which opened in 1905, is one of the oldest amusement parks operating in the country, according to the bureau’s 鈥渇un facts鈥� about the area.