News

Albertina Kerr Workforce and Inclusive Housing. Entry, Gresham campus. Click to enlarge.

By: Jeff Carr
CEO, Albertina Kerr
www.albertinakerr.org/

Albertina Kerr continues to move forward and make progress on its Workforce and Inclusive Housing Project to be located on the Gresham campus at 722 NE 162 Avenue. The project will include 150 units, from studios to 3 bedrooms. Since the November Wilkes East Neighborhood meeting where a presentation was made, significant progress has been made:

• Site due diligence was completed in December 2019 (Geotech, surveying, arborist report)
• A Design Review Consult was completed with the City of Gresham Community Design Review Committee in December 2019
• 100% Schematic Design was completed in early January 2020
  Submittals were completed for land use review in early January 2020
• Albertina Kerr hit the $1 million private fundraising mark in December 2020 and only needs $200,000 more in private donations to hit the total goal of $1.2 million in private donations.

One significant change since the November meeting is that we have decided to pursue making the building “net zero” from an energy use standpoint, which means we will be adding enhancements to make the entire building more energy efficient and producing energy via solar panels to provide enough energy to operate the entire building year-round.

The current timeline for the project is as follows:

We continue to be excited about this project and what it will mean for direct care workers at Albertina Kerr and others who care for some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

Architect Images

NE 162nd Ave view. Click to enlarge

NE Holladay St view. Click to enlarge

About Albertine Kerr
For more than 100 years, Albertina Kerr has been caring for Oregon’s most vulnerable citizens. Over the decades, our services have evolved to meet the community’s needs. While these needs have changed, the values of our expert caregivers remain constant: compassion, commitment, collaboration, and advocacy.

Today, Kerr empowers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), mental health challenges, and other social barriers to lead self-determined lives and reach their full potential. We provide comprehensive crisis and preventative mental health care for children and teens, as well as a full range of services for children and adults with IDD.

Learn more at www.albertinakerr.org

Nadaka Nature Park won't have much of a reason to celebrate the new year.

PMG PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER KEIZUR - Lee Dayfield said a parks district funding mechanism is the best option for maintaining Nadaka Nature Park, which lost its fiscal agent and programming at the end of 2019. Click to enlarge

By Christopher Keizur
Source: Gresham Outlook (Oct 18, 2019)

The beautiful green space in the heart of the Wilkes East Neighborhood will be empty after losing its fiscal agent — transforming what was once thought of as the model for future parks in Gresham into just another open area. Despite the work that has been poured into the park, residents will have less of a reason to visit than ever before.

"It almost makes me cry to walk through here and know all those kids won't be coming here to be educated," said Lee Dayfield. "This park was their backyard, playground and forest."

There is no better person to talk to about Nadaka Nature Park than Dayfield. She spearheaded the charge to transform her dream park into a reality. She overcame red tape and bureaucracy, founding Friends of Nadaka to help secure grants and other funding.

The Columbia Slough Watershed Council, a Portland-based organization, had supported the Gresham park since its inception. But with some changes to the board and executive director, the group has decided to focus on other projects.

The backing for Nadaka will end when the money runs dry, which is estimated to happen in January 2020. That means no more activities — from community cleanups to educational gatherings for local schoolchildren — that made the park so special.

"They were so strong and supportive of us for seven years," Dayfield said. "People will notice a big difference."

Click "Read more" (below) to continue reading this article.

When: Tue, Jan 21, 2020 5:30PM-8PM Where: Gresham City Hall Conference Center 1333 NW Eastman Pky Get Map!

Applicants for the Fiscal Year 2020-21 Community Enhancement Grants will present their proposals to the Community Enhancement Advisory Committee.

For more information about this event, contact Joe Walsh at 503-618-2372.

Experts Warn Cascadia Is Overdue For A 9.0 Earthquake

Be informed. Build a kit. Make a plan. Everyday you hear the warnings. Have you made a kit? Do you have a plan?

If you're like most of us - you're not ready.

