Rockwood

When: Sun, Apr 24, 2022 1PM-5PM

Where: Rockwood Market Hall
Get Map!

The People's Market at Rockwood hosted by Play Grow Learn will showcase goods from vendors of all cultures. Produce and homemade goods from local Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) producers and growers will be featured, as well as:

• Healers who specialize in food and herb wellness
• Healthy services
• Farm-to-table meals and snacks
• Local organizations led by or serving BIPOC communities
• Double dollars offered on fresh produce items with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program/Electronic Benefit Transfer (SNAP/EBT).

During the cooler months, the market will operate inside the Rockwood Market Hall. During the warmer months, it will extend outdoors into the public plaza and will feature nearly 40 vendors.

Get there

• MAX: the Rockwood Market Hall is located just south of the Rockwood / East 188th MAX stop and is accessible on foot from both SE 185th and SE 187th avenues.
• Bus: a half block north of the TriMet Line 20, SE 187th and Stark bus stop.
• Drive: street parking is available nearby and parking is available in the Sunrise Center parking lot located just east of the 187th and Burnside intersection at 18901 E. Burnside St.

For more information, contact Germaine Flentroy, Market Coordinator, at 503-719-1821 or gflentroypgl@gmail.com.

Spring Meeting Notice When: Mon Mar 14, 2022 7PM-8:30PM Where: Online meeting via Zoom (Zoom Link Coming Soon) (New to Zoom? Go to https://zoom.us/join) Dial-in Zoom +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) Meeting ID: 864 2480 4501 Passcode: 061657

Neighborhood Meeting, Everyone's Invited

Join Your Neighbors. Get involved. Make a difference!

Save the date
Be sure to save Monday Mar 14th at 7PM for the Wilkes East Neighborhood 2022 Spring Meeting.

Agenda

• Downtown Rockwood update.
     Emily Bower, City of Gresham
• NE 172nd Avenue concerns.
  Clackamas to Columbia Project (181st Ave).
     Chris Strong, City of Gresham
     Transportation Division Manager
• Q & A
• Neighborhood news and more

Who should attend?
Participation is open to all residents who live, own property or a business, organization, church or government agency within our boundaries

Be Part Of Your Community. Plan To Attend.

Watch for these red & white Meeting Signs the week before our meeting. The signs were purchased with assistance of the City of Gresham Neighborhood Grant Program, and with volunteer hours to set them out and retrieve them. Signs Now NW also made a generous contribution to this project.

Mark your calendar. See you there!

Questions or comments?
Contact Wilkes East Neighborhood by email at info@wilkeseastna.org, or by postal mail to: Wilkes East Neighborhood, 17104 NE Oregon St, Portland Oregon 97230

Congressman Earl Blumenaur and Gresham Mayor Travis Stovall tour Downtown Rockwood in 2021

By Emily Bower, Executive Director, City of Gresham

In 2003, Gresham voters approved the establishment of the Rockwood-West Gresham Urban Renewal Area authorizing the investment of $92 million into a 1,211 acre area in West Gresham. However, the urban renewal area will expire in 2023. This would leave approximately $37 million unutilized dollars due to delays from the Great Recession in 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic. The City of Gresham proposes extending the urban renewal district to 2029. The extra six years would allow the City to invest approximately $37 million in new projects and to continue funding projects in the Rockwood-West Gresham Renewal area. To date, urban renewal has brought in new development, businesses, schools, after-school youth programs, helped with storefront grants and apartment restoration. With a little more time, imagine the projects that could be tackled in the future – using money that is already set aside.

Urban renewal does not increase your property taxes.

How it works:

• It dedicates funds to an identified neighborhood so a city’s urban renewal agency can focus on improving the area.
• It is often used to provide infrastructure to help spur economic development.
• Urban renewal changes how the existing taxes paid on a property are divided out amongst different taxing districts like the City and Multnomah County.

• As public and private investment stimulates growth in the district and the value of properties improve, money becomes available to use on the projects.
• Urban renewal in Gresham can provide funding for projects sooner.

