The Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission early next year will hold several work sessions to discuss portions of the city’s updated comprehensive plan.

Each work session will focus on different parts of the 2035 Comprehensive Plan – a long-range look at anticipated growth and development in Portland over the next 20 years – before the commission makes recommendations to the Portland City Council in spring 2015. The council has already adopted a series of background reports, but will not review the portion that discusses the types of land needed for expected employment growth until next summer.

The upcoming work sessions are scheduled for Jan. 27, Feb. 10 and Feb. 24 in Suite 2500A at 1900 S.W. Fourth Ave. The Jan. 27 session will start at 3 p.m. and focus on the use of the comprehensive plan in decision-making, as well as the plan’s emphasis on mixed-use development on commercial corridors, non-conforming uses and split zoning. The Feb. 10 work session will start at 12:30 p.m. and focus on economic goals and West Hayden Island. The Feb. 24 session will start at 3 p.m. and focus on the David Douglas School District and community involvement policies.

City planners this past summer released a draft comprehensive plan. The effort updates the current comprehensive plan, adopted in 1980, to reflect the increasing popularity of mixed-use developments along commercial corridors.

The new plan is based on a Metro forecast that Portland will gain 200,000 residents between now and 2025.

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More amendments concerning the West Hayden Island annexation proposal – and more opportunities to comment on them – are being presented this month by the Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission.

A public hearing is planned for May 14 at 5 p.m., but Eric Engstrom, project manager for West Hayden Island, said people will be able to submit written testimony until then.

Talk of annexing West Hayden Island began in July 2010, when Portland City Council members passed a resolution asking Bureau of Planning and Sustainability officials to draft an annexation proposal. It was a delicate subject, given that the island is valuable for both wildlife preservation and industrial development.

BPS commissioners recommended using 300 acres for a marine terminal. Also, 500 acres would be set aside as publicly accessible open space.

A second draft of the annexation proposal was presented in November.

Eden Dabbs, a communications specialist for the commission, said there has since been no shortage of feedback from concerned citizens and various stakeholders. The result is new amendments.

“The commission is going to take it one step at a time,” she said.

Engstrom said it’s difficult to encapsulate so many different modifications and amendments.

“There is a whole suite of amendments as a result of the feedback that (the) bureau has gotten over the last few months,” he said.

Aside from the land-use issues, the latest draft addresses economics, recreation, environment, transportation and other community benefits. Engstrom said more amendments could come be forthcoming.

The island’s ultimate fate rests with Portland City Council. When it comes to West Hayden Island, Mayor Charlie Hales has said annexation is premature with the future of the Columbia River Crossing still in limbo.

Tuesday’s hearing will be held at BPS’ offices at 1900 S.W. Fourth Ave., Room 2500A. Written testimony can be emailed to psc@portlandoregon.gov or mailed to the Planning and Sustainability Commission, 1900 S.W. Fourth Ave., Suite 7100, Portland, OR 97201.

Commissioners will hold a work session on the annexation proposal on May 28 at 6 p.m. More information is available at at the BPS or by calling 503-823-3329.

Editor’s note: This is a corrected version of a story published previously.

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In the past few months, Portland Mayor Sam Adams has vowed to put plans to develop West Hayden Island on the fast track. Those plans have hit another speed bump.

The Planning and Sustainability Commission met on Tuesday to discuss the project and possibly make its final recommendation to City Council, which would have put the project within Adams’ reach for approval. Instead, the commission voted unanimously to delay its recommendation.

“(The PSC voted) to take a more deliberate path on the decision timeline,” said Eric Engstrom, project manager for the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. “We were asked to come back on Dec. 11 to begin discussion of their questions and establish a list of next steps and a new timeline.”

The PSC will not vote on the project in 2012; Engstrom suspects the commission will vote on it in three months, after its members have more time to read and understand the project’s proposal.

This means that Adams and the current City Council will not have a chance to approve it. If it is ever recommended by the PSC, its future will lie in the hands of incoming mayor Charlie Hales, who has voiced support for the project in the past.

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Potentially one of the final public forums to discuss the West Hayden Island project before it’s presented to City Council will be held tonight.