If that's you, we've got some great tips and valuable resources below to help you be prepared for whenever a disaster strikes.

TICK. TOCK.
Think of Oregon geology as a clock, measuring time in earthquakes. Tick: a magnitude 8 quake. (Bigger than 1989 Bay Area quake that killed 63 people.) Tock: a magnitude 9 quake. (Same as the 2011 Japan quake that killed almost 16,000 people.) On average, a major quake happens in our area every 243 years, the last one was January 26, 1700 — 316 years ago. Yes. We are overdue.

When the next Big One does happen, a 700-mile long section of the tectonic plate known as the Juan de Fuca, stretching from British Columbia to Northern California, will slide beneath the North American plate, causing the entire Northwest coast-line to sink up to 6.6 feet. This won’t be a California-style short burst of energy quake in the earth’s upper crust. The Big One will be bigger, deeper, and last longer: 3–4 minutes, with dozens of after-shocks, some very powerful, for days, months, or later.

Cascadia Subduction Zone. Pacific Northwest. Click to Enlarge.

Hillsides will slide. Buildings will collapse. Roads will buckle. High-rises will sway. Bridges will crack. Some will fall. Pipes will snap. Within 20 minutes, the first of several 40-foot tsunami waves will wash away the Oregon Coast’s low-lying towns.

If our next “subduction zone” quake unleashes its full potential, it will be the worst natural disaster in U.S. history.

Rockwood RIsing! When: Thu, Sep 12, 2019 6PM-8PM Where: Sunrise Center 18901 E. Burnside St. Get Map!

The Downtown Rockwood Market Hall is a new international grocery market and food hub in development in the heart of the Rockwood neighborhood.

Got a small business or an idea for a small business? We are looking for businesses to fill the grocery store and micro restaurant spaces.

Join us to learn about:

• Downtown Rockwood timeline
• How to get started
• Permitting help
• Lending, coaching and more

Translation services available. Contact us by Sept. 10 if you speak another language and need assistance at Elizabeth.Coffey@GreshamOregon.gov or 503-618-2247.

Free snacks.

Event flyer

For more information or to RSVP, visit downtownrockwood.com email Leasing@DowntownRockwood.com or call 503-690-2800.

Share Your Improvement Ideas! When: Mon, Aug 12, 2019 6:30PM-8PM Where: Columbia View Neighborhood Park 1000 NE 169th Avenue Get Map!

Columbia View Neighborhood Park is a 7.5-acre site located next to H.B. Lee Middle School in the Wilkes East Neighborhood. The natural area features a large, sloping, grassy field.

For more information about this event, visit the Planning for Parks page or contact Tina Osterink at 503-618-2392 or Tina.Osterink@GreshamOregon.gov.

Press Release:

Visit Rockwood Rising website
Email RockwoodRising@GreshamOregon.gov" or call 503-618-3208.

Andrew Speer, Candidate for MHCC Zone 3 Director

Building awareness, Increasing enrollment Andrew Speer is a long-time resident to Argay Terrace, Parkrose and East County where he lives with his wife and two children. He was raised as a life-long resident of the East side, who grew up in a family of small business owners where he learned the value of hard work and determination.

After high school, Andrew joined the U.S. Marines and while serving, he gained valuable leadership experience and insights that he values highly and applies across his life. After returning from his military service, Andrew picked up where he had left off at MHCC prior to his military enlistment; and went on to graduate from MHCC with his associate degree, and went onto earn his bachelor and master’s degrees in economics from Portland State University.

Professionally, Andrew works as an economist for a local utility where he works in rates & regulatory affairs. He works with policy makers and customer advocacy groups to ensure fair and equitable customer prices.

Andrew is running for the MHCC board position because he believes in the community college model and sees (and has experienced) the value it brings to students and communities. He is passionate about balancing affordable tuition rates with the needs of the college and is driven towards building awareness and increasing enrollment of minority and low-income students. Andrew sees MHCC as a focal point for economic change in East County and is dedicated to bringing strong leadership, strategic direction, and sound decision making to the MHCC board!