Boys and Girls Club, Rockwood ribbon cutting. Funded through Rockwood West-Gresham Renewal Plan. Photo: City of Gresham

For more information on this effort go to: https://greshamoregon.gov/Urban-Renewal/

Construction progress, Rockwood Market Hall. Photo: City of Gresham

By Emily Bower, Executive Director, City of Gresham

Following the opening of The Lumen Building in 2021, this Spring the City of Gresham and the Gresham Redevelopment Commission is excited to announce the opening of The Downtown Rockwood Market Hall.

The Market Hall will be a 39,000-square-foot indoor marketplace and will feature local, fresh and ethnic food alongside handmade, artisanal goods. There will be micro-restaurants and micro-retail stores, ethnic groceries, a commissary kitchen for rent with cold storage, and office space. The Market Hall plans for a soft opening in March with an open air pop-up market hosted by The People’s Market.

Diverse vendors of all cultures will be showcasing their goods during this market. Visit peoplesmarketrockwood.org for more information. A formal grand opening will follow in early May. The Market Hall is already 80% occupied with tenants. Space remains available for market grocers, a coffee shop and office tenants.

Oregon Tradeswomen building completed 2020. Photo: City of Gresham

Learn more about leasing opportunities at downtownrockwood.com or email info@downtownrockwood.com.

Spring 2022 Newsletter "Diversity, Harmony, Community - Together 'WE' can make a difference!”

Read it now!

Spring 2022 Newsletter Inside This Issue: Speeding on NE 172nd Ave Meet Gresham’s City Manager Wilkes East Land-Use Update Proposed Urban Renewal Extension Gresham Charter Review Committee

Download your copy here. (includes active web links)

Newsletters are a regular publication of the Wilkes East Neighborhood Association. They are hand-delivered to over 1,500 residences and businesses in our area 3 times per year, timed to correspond with our general meetings.

View archive   |   Policy & Ad Rates

Source: Gresham Outlook, January 3, 2022
By Angel Rosas

Project Zero interns also shared values of conservation with East County community

With growing fears of climate change and its effects on the Pacific Northwest, Portland General Electric is attempting to face those challenges through its Project Zero internship that allows young adults to experiment with and learn about environment-specific careers. Ellie Taylor was one of those interns. Taylor was paired with the nonprofit Play Grow Learn as she taught East County children about the environment by removing invasive species and planting native ones at Nadaka Nature Park in Gresham.

COURTESY PHOTO: PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC - PGEs Project Zero interns help in forest restoration at Nadaka Park in Gresham

"The entire purpose of this program is because climate change is here and we have to face that," said Taaj Armstrong, PGE Project Zero dean of cohort. "And the way we do that is working with underserved communities to make that change. We understand that people of color and low income people are the first affected by climate change and are often not represented in these organizations."

PGE started the program in 2020 and Taylor's cohort is only Project Zero's second group of interns. The six month program chooses interns to work with environmentally focused nonprofits.

The program works to recruit opportunity youth, which are young adults disconnected from work and school. Armstrong said there has also been a large push to prioritize offering this opportunity to BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and low income individuals.

"We look to have about 50 percent of our interns to reflect one of those demographics (BIPOC, LGBTQ+, low income)," said Kimberly Howard Wade, the Project Zero director. "This year we have 75%."

'A rewarding experience'
Taylor, who was originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan, moved to Oregon in February. Her stay in Oregon was a struggle as she became homeless. Taylor connected with Project Zero and was accepted into the program.

Working with Play Grow Learn and the city of Gresham's Environmental Services, Taylor and another intern removed invasive species and planted native plants like Oregon grey and swamp rose at Nadaka Park, while also teaching East County children about environmental stewardship.

"One of my favorite parts of the program would be the connections we made between us and the community of Gresham and Rockwood," Taylor said. "A lot of the kids we were working with came from disadvantaged home lives and to offer some stability while also teaching them how they can better their community through stewardship was just great."