The forum, hosted by the Planning and Sustainability Commission, will be held at 5:30 p.m. on the fifth floor of the Portland Building. It will involve discussing the latest draft of the project’s plan, which was released on Aug. 14. Mayor Sam Adam’s recent health and environmental report on the project, released last week, will also be discussed.

City Council will eventually have the final say on whether the project moves forward. That will not happen until the PSC makes a recommendation to the council, according to Eric Engstrom, principal planner for the city.

Based on the recommendations voiced at tonight’s meeting, the PSC will meet again on Nov. 27 to discuss the plan. There is a chance that the PSC will make a recommendation to the council at that meeting, which would put the project up for council vote in December, Engstrom said.

The most recent version of the plan details the island’s potential use, specifically excluding coal and liquid gas use, which the city of Portland would prohibit.

Other details include street improvements to Hayden Island Drive, which surrounds the island, and various community mitigation strategies, such as a Community Benefit Grant Program, which would create a fund that neighborhoods in the area could use toward other projects.

The draft is a continuation of a concept plan that was released by the bureau earlier this year. In that plan, the city proposed to develop 300 acres of the island into a marine terminal and a railway loop. The other 500 acres of the island would be devoted to recreational use and habitat preservation.

Both local environmental groups and neighbors have voiced concern over how the project could impact local residents and wildlife.

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The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability on Tuesday released its latest draft plan for the annexation of West Hayden Island.

The plan details the island’s potential use, specifically excluding coal and liquid gas use, which the city of Portland would prohibit.

Other details include street improvements to Hayden Island Drive, which surrounds the island, and various community mitigation strategies, such as a Community Benefit Grant Program, which would create a fund that neighborhoods in the area could use toward other projects.

The draft is a continuation of a concept plan that was released by the bureau earlier this year. In that plan, the city proposed to develop 300 acres of the island into a marine terminal and a railway loop. The other 500 acres of the island would be devoted to recreational use and habitat preservation.

A number of questions outlined in the concept plan are still left unanswered in the draft, including who would own the undeveloped areas of the island, whether a bridge will be built to connect the island to the Oregon shore and how much money would be spent on wildlife mitigation.

The draft will undergo changes and receive feedback at forums until it goes before the Planning and Sustainability Committee in October.

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The city of Portland on Monday released for the annexation of West Hayden Island.

The plan, presented to the WHI project committee last week, includes proposed zoning code amendments and a draft of the intergovernmental agreement between the city and the Port of Portland, which hopes to develop the island for marine industrial use.

The city lays out a number of requirements the port must meet in order for the agreement to be signed, including more detail on the port’s habitat mitigation proposals and a $5 million upgrade agreement of North Hayden Island Drive if the street is not rebuilt as part of the port’s development.

In 2010, City Council challenged the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability to develop a land use plan that would use no more than 300 acres for marine development and at least 500 acres for open space. In March, that plan was released by the city and, as part of the agreement, it would be enforced.

Discussions will be held on the draft plan at an open house Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Oxford Suites Hotel. In July, the plan will go before the Planning and Sustainability Commission and then, finally, to City Council in late September.

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A new development plan for West Hayden Island, an 826-acre plot of land at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, could help convince the city of Portland to annex the island. The plan, which was developed by Australia-based design firm , calls for building a marine terminal that would use only 300 acres of land – significantly fewer than the city originally thought would be needed.

“City Council challenged us to design a modern marine terminal with a smaller footprint – this proves yes, we can do that,” said Eric Engstrom, project manager for the . “The WorleyParsons plan will provide some big factors into City Council’s decision on what to do with the property.”

The Port of Portland has proposed numerous developments for the island since it was brought into the urban growth boundary in 1983. But the proposals never amounted to anything mostly because of questions surrounding environmental and community impacts, as well as potential economic benefits. According to previous plans, the port would need 500 to 600 acres for construction of a marine terminal.

In light of recent construction on the east side of the island, Engstrom said the city was motivated to look more into island development. However, he said the city realized it had to reduce the project’s scope in order to lessen negative impacts.

“Prior to this, the city was always driven to optimize the use of the facility and use all the acreage (on the island),” Engstrom said. “But the city recently made the project’s small footprint a top priority.”

As part of a resolution by City Council in 2010, the BPS hired various firms to collect data and draft design plans to see whether an effective marine development could be built on fewer than 300 acres of the island.

