Tentative schedule For the land-use review process, this does not include construction timelines which happen later. These dates were given to the Mount Tabor Neighborhood Association by the Portland Water Bureau March 14, 2014, and they may change.
o First week of April – Portland Water Bureau files the Type III version of the land use application. Water Bureau promises to put the entire narrative and the plan drawings online for easy access at this time. We will post links to this information on Mount Tabor Neighborhood Association Facebook page and on Stephanie’s land-use blog (www.mtna-landuse.blogspot.com)
o Most of April – Water Bureau plans to hold most of their public meetings on this land use application during the 3 weeks following filing, before the record officially opens. They are currently propose hosting:
o A large, SE-Portland-wide public meeting with a presentation from Water Bureau. It is unclear if they will allow citizen comment or questions here. The Bureau will control this forum. Commissioners Fish and Fritz are expected to be present. o Walking tours on Mount Tabor, with Water Bureau employees pointing out select parts of their construction plans. Tours will be limited and require advance reservations.
o On-site signage by Water Bureau will be posted to mark select changes being made by construction project.
o Water Bureau may or may not participate in a public meeting hosted by Tabor Neighborhood Associations. Commissioners and Water Bureau will be invited, and regardless of their agreement to participate we will provide a forum where citizens can comment, and we will present aspects of the construction proposal that raise concerns.
o Late April – The official legal record on this land use case is expected to open in late April. Comments made before this point will not be in the record, and they will need to be made again. For a comment to be addressed/mentioned in the Bureau of Development Services staff summary given to the Historic Landmarks Commission, it will need to be in the record, and in the record before they write their summary (approx. 15 days before the public hearing).
o May – public comment period in which official record is open.
o First week of June – the approximate deadline for entering comments into the record in time for them to be included in the Bureau of Development Services staff summary handed to the Historic Landmarks Commission.
o Mid-June – the public hearing on this case in front of the Historic Landmarks Commission. The public is invited to speak.
Actions – do by April 1
1) Mount Tabor Neighborhood Association would like the Portland Water Bureau to waive the 120-day requirement; this is Water Bureau’s choice when they file the application. Contact Commissioner Fish’s office by email or by phone. Request “the Portland Water Bureau waive the 120 day requirement when they file their application with BDS, to allow for a more flexible timeline and official record.” For more explanation on this topic, reference Stephanie’s land use blog post titled “Tabor Disconnect – Request PWB to waive 120 rule”
e. Have the application clearly list a Parks Bureau contact for the community;
I’m a retired civil engineer, yet I’m unable to think of a reason for removing pipes that will no longer be used for the reservoirs. Since it’s a public park, I can understand capping the ends of pipes with concrete and retiring them in place. The heavy cost and damage to remove the pipes might make sense if the land is being prepared for development. And that may only be half of it: much of the material excavated may need to be hauled away, to be replaced by select sandy gravel from elsewhere.