During the internship the group also had days where they focused on specific themes with their fellow interns like equity and also took trips to visit other environmentally focused organizations to learn about careers there. To give interns more one-on-one help, they are also paired with mentors who help the interns with some of the growing pains of returning back to a more structured environment while also providing comfort and guidance throughout the program. Mentors even stay with the interns three months after the program has ended to help with their job search.

Noelle Saint-Cyr only recently started working with PGE as a transportation project manager, but when she heard about the opportunity to be a mentor she jumped at the opportunity. She ended up working with Taylor as her mentor/champion.

"I helped her as she returned to the workforce, which isn't an easy thing," said Saint-Cyr. "I just have to say it was such a rewarding experience to see her grow."

Taylor had the same sentiment. "I honestly don't know how I would have gotten through this program without Noelle," Taylor said. "She was the one that I vented to, and also just offered so many tips."

Starting a career
Now that Taylor's internship has concluded she is making plans to get her career started. She is thinking of going to community college to get a certificate to work in waste water treatment after a trip the group took got her invested in the work that is being done at Clackamas Water Environment Services.

However, Taylor believes the most impactful thing that Project Zero did for her was bring people unfamiliar with the field and make connections to people in those careers. "This program offers you an opportunity to make connections," Taylor said. "You are often required to have previous experience. But this internship gives me the ability to meet many different people in these fields that I am interested in."

This story first appeared in The Outlook. Support community newspapers. Subscribe at http://savinglocalnews.com

Public Welcome When: Tue, May 11, 2021 6PM- Where: Online meeting via Zoom

A public meeting of the Gresham Redevelopment Commission Budget Committee (GRDCBC) will be held on May 11 at 6:00 pm, at which time the proposed fiscal year 2021-22 budget for the Rockwood-West Gresham Urban Renewal Area (URA) will be considered by the GRDCBC.

How to participate

In conformance with the governor.s limitations on public gatherings, the meeting will be conducted using Zoom, an online meeting platform. The meeting structure is consistent with the governor.s Executive Order No. 20-16.

Join the meeting

• Join the meeting online
  Passcode: qstdx7

• One-tap mobile: +12532158782,,99053194321#,,,,*418699#
• Join by phone: 1+ 253-215-8782
  • Webinar ID: 990 5319 4321
  • Passcode: 418699

Public comments during COVID-10 pandemic

Please note the updated process for providing public comments during the meeting.

• Written testimony: Must be received 24 hours in advance of the meeting to the Program Technician at Cecille.Turley@GreshamOregon.gov.
• Oral Testimony: If you plan to provide oral public testimony, you must register your name, email address, phone number and subject matter to the Program Technician via email to Cecille.Turley@GreshamOregon.gov 24 hours in advance of the meeting.
• If you want to provide testimony and are unable to provide written comments in advance or are otherwise unable to access the meeting via Zoom, please notify the Program Technician Cecille Turley via email to Cecille.Turley@GreshamOregon.gov 24 hours in advance of the meeting so that the City can provide alternate arrangements.
• If you need translation services for the meeting, contact Alex Logue by 5:00 pm on Thursday, May 6 at Alex.Logue@GreshamOregon.gov.

For more information about the GRDCBC or about this meeting, visit the GRDCBC page or contact Sharron Monohon, Budget and Finance Director, at 503-618-2890 or Sharron.Monohon@GreshamOregon.gov.

Get involved, Make a difference When: Tue, May 18, 2021 2PM Where: Online meeting via Zoom Get Map!

The Gresham Redevelopment Commission (GRDC) meets as needed on the third Tuesday of the month following the 1:00 pm Gresham City Council meeting. The GRDC meeting start time will vary depending on the length of the Gresham City Council meeting.

GRDC meetings allow necessary Urban Renewal business to be dealt with, such a bid and grant awards, budget adoption, public hearings, resolutions, approval of projects and related updates, and policy and property matters.