For more information please visit: www.AndrewJSpeer.com or www.Facebook.com/Andrew.MHCC

DISCLAIMER OF ENDORSEMENT
The views expressed are those of the candidate and not necessarily those of the Wilkes East Neighborhood Association or its directors. Any reference in this website to any person, or organization, or activities, products, or services related to such person or organization, or any linkages from this web site to the web site of another party, do not constitute or imply an endorsement or recommendation.

Vandalism, theft, broken windows, fights and stolen vehicles By Greg Hartung Gresham area businesses along a stretch of NE Sandy Blvd had recently experienced an alarming uptick in criminal activities.

From NE 162th to NE 181st, reports of vandalism, theft, breaking of glass windows and doors, fences cut, harassment of employees, fights and stolen vehicles now have businesses on high alert. Many of these activities are thought to be contributed by the increased population of campers within the Big Four Corners wetlands area.

Big Four Corners is an area of about 165 acres of fragile wetlands located north of Gresham that is owned and managed by Portland Parks and Recreation. Some sources say as many as 250 people are currently camping in this area. It is an important habitat for deer, coyote, river otter as well as a variety of birds and amphibians.

Gresham police can do very little as jurisdiction ends along Gresham’s northern border. The Union Pacific rail line divides Gresham from East Portland and the Big Four Corners wetlands. It is just beyond the reach of Gresham Police where many of these campers reside, however they are still within yards of the businesses on the south side of the border. While Union Pacific does conduct its own law enforcement patrols, they are limited to about 50 feet on each side of the tracks. Portland Parks and Recreation has park rangers who patrol the area.

On April 5th, 2019, a meeting at Gresham City Hall was conducted by the City of Gresham’s Economic Development, Gresham Police and Gresham’s Homeless Services departments and was well attended by many of those businesses affected by these recent activities. Representatives from SEKO Logistics, Cedar Source, Royal Bearing, Northwest Handling, Teeny Foods, Portland Bakery as well as Wilkes East and North Gresham neighborhood associations expressed very similar concerns to the City of Gresham. The crime has been costly to these businesses. Some businesses have gone to great expense to shore up security, such as replacing windows with reinforced glass, fences and hiring security patrol at night.

City of Gresham will be working more closely with the City of Portland and other agencies, but it is feared to get worse before it gets better. Word of mouth and sweeps of campers from other areas are bringing more campers to the Big Four Corners wetlands.

Get involved, Make a difference When: Mon, Mar 25, 2019 6:30PM- Where: Gresham City Hall Council Chambers 1333 NW Eastman Pky Get Map!

The Planning Commission advises City Council on long-range, comprehensive planning and land use issues within the city.

For more information about this event contact Tammy Richardson, Planning Technician at 503-618-2401 or Tammy.Richardson@GreshamOregon.gov.

On the Agenda: Approval of the Rockwood 10 Project

Click to enlarge

Rockwood 10 is a proposed 5 building workforce housing project located in the heart of the Rockwood neighborhood at SE 184th & SE Yamhill, in Gresham, Oregon.

"As the diverse Rockwood population continues to increase, the supply of high quality and attainable housing becomes even more scarce. While Rockwood 10 will be the largest new housing community in the Rockwood neighborhood of Gresham with its 224 units, Rockwood 10 is still just a small reprieve to this housing crisis. This project is designed to not only meet the needs of the general workforce community, but also of the population demographic that tends to be larger families. This site includes five, 4-story buildings, plus a stand-alone community building. All units are a mix of 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4- bedrooms." according to the info here www.communitydevpartners.com/rockwood10

The Wilkes East Neighborhood Association supports the Rockwood Neighborhood Association in their objection to the approval of this 7.4 acre 224 unit workforce housing project due to the overwhelming number of affordable housing units already located in Rockwood, lack of parking, and land-locked infill design. The proposed site is located approximately SE 184th & SE Yamhill, in the undeveloped area between SE Yamhill St and the East County Courthouse on SE Stark St. Please attend this meeting and show your support for not approving this project.