“We think this will be a really good tool for moving the process forward for the city,” said Matt Laccinole, vice president of U.S. operations for WorleyParsons. “We’ve gotten nothing but really good feedback on it.”

Laccinole said 500 acres of the island would be devoted to recreational use – mainly small trails – and habitat preservation, significantly reducing the project’s impact on at-risk animals. He added that each proposed construction aspect was designed to minimize harmful effects on surrounding habitats.

The rest of the island would be devoted to the marine terminal, which would be made up of a number of wharfs, multiple storage units, crane space and a railroad loop that would connect to an existing railway between Portland and Vancouver, Wash. Previously, the size of the loop has been the focal point of debate surrounding development on the island.

“The key thing is providing an efficient rail loop, because we want it to be an economic, viable facility and that comes into question when you can’t get efficient railroad access,” Engstrom said. “We believe that’s been done here.”

Laccinole said WorleyParsons was able to reduce the loop’s size by using different layout methods for the track.

“When we went into this, we had to make sure the operations side was matched with the environmental and recreational sides – we made sure to incorporate all three of those aspects equally,” he said.

The plan would cost somewhere between $200 million and $400 million; the BPS stated it would be split evenly between public and private sources. The latter would be companies that would operate the facility. The range in cost reflects the possibility of building bridges to connect the island to the Oregon shore and the potential Columbia River Crossing.

Bob Sallinger, conservation director of the , which has consistently opposed development on the island, said the plan incorporates facts the society brought up during past development proposals and is more realistic.

“For the first time the city has seemed committed to getting good information; we’ve been saying since 1999 they don’t need 600 acres to build,” Sallinger said. “They’ve done a good job looking at the project and have created a solid foundation of information to make a difficult decision on.”

Timme Helzer, founder and chairman of Friends of West Hayden Island, a 300-member association that aims to protect the island, agrees that the plan shows growth from previous proposals.

“The plan finally recognizes the Port of Vancouver has industrial space that can be developed into space for marine terminals,” Helzer said. “The Port of Portland has resisted looking there for around 20 years.”

However, neither Sallinger nor Helzer support development on the island. They both said that 300 acres of industrial development can harm wildlife and the community. Additionally, Helzer pointed out that the plan shows that only some people would benefit economically from the project.

“This project would make money for people shipping things and people receiving those things; the people running the port will shoulder most of the costs and the city will have to pay a hell of a lot for it,” he said. “There’s also very scant evidence it would create long-term sustainable jobs.”

Engstrom said City Council will use the plan when it makes a decision on the island’s use in July.

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With plans for a new Interstate 5 bridge, and potential annexation of West Hayden Island, change is coming to the developed, eastern side of the island.

But some forward-thinking business and property owners are not certain yet whether that change will be for the better.

The Hayden Island Business Alliance, a group representing business interests on the island, was founded by Greer Kern, public relations manager for Mayfield Management Co. She believes the alliance can leverage the projects being planned on Hayden Island to make it much more business friendly.

“These changes are coming and they will affect us,” Kern said. “The only way to weather change on the island is to be part of the solution.”

Kern initiated formation of the group after she encountered difficulty securing leases for an office building she represents, Hayden Island Plaza – the only office building on the developed side of the island. Mayfield’s portfolio was performing well, but Kern’s marketing efforts weren’t working on Hayden Island.

Kern decided to contact the local business group that represented the island, but at first she couldn’t find one. She eventually discovered that the island fell within the boundaries of the Columbia Corridor Association, which represents industrial businesses and property owners along the Columbia Slough.

“Hayden Island has always been in our boundaries, but it’s predominantly made up of retail, and that’s just not something we deal with a lot,” said Corky Collier, executive director of the CCA. “But with that said, we are definitely willing to work with the group now that there is interest there.

“Whether it’s carving them out of our boundaries or letting them have their own subgroup and still be part of the (CCA), we are here to support them.”

Kern and Mayfield employee Jessica Oien hit the pavement to speak with business and property owners on the island about the upcoming projects and the existing business climate. The pair learned that businesses weren’t communicating with each other, which was leading to exchange of misinformation and heightened fears about the changes.

“What we learned rather quickly was that it wasn’t our building on the island that was the problem; it was a lack of unity and a lack of an identity,” Kern said. “Not only was there fear and frustration about the projects, but there were literally neighboring businesses that didn’t know each other existed.

