Residents urge pause on West Linn Waterfront vision plan, citing pond contamination, survey flaws and lack of distribution of public comments

At the July 16 work session the Planning Commission heard public testimony urging a pause or rework of the draft West Linn Waterfront Vision Plan, primarily because of (1) unresolved environmental cleanup at pond sites, (2) perceived flaws in the public survey and distribution of public comments to working group members, and (3) apparent inconsistencies between the draft vision plan and the city’s comprehensive plan in the Ponds District.

Residents called for environmental investigation and remediation to precede further land‑use planning in the wetlands area. Russ Axelrod (former mayor and former planning commissioner) and Terrence Shoemaker (resident) said the Blue Heron pond site had not proceeded from a remedial investigation to a feasibility study and that the site may now show degrading lagoon integrity. Shoemaker said meetings with DEQ and independent observations raised “possible breaching of the lagoon levees by burrowing animals” and urged that “a thorough study of this site and clean up of the toxic waste should be completed prior to any kind of development.” Axelrod asked that public comments be…