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Commission presses for Milton Creek protections as new PG substation delays boundary decision
Summary
Commissioners said a planned PG substation and unresolved boundary surveys are delaying formal designation of Milton Creek as a protected area; staff warned that wetland and transmission feasibility work must finish before council can act on a master-plan change.
At its April 13 meeting, the St. Helens Parks & Trails Commission discussed efforts to preserve Milton Creek and the reason formal boundary designation remains unresolved: a proposed new PG substation and pending feasibility work.
Commission members reported recent visits to the Milton Creek meadows where wildflowers are starting to bloom and where spawning fish and dozens of bald eagles have been observed. "They're like this large ... they just spawn right there at the, like, little falls that come down Milton Creek," a commissioner said, describing a decades-long spawning area. Several commissioners said they want the land added to the city's master plan as a nature preserve but acknowledged practical hurdles.
Staff member S12 told the commission the substation siting is the "big holdup" to finalizing boundaries. "The new substation is ... 300 by 500 feet, which is substantially four and a half acres," S12 said, and explained that a transmission study and wetland surveys are required before the city can finalize designations. S12 added much of the property is in a floodplain or stream buffer and is likely undevelopable without additional environmental work.
Commissioners asked whether the commission should keep Milton Creek as a standing agenda item while council and staff complete feasibility work. One commissioner said keeping it on the radar is important because the matter could otherwise "get lost in the weeds." Staff said the formal update to the transportation system plan — funded by a grant and expected to take about 18 months — will be the vehicle for major map changes, while an interim council memorialization would be possible but has not yet been made.
The commission did not take a formal vote to change Milton Creek’s status; members resolved to continue monitoring, prepare supporting materials (slides/photos), and keep the issue on future agendas so the commission can provide council with recommendations when the substation decision and required surveys allow.