COVID-19 emergency order meeting procedure

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the meetings are held online via Zoom.

How to attend and access agenda materials

• The Zoom meeting log-in/call-in information is listed on the first page of the meeting agenda. The agenda and related materials are posted on the Council Meeting Agendas and Videos web page under Upcoming Events (Redevelopment Commission applicable meeting), and on the Gresham Redevelopment Commission web page in the Meeting agendas and minutes section. Agenda materials are posted to those locations approximately one week before the meeting.
• If you are unable to access the meeting via Zoom, contact Cecille Turley, Program Technician, at 503-618-2545 or Cecille.Turley@GreshamOregon.gov no later than 2:00 pm the day before the meeting so the City can provide alternate arrangements.

How to provide testimony

• Residents who want to provide oral testimony must register their name, e-mail address, phone number, and subject matter no later than 2:00 pm the day before the meeting via email to Cecille Turley, Program Technician, at Cecille.Turley@GreshamOregon.gov.
• Residents who want to provide written testimony must submit their written testimony no later than 2:00 pm the day before the meeting via email to Cecille Turley, Program Technician at Cecille.Turley@GreshamOregon.gov so the testimony can be provided to the GRDC before the meeting.

For more information, contact Cecille Turley, Program Technician, at 503-618-2545 or Cecille.Turley@GreshamOregon.gov.

PMG PHOTO: TERESA CARSON - Barbara Kinzie Christman is one of the residents who objects to the Headwaters project in Southwest Gresham. The 30-home development would require removal of 250 mature fir trees, which abutt a undeveloped park and two wetland areas.

Source: Gresham Outlook, April 8 2021
By Teresa Carson

Survey asks folks to rate 10 possible projects, buying Headwaters site is one option

The city of Gresham launched a survey on how to use its Metro parks funds, and depending on public input, could purchase the controversial proposed Headwaters housing development site for park land.

The survey opened Monday, April 5, and asks people's opinions on how to use the $5.4 million that Gresham is getting from the 2019 Metro Parks and Nature bond measure.

There are 10 proposed parks projects totaling $13 million. That's more than twice the funds available from the Metro bond. The survey asks folks to pick the three projects they see as most important.

"The mayor and City Council want to provide an opportunity for public input and want to hear how residents would like to see the city spend our "local share" of this money," said Elizabeth Coffey, Gresham's director of communications. The Headwaters property is included as one of 10 potential projects that could be purchased with these funds," "There are lots of competing needs for this $5.4 million, which is why it is critical that residents tune in and let us know what their priorities are," she added.

The $5.4 million can be used for parks or natural resources projects that boost access to nature, water quality, habitat and protect against climate change. The money cannot be spent on playgrounds, sports fields, recreation programs, pools or fountains.

City Council will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, May 4, to review the results of the public outreach and vote on disposition of the Metro funds, including potential purchase of the Headwaters property.

The proposed Headwaters development has stirred controversy in Gresham and beyond.

Development of the 7.82 acre tract would cut down a dense stand of more than 250 mature fir trees adjacent to a protected wetland area and park. The city approved the project and no appeal was filed.

Formerly owned by the late Helen Shaull, the wedge-shaped property is at 3535 W. Powell Blvd. It is about half-mile east of the Highland Fair shopping center.

The forested site is next to Fairview Creek headwaters, the undeveloped Southwest Community Park and near the Grant Butte Wetlands owned by the city of Gresham. The southwest portion of the site is a Habitat Conservation Area.

COURTESY PHOTO: CITY OF GRESHAM - A project at Fujitsu Ponds is one of the 10 proposed uses for the $5.4 million in Metro bond funds. The city of Gresham has opened a survey for residents to rank the 10 projects in importance.

"The Shaull property would be a purchase, while all the other projects are for properties that the city already owns. If the Shaull property is not purchased by the city, it will be forever lost. The other parks projects may get money in the future," said Janet Unruh, who does not want to see the Headwaters development proceed.

