Public works finishes waterfront environmental assessment; council discusses zoning clarity after public questions

City staff told the council that consultants are nearly finished with an environmental assessment for the Waterfront Partnership project and expect to complete a report by the end of the week. The public works report said the project’s location and scope are not expected to trigger additional requirements under the Endangered Species Act or the National Flood Insurance Program, according to the consultants’ current work.

During public comment, resident Mike Anderson asked whether a prior Bosmart LLC plan and its industrial/residential zoning treatment had been acted on and what direction, if any, the Waterfront Committee was receiving about future uses of city waterfront property. The council noted the question and said it would record the comment for follow-up; no rezoning action was announced at the meeting.

Councilors and waterfront committee members also discussed that recent zoning-clarity work was intended to give clearer development guidelines. A council committee member described prior Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) findings that the city had been using ordinances that were not specific enough to give developers clear notice about approval criteria; the committee’s work is intended to produce findings and clearer guidance so applicants know which changes are necessary for approval rather than having to guess.

City manager and public works updates said the waterfront restoration effort is continuing amid some funding uncertainty; staff have applied for a $60,000 loan to cover gaps not met by grants and are preparing related engineering procurements while continuing to anticipate possible cost increases if federal funding is delayed.