Editorial

Council zoning vote ignores jobs

The Portland Tribune, Sep 25, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (2 Reader comments)

The Portland City Council’s hurried but unanimous decision on Sept. 17 to oppose changing the open space zoning of Northeast Portland’s Colwood National Golf Course to industrial land was not surprising. But it certainly was disheartening.

Private owners of the 138-acre public golf course had proposed to rezone much of the economically sagging course and develop the site into a mixture of industrial and public uses.

About one-third of the land, which is next to the Portland International Airport, was to be sold to the Port of Portland. Another 22 acres near the Columbia Slough would be donated to the city for park and habitat land.

The balance of the site – 69 acres – would be designated for new industrial uses that could have supported up to 2,000 new jobs.

Undeniably, the development of land for industry or traded-sector employment would have been a boon to a city with a skimpy inventory of attractive industrial sites.

Because of its shortage of available industrial land, Portland relies on Hillsboro, Vancouver, Wash., Clackamas, Gresham and even Salem as sites for major employers to consider locating.

Council’s choice is unimaginative

Colwood would have made great economic and public infrastructure sense: It’s close to the airport, rail and marine connections, Interstate 205, public transit and an urban workforce that would have enjoyed a short commute.

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