State of the River 07-08: River Plan

Key Accomplishments in 2007-08

The River Plan is the City’s project to guide, inspire, and facilitate actions along the Willamette River as it flows through Portland. This comprehensive, multi-objective plan will update the 1987 Willamette Greenway Plan, zoning code, and design guidelines. The first phase focuses on the North Reach, from the confluence with the Columbia River to roughly the Broadway Bridge. Future planning will address the Central Reach, from roughly the Broadway Bridge to the Ross Island Bridge, and the South Reach, including areas south of the Ross Island Bridge to the City boundary and parts of urban unincorporated Multnomah County.

During Fiscal Year 07-08, River Plan staff accomplished the following:

▪  Concluded work with the Industrial Development and Natural Resource Integration Task Group, charged with advising staff on various approaches for integrating industrial development and natural resources in the North Reach and other related topics.

▪  Completed work with the River Plan Committee, a voluntary citizen advisory group chaired by a member of the Portland Planning Commission. The Committee met throughout the development of the River Plan / North Reach to review progress and provide guidance to the River Plan project team. The meetings also served as a public forum for discussing issues and proposals during the planning process.

▪  Released a River Plan / North Reach Discussion Draft resulting from over two years of detailed work with property owners, members of interest groups, agency representatives, and the general public. Plan recommendations are grouped into four categories and include the following highlights:

Economic Prosperity

To support a prosperous working harbor, adoption of the River Plan/North Reach will:

▪  Reaffirm support for river-dependent and river-related uses and enhance protections for the industrial land supply in the working harbor;

▪  Amend regulations to increase certainty and flexibility for riverfront redevelopment and expansion;

▪  Propose a coordinated program of public investments in infrastructure and land development to fuel private reinvestment in the working harbor.

Watershed Health

To help realize watershed health goals, adoption of the River Plan/North Reach will:

▪  Provide an updated Willamette River Natural Resources Inventory for the North Reach;

▪  Apply a new river environmental overlay zone to natural resources along the river and the City’s existing environmental conservation and protection overlay zones to upland natural resources;

▪  Establish a fish and wildlife habitat restoration program funded in part by development fees.

Access

To improve safe access to, from, and along the Willamette River, adoption of the River Plan/North Reach will:

▪  Designate a continuous Willamette River Greenway Trail along both sides of the river. Portions of the trail are off-street, some are on-street and some are proposed in the railroad rights-of-way as rails-with-trails;

▪  Identify new Willamette River Greenway viewpoints;

▪  Recommend continued study of the demand for and feasibility of a new transportation connection between Swan Island and Lower Albina.

Working with Federal and State Partners

To improve regulatory efficiency below the Ordinary High Water Mark and to facilitate cleanup of contaminated sites, adoption of the River Plan/North Reach will:

▪  Recommend process improvements and changes to approval criteria to reduce duplication and conflicting responses from City, state and federal permits;

▪  Recommend creation of a new City position that specializes in North Reach issues, including industrial development, inter-jurisdictional permitting and the cleanup of contaminated sites;

▪  Develop clear regulations for cleanup activities and develop materials and strategies to help applicants understand those regulations as early as possible in the cleanup process.

RIVER PLAN

2008-2009 Action Agenda

▪  Work with stakeholders, decision makers and the public to refine the draft River Plan / North Reach.

▪  Submit the River Plan / North Reach to Planning Commission and City Council for adoption. Please see page xx in key accomplishments for highlights of the Plan's recommendations.

▪  Begin detailed planning for the Central and South Reaches of the Willamette River. The Central Reach will be conduced as part of the Central Portland Plan, a comprehensive update of the1988 Central City Plan, and focus on the Vibrant Waterfront District and Front Yard River Renaissance themes. The South Reach will focus on the Clean and Healthy River and Front Yard River Renaissance themes.