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Clackamas County officials praise recovery campus and pledge follow‑up on traffic, neighborhood concerns
Summary
At the June 4 Clackamas County commissioners meeting, public testimony and commissioners’ remarks celebrated the recovery campus groundbreaking while raising outstanding questions about construction management, traffic impacts and neighborhood concerns; the board said it will work with the sheriff and staff on follow‑up.
At its June 4 meeting, the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners heard public testimony praising recent community engagement around the county's planned recovery campus and heard calls to address remaining questions about traffic and construction management.
"It's a huge project. It's $44,000,000," public commenter Les Poole told the board, thanking commissioners for a community meeting and urging more work on traffic impacts. Poole said the project is intended to operate by appointment rather than as a drop‑in or overnight shelter and pressed the county to revisit diversion analyses if tolling on the new I‑5 bridge sends traffic to I‑205: "When I‑205 becomes a parking lot, our distribution‑based economy and access to the airport goes flying out the door," he said.
Commissioners emphasized the project's potential and the importance of continuing outreach. Commissioner Martha Schrader said the Clackamas Heights groundbreaking and recent recovery campus meetings showed long‑running work coming to fruition, calling the planned complex "going to be a beautiful, beautiful complex" and noting tours of existing facilities helped allay neighborhood concerns. Commissioner Ben West said he was "humbled" by the progress and that he looks forward to "when that ribbon cutting happens," arguing the county's earlier pilot projects informed the current approach.
Chair Roberts acknowledged complaints about vehicles and other neighborhood concerns raised at the community meeting and said he had already been in contact with the sheriff and county staff. Roberts said the county intends to address those issues before construction begins so they do not undermine the program's success.
Why this matters: Commissioners described the recovery campus as part of a continuum of housing and services intended to serve people in recovery and to reduce chronic homelessness. Supporters at the meeting said the project would reinstate community and provide services; critics and nearby residents cited traffic, safety and operational questions the board and staff still need to resolve.
What's next: The board did not take a policy vote on the campus at this meeting. Officials said they will continue public outreach, coordinate with the sheriff's office on neighborhood safety concerns and report back to the board as construction planning proceeds.
