From:
Sent:
Subject:
Scarzello, Christine [cscarzello@ci.portland.or.us]
Monday, November 19, 2007 5:07 PM
Columbia Corridor Phase II update
Dear Columbia Corridor stakeholders:
We are pleased to let you know that the Planning Bureau has selected ESA Adolfson as our
consultant for Phase II of the Columbia Corridor environmental regulatory improvement scoping
process. We anticipate the project will get started shortly after Thanksgiving, be in full swing
through the winter and spring, with a final report by the beginning of summer. ESA Adolfson has
scheduled several stakeholder "check-in" points to provide project updates and/or ask for your
feedback, either via e-mail or in a meeting as described in the attached document. You can also
feel free to contact either of us if you have any questions.
As you may recall, the City initiated Phase I of the Columbia Corridor scoping effort in 2005. A
consultant was hired to interview stakeholders and produce a report based on stakeholder
feedback. The report and support documents are still available on the Bureau of Planning
website: http://www.portlandonline.com/planning/index.cfm?c=40617
In a nutshell, City staff learned that Columbia Corridor stakeholders want to:







Simplify and improve consistency in environmental regulations, while seeking overall
improvements to watershed conditions in the Columbia Corridor area.
Facilitate development and operations (business, industry, facility, and resource
management, etc) in ways that are ecologically sensitive and economically viable.
Achieve or advance compliance with regional, state, and federal requirements.
Identify and engage in partnerships to carry out the initial planning and long-term
implementation.
Develop a set of replicable, cost-effective, and equitable approaches and tools that can
be readily understood and implemented.
Focus the effort to address problems and issues specific to the Columbia Corridor area,
and use this project as an opportunity to test innovative approaches that may have
broader watershed and/or citywide applicability as well.
Support partner cities and agencies in their efforts to comply with regional, state, and
federal requirements through creative, multi-objective strategies.
Phase II will include a focused review of the environmental regulations that affect properties in
the corridor, including other city, regional, state, and federal regulations. The products will also
include a report evaluating and recommending options to simplify and improve local regulations,
including mechanisms to meet Metro Titles 3 and 13 requirements. Revisions to city
regulations will be accomplished through a subsequent project - timeline to be determined.
Thanks for your continued interest in this project; please do not hesitate to call us with questions
or comments.
Chris Scarzello (503) 823-7716 and Roberta Jortner (503) 823-7855
Outline of scope of work to complete the Regulatory Improvement Assessment for
the Columbia Corridor
ESA Adolfson
Project Goal
This project will explore ways to clarify, simplify, and potentially consolidate the
environmental zoning regulations affecting the Columbia Corridor area within the City of
Portland, while continuing to meet city policies to protect, conserve and restore natural
resource values and functions in the study area. In addition to the Environmental Overlay
Zone, the Corridor is regulated by multiple natural resource management plans and plan
districts, each with different and sometimes overlapping regulations. Additionally,
development within the Corridor is subject to multiple regulations under different
jurisdictions including other City Bureaus, the Multnomah Drainage District, and state
and federal regulations.
Key elements of this project are:




Confirming the project success criteria and reconnecting with the Corridor
Stakeholders.
Assessing the environmental regulations within the Corridor.
Developing and evaluating options for clarification, simplification, and potential
consolidation of Corridor regulations, including ways to address the compliance
requirements of Metro Titles 3 and 13 and other Corridor specific state or federal
requirements such as temperature TMDLs.
Preparing recommendations.
Scope of Work Outline
Task 1. Confirm Project Success Criteria and Check-in with Stakeholders
ESA Adolfson will assess the current relevance of the project success criteria that were
developed during the Scoping Project. Our initial assumption is that the success criteria
hold up well and are very good guiding principles for the regulatory improvement
assessment. However, we will touch base with a few key City staff and stakeholders who
have an interest in the project outcome.
Task 2. Assess the Environmental Regulations
ESA Adolfson will assess the environmental regulations in the Columbia Corridor to
identify gaps or deficiencies, conflicts, and obstacles/challenges with permit processes.
We will also collect information from past analysis of the Corridor regulations and use
comments we receive from the stakeholders in our initial project contact and from the
Scoping Project interviews.
ESA Adolfson will prepare a report that thoroughly analyzes the current federal, state,
and City of Portland regulations and guidelines that apply within the Columbia Corridor.
The assessment will include a look at the role of the Stormwater Management Manual,
Drainage Easement rules, and other relevant city regulations, along with those contained
in the Zoning Code. Additionally, the analysis will address regional regulations,
including Metro Title’s 3 and 13. We envision as part of the technical report, an analysis
matrix that would clearly identify these policy or legislative red flag issues. We will
compile the findings of the environmental regulation analysis in a technical report.
Task 3. Evaluate Options
We will prepare a menu of potential options that could be applied toward resolving the
issues, problems, and concerns identified in the earlier tasks. These options may include
such actions as creation of a new, simpler zoning mechanism(s) specifically designed to
address the area’s unique characteristics; a Plan District and/or Natural Resource
Management Plan (NRMP) consolidation; the environmental master plan concept; and
consideration of non-regulatory and other technical assistance programs. The menu of
options would also consider ways to incorporate mechanisms to achieve compliance with
Metro’s Title 13 and TMDLs for the Columbia Corridor. This task will include the
development of evaluation criteria, developed in part from the project success criteria,
that will be used to assess the merits of the various options.
We will consult with the Bureau of Planning’s partners, including other City bureaus, the
Port of Portland, the Multnomah County Drainage District, the Columbia Slough
Watershed Council, Metro and others, to develop a range of options appropriate for the
planning area. This will ensure that the ultimate project is successful in meeting
identified project goals and criteria. Options for consulting with the partners include,
additional one-on-one or small group meetings, a larger workshop setting, or a larger
public meeting.
Project Schedule
Due Date
Deliverable
November 19, 2007 Project Memo for Stakeholders and Refined Project Scope
January 18, 2008
Draft Memorandum Addressing Project Success Criteria
January 28, 2008
Final Memorandum Addressing Project Success Criteria
February 29, 2008
Draft Technical Report on Assessment of Environmental Regulations
March 14, 2008
Final Technical Report on Assessment of Environmental Regulations
April 4, 2008
Draft Options List and Evaluation Criteria to BOP
May 1, 2008
Draft Report on Options Evaluation for Environmental Regulations
June 30, 2008
Final Report