From: Micah Meskel

Sent: Thu Sep 17 12:01:59 2020

To: Wheeler, Mayor; Commissioner Fritz; Commissioner Eudaly; Commissioner Hardesty; Council Clerk â Testimony; Ryan, Dan

Subject: Re: LU 20-102914, DZM ADGW Alamo Manhattan River Blocks 41 & 44 and Greenway

Importance: Normal

Mayor Wheeler and City Commissioners,

Portland Audubon would like to express continued concern with some aspects of the Alamo Manhattan project, especially regarding the proposed greenway design.

Earlier this year we submitted several rounds of testimony to the Portland Design Commission regarding the Alamo Manhattan proposed development with the hopes of reducing its impacts on important wildlife habitat and ensuring it provides for enhancement of the public greenway along the Willamette River. While we appreciated the applicants initial attempts to remedy some of our concerns we became quite frustrated when the applicant pulled their proposal and resubmitted through a previous application that was vested in a previous iteration of the code. This maneuver allowed the project to circumvent new policy and standards that had been implemented in the Central City Plan 2035. New policies like eco-roof requirements and birdsafe window glazing standards; which had been broadly supported by the community and passed by Council, were no longer required and were now largely absent from the proposal. Additionally, in our view the proposed greenway enhancements that remained barely reached the minimum standards and did not provide the necessary public benefit to earn a greenway, FAR, or height bonus.

Given the applicants bad faith effort to circumvent current Central City 2035 requirements, the minimal greenway enhancements included, and the proposed delayed sequencing of those enhancements, we urge Council to deny the current proposal until the applicant adheres to Central City 2035 policies on ecoroof requirements and birdsafe window glazing standards, and remedies its greenway design deficiencies. Please see testimony from Urban Greenspaces Institute and resident Jeanne Gallick on suggestions for improving the greenway design to better provide protection of natural resources and provide public benefit.

Thank you.

Micah Meskel

Activist Program Manager

Portland Audubon

Bob Sallinger

Conservation Director

Portland Audubon

Micah Meskel

Activist Program Manager

Portland Audubon

(971) 222-6128 | Direct

(503) 481-5715 | Cell

The majority of Portland Audubon's staff is working remotely during COVID-19 for the benefit and safety of our community. To learn more about our facilities and programs during this time, please click here. I can still be reached readily by phone and email.