Do YOU think Oaks Bottom needs a 7-story building looming over it?

Our local neighborhood jewel may be about to change

Oaks Bottom is a wildlife refuge in the center of a major city where you can watch otters play and eagles fly on the same hike. It’s only 1000’ from Tom Dwyer Automotive and there’s a dedicated walking path to get there, so it’s a great way to kill time while your vehicle is in for service. We highly recommend it! But hey, gentrification, and someone wants an exception that would let them build a 7-STORY BUILDING on the bluff overlooking Oaks Bottom. Our local neighborhood group, SMILE, is fighting back, and we put this article together to make our Sellwood neighbors aware of the issue. If you haven’t checked in with our local neighborhood jewel lately, start with this article and then get out and take advantage!

The proposal involves building a 7-story building between SE Harold and Ellis at Milwaukie. You’ll want to take a look at SMILE’s (Sellwood Moreland Improvement League) response to the proposal to the modification of the Portland Comprehensive Plan. but here’s an excerpt from the cover letter…

“The Sellwood-Moreland Improvement League (SMILE) opposes the proposed amendment to Portland’s 2035 Comprehensive Plan. The SMILE Board of Directors unanimously approved this testimony on February 11, 2022. The following pages state our objections and provide research in support of those objections:

• Landslide risk decreases the safety of housing.
• Degradation of the benefits of Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, this City’s natural gem.
• Proposed changes are not applicable to this location and not compatible with the land use pattern set by the Comprehensive Plan Map.

SMILE supports the 112 units of inclusionary housing that have been added to the neighborhood since 2017 and wants more. However, where that need is met must be balanced with safety of residents, previous land use planning, and conservation of Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge. We encourage the applicant to consider our proposed outcome (Appendix, p. 11) which supports the Comprehensive Plan, fulfills zoned housing potential of the property, and improves feasibility of development in a way that is safer and in compliance with the zoning code”.

And here’s just part of their 23-page response…

“Hearings Officer and Bureau of Development Services staff (HO&BDS) support for this proposal demonstrates the siloed dysfunction of the City’s bureaus and governance. The table lists site characteristics where BDS and the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) have completely opposed findings or HO&BDS rely on factual errors. The resulting recommendation of the Hearings Officer, which include denying climate science and using obsolete transit schedules, creates a false justification for the proposal. City Council has the responsibility and authority to make City policy coherent and factually-based…

…In conclusion, discarding years of planning, increasing landslide risk, and blighting the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge for a comparatively small number of housing units is not on balance supportive of the Comprehensive Plan. We urge you to deny this proposal. We encourage the applicant to consider our proposed outcome on page 11 of the Appendix that is supportive of the Comprehensive Plan, fulfills the zoned housing potential of the property, improves the feasibility of development, and does so in a way that is safer and in compliance with the zoning code.”

If you’d like to dive deeper into this issue then SMILE President Elaine O’Keefe (president@sellwood.org) or Land Use Committee Chair David Schoellhamer, (land-use-chair@sellwood.org) are great places to start, or just check out the SMILE Website at https://sellwood.org/.

But as long as you’re thinking about Oaks Bottom, we have a couple other things to check out while you’re here. We’ll start with an unusual guide into the Refuge, a blog we found from two little kids in our own Sellwood neighborhood at ourbiglittleadventures.com and then continue on to see our backyard refuge through the eyes of a few other sources. We hope you find something useful, but get out and enjoy! No other persons’ experience can substitute for your own taste of Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge!

OurBigLittleAdventures.com

Their wonderful Oaks Bottom review with words and pictures begins like this…

“Portland city is spoiling us with so many urban natural areas and refuges! Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge is another natural gem that helps us to take a break from our busy urban lives. This visit was our second one. I cannot believe I didn’t go to this location more often. That is the consequence of having so many amazing places in Portland and nearby; you need several years to revisit them all over again…”

Friends of Oaks Bottom-

“The Friends of Oaks Bottom is dedicated to the preservation of the largest remaining natural area in the Willamette River’s lower floodplain. We engage the surrounding communities and the city of Portland at large in conserving this unique natural area through education and volunteer work. Our goal is to connect people to the nature and wildlife encompassed by Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge.”

OregonHikers.org- Oaks Bottom Loop Hike description

“The Oaks Bottom wetland, mainly fed by springs at the base of a Willamette River bluff, has become one of Portland’s most beloved wildlife parks. The original acreage here was acquired by the City of Portland in 1959, and the northern section, once a landfill and then slated for industrial development was added in 1969. Unusually for a wildlife refuge, dogs are allowed here on leash, and the loop hike takes you along a small stretch of a major cycling trail, the Springwater Corridor. Waterbirds can be seen any time of the year, small passerines pass through on migration in the spring and fall, and beaver and nutria are active in the backwaters. To extend the hike, you can continue north on a network of trails above the Willamette until you reconnect with the Springwater to turn and make your return…”

Portland Parks & Recreation- Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge

All the trails All the videos Access Recreation

“Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge extends for nearly two miles north from the historic Oaks Pioneer Church at SE Spokane St and Grand Ave. In startling contrast to the highway of speeding cyclists that crowd the Springwater Corridor on weekends, the Bluff Trail to the east offers an opportunity for tranquility and a sense of “wild.” Recently-placed wood rail fences and a series of boardwalks give this trail a sense of New England charm and at the same time smoothing out the roller coaster ride of tree roots and ruts that marked the previous Bluff Trail.

For a shorter hike of just under a mile, the prime destination is the large viewing deck overlooking the marsh. For those wishing to extend their hike, continue nearly another mile to a series of stone Steps that offer a large area to rest and turn around. If the steps are not an obstacle, there are other opportunities, although the Bluff Trail ends just north of the steps, as does the character of the trail as it joins a steep paved bike path…”

Painting the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge

Posted on August 11, 2021 by tomdwyer

An art group was enjoying the day so we stopped to say hi

“The Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge in the center of Sellwood is just one of the things that makes our neighborhood so special. Passing through recently, along with the usual eagles, ospreys, and scenic views, we saw a small group of people trying to capture all that beauty with only a brush and paint. We thought that deserved at least a little conversation…”