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Residents press West Linn to remove housing label from wetlands map and speed ponds cleanup
Summary
Speakers at the public-comment portion urged the council to update the waterfront plan maps to remove indications of housing in wetlands south of 5th Avenue, to accelerate cleanup of the settling ponds and to clarify that the planning commission’s recommendation was to remove those map callouts.
Four residents used their public-comment time to press the council on wetlands and map accuracy in the Waterfront Vision Plan.
Sandy Carter, a long-time board member representing Advocates for Willamette Falls Heritage, asked for clearer plan language that encourages reuse of industrial structures in the Cultural Heritage District: "We recommend clarifying by specifically encouraging the preservation of some of the built industrial structures currently on Moores Island for repurposing and interpretation," she said. Russ Sacks pressed staff and council to correct maps and staff materials that he said still depicted dense housing in the Ponds District south of 5th Avenue, noting the planning commission had recommended removal of that depiction. Terrence Shoemaker and Jim Edwards reiterated concerns about wetlands protection, accurate representation of planning commission findings, and the need to expedite cleanup work before any development activity proceeds.
City staff acknowledged the concerns, confirmed the planning commission had recommended removing references to housing in the Ponds District within the floodplain, and said staff could update maps and planning text to better reflect the commission’s recommendations. Councilors directed staff to remove the 'medium density residential (planning stage)' call-out on the Ponds District map and to adopt the 1996 flood elevation boundary so the plan more closely aligns with the technical elevation data and planning commission intent.
What’s next: staff will revise the Waterfront Vision Plan maps and bring draft preservation language and affordable-housing guidance to the Oct. 21 work session for further council consideration.