“Through all of this, I want to bring everyone together to at least get an intimated dialogue started.”

After identifying the 166 businesses on the island, Kern formed a list of issues that came out of the discussions with business and property owners.

These included, for example, “just getting the signs that say businesses are open, or making sure that people can still access businesses during the construction of the bridge,” she said. “The public agencies will help with that stuff, but only if there is someone advocating for it.”

The business alliance is being received warmly by the community. A kickoff event this week drew approximately 40 business representatives as well as officials from Business Oregon, the city of Portland, TriMet, Metro and other organizations.

The effort dovetails nicely with the planned expansion of Jantzen Beach SuperCenter, according to Tara Platt, regional property manager for Edens & Avant, which handles property management for the mall. Site preparation is under way for a new, 138,760-square-foot Target store. After that project wraps up, storefronts will be upgraded and 100,000 square feet of retail space will be added.

“Right now we’re an island on the island,” Platt said. “(The business alliance) is going to better connect us with the community and help us create relationships.”

The alliance also received support from Rex Burkholder, the Metro councilor who represents Hayden Island. He said the area’s connectivity to the water, its proximity to both Portland and Vancouver, Wash., and the sight lines to Mount Hood are great business advantages for Hayden Island.

“What propels people is a vision,” Burkholder said. “The idea of where you want to get is as important as the tools and techniques that get you there. This effort will create that idea.”

Burkholder said the business alliance could choose to pursue new neighborhood commercial zoning to make the area feel more like a community, and take action to ensure that the new bridge creates better connectivity and not separation.

“(Interstate 5) has essentially pushed away development, but that can change with the new bridge,” he said. “This area could be neighborhood center and serve the needs of a large surrounding area.”

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Turns out muddy swamps and trees are worth something to others besides portly loggers down South.

Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability the Draft Hayden Island Natural Resource Inventory Report today in which, among other things, it prioritized the value of the wetlands and woodlands of West Hayden Island. Citing benefits of riparian zones – such as filtration of surface water and flood management – the 176-page report details what kinds of natural resources exist on and around the area of the island.

The city of Portland has determined the area has significant potential as both an , but has yet to develop the area. The report is the latest in series of assessments to value the area’s potential. The city council a $359,916 contract on June 22 to commission global engineering firm Worley Parsons Westmar Corporation to, according to , study industrial development on up to 300 acres of the 800-acre island.

To comment on the draft report, go .

Also, see how Oregon legislation may affect the development of the island. And see what kind of industrial development potential the island and other Portland-metro areas have.

And for your viewing pleasure, here are some guys who don’t need to be told the benefits of those sweet riparian zones:

-Peter Beland

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Portland City Council on Thursday moved one step closer to annexing into the city more than 800 acres of undeveloped property on West Hayden Island.

The council voted 4-0, with Commissioner Randy Leonard absent, in favor of directing the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability to develop a legislative proposal for the annexation of the property by December 2011. Through the resolution, the proposal calls for designating approximately 500 acres for wildlife habitat and recreational use, and approximately 300 acres for development by the Port of Portland as a deepwater marine terminal site.

“There was definitely a consensus that the city needs to look at this mixed-use approach for the property,” said Roy Kaufmann, spokesman for Mayor Sam Adams. “But there was also a consensus that the council needs more time, and more information, to make a decision.”

The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability will work with the port, environmental groups and the West Hayden Island Community Working Group over the next 18 months to further assess the impact of the annexation, and the impact of potential development, Kaufmann said. Possible mitigative actions and traffic impacts around the property also will be considered.

West Hayden Island is part of Multnomah County but is outside the city boundaries. The property was brought into the Urban Growth Boundary in 1983 and then designated by regional government Metro in 2004 as a regionally significant industrial area.

Port officials said as many as 1,200 new jobs could be created if new terminals were constructed on West Hayden Island. But environmentalists at the council meeting said that even 300 acres of development by the port could have negative impacts on wildlife because a large, intact area would be broken up.

“No one on the council has any illusion (about) how difficult it’s going to be to please both sides of this,” Kaufmann said. “But if the mayor wasn’t optimistic that a compromise can be made, he wouldn’t have brought it this far.”

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