In addition to the proposed Headwaters purchase, the other nine projects included in the survey are:

• Columbia View Park, 1000 N.E. 169th Ave. The city's $850,000 proposal calls for a nature play area, making trails accessible, a Columbia Gorge viewpoint and other improvements.

• Southeast Neighborhood Park, 3003 S.E. Barnes Road. Trails, picnic facilities, signs and a nature play area would be added to this 6.5 acre undeveloped park at a cost of $600,000.

• Jenne Butte Neighborhood Park, 2358 S.W. Border Way, would get a wetland viewpoint, trails, picnic facilities and more, for $1.2 million.

• East Gresham Neighborhood Park, 237 S.E. Williams Road, would get improvements such as signage, trails, picnic facilities and a nature play area at a cost of $650,000.

• Southeast Community Park, 5600 S.E. Salquist Road, would see soft and paved trails, picnic facilities, a restroom, nature play area, off-leash dog area, and more, at a price of $2 million.

• Southwest Community Park, 3333 West Powell Blvd., would get improvements that could include picnic areas, wetland viewing, trails community gardens, a restroom and more, at a cost of $2.25 million.

• Hogan Butte Nature Education Center, would purchase the undeveloped forest land north of Hogan Butte Nature Park, 757 S.E. Gabbert Road. A home on the property would become the accessible Nature Education Center to engage students in a native plant nursery and other operations. This would cost $700,000.

• Fujitsu Ponds, off Glisan Street near Salish ponds, would get improvements worth $1.75 million. The upgrades would eliminate warm water from going into these ponds, benefiting wildlife and reducing flooding risk. A public natural are would be created.

• Forest health recovery. The proposal is to spend $1 million on forest restoration and safety efforts all over Gresham.

SGS Development LLC, headquartered in Bend, bought the Shaull property for around $1 million and plans to develop the lots and sell the property to a builder to construct the 30 homes. Chet Antonsen, of SGS Development, said Metro and Gresham had first right of refusal on the property and declined to buy it.

COURTESY PHOTO: CITY OF GRESHAM - Another of the 10 proposals would spend $2 million on upgrades at Southeast Community Park, a 6. 5 acre undeveloped site on Southeast Barnes Road.

SGS is asking $2.5 million for the acreage now. The city would spend about $500,000 for improvements for a total cost of $3 million.

The proposed development unleashed a torrent of public comment and controversy. The city received many comments, all opposed to the Headwaters development, from local residents to the The Audubon Society of Portland.

John Bildsoe, vice president of the Coalition of Gresham Neighborhoods, wrote that arrowheads and other artifacts from Indigenous people have been found on the site.

After similar community pushback in 2014, SGS sold the Gantenbein Farm property at 2826 N.W. Division St. it planned to develop, to Metro, Gresham and the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District (EMSWCD). That property is now the part of the Grant Butte Wetlands.

Take the survey
Share your thoughts on how the city could use its portion of Metro parks funds by taking a survey at: GreshamOregon.gov/Parks-Planning

For more information email: ParkOptions@GreshamOregon.gov or leave a voicemail: 503-618-2145. Instructions will be in English and Spanish.

Paper surveys will be available upon request.

The survey is due by Monday, April 26.

Survey responses are limited to one per person. Duplicate submittals will be removed.

This story first appeared in The Outlook. Support community newspapers. Subscribe at http://savinglocalnews.com

Get involved, Make a difference When: Wed, Mar 10, 2021 6PM-8PM Where: Online meeting via Zoom

The Gresham Redevelopment Commission Advisory Committee (GRDCAC) advises the Gresham Redevelopment Commission (GRDC) on the implementation of urban renewal plans. Members are appointed to three-year terms and must be electors residing within the City of Gresham. Insofar as possible, candidates who are residents of the Rockwood-West Gresham Urban Renewal Area (URA) shall receiving preference in appointment.

For questions about meeting agendas and minutes, or to receive meeting agendas, contact the Recording Secretary at 503-618-3208 or Amy.Evans@GreshamOregon.gov.