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Proposed Pipeline alignment Threatens Oak
Lodge!
11/8/2008 Several months ago the Director of Water
Environment Services of Clackamas County refused a request from the Oak Lodge
Community to make a presentation about the proposed pipeline alignments. WES
officials have dodged the specifics for over a year. One of the proposed alignments,
coined "The Trolley Trail Alignment" would comprise of a 24 inch pressurized line
running from the Kellogg Treatment Plant to the Tri-cities treatment plant in Oregon
City.
11/1/2008 The Oak Lodge Community is being
targeted as a new frontier by Clackamas County officials looking into how to raise
matching funds for the proposed Light Rail project on Mcloughlin Blvd. The exact
number of dollars needed at this time is not known, but Metro officials have indicated a
range of 500-700 million dollars, perhaps more.
June, 2008 In the last several months there have been
a number of developments surrounding wastewater in North Clackamas County. The
Task Force process has come to end for the time being. Clackamas County has put a
spin on the outcome that seems larger than life. The future of the Kellogg Treatment
plant remains uncertain, and the existing governance structure remains. Though it is
unclear it seems the County has introduced new language stating that the Kellogg site
will not be expanded. Also there may be another advisory committee formed which is
likely to made of city officials. A recent news release suggests that substantial
breakthroughs occurred and major changes in governance are near. Lake Oswego
withdrew from the process recently after financial projections for purchasing treatment
capacity appeared daunting. More troubling numbers indicate that the cost to pipe the
sewage across the Willamette and up to the Tri-Cities Treatment facility were far too
expensive. The Oak Lodge numbers suggested a similar dilemma where the cost to
pipe the sewage would exceed the cost of treatment. Typically the highest costs are
related to the treatment facililty and processing. Oak Lodge was hoping the Task
Force would look for a different technical solution that did not require miles of expensive
piping, expensive pumping stations and related energy demands. The process centered
on a technical "representative model" that was identical to the controversial
"Clearwater" solution, primarily where all the sewage would be pumped to the Tri-Cities
treatment plant in Oregon City. The participation of Oak Lodge is uncertain, staff and
consultants of both Clackamas County and Oak Lodge have stated that there is no
financial incentive to join the regional plan as presented, preliminary numbers suggest
the regional scenario would cost Oak Lodge ratepayers ten dollars a month more if
they chose to join. The financial consultant on the project suggested that Oak Lodge
would be better off "going it alone". Stay Tuned!
This particular alignment would result in the Oak Lodge area being dug up its entire
length from Milwaukie to Gladstone. There happens to be environmentally sensitive
areas such as the Boardman Creek, parts of which are identified as wetlands.
The other little known fact is that WES officials have indicated that if this alignment is
chosen by the County Commissioners in December of 2008 it will be dug up twice. Yes
, they plan to tear up the neighborhoods not once, but twice. In the future when they
eventually close the Kellogg plant, additional pipeline capacity will be needed. A
second line will then be installed.
There are less intrusive alignment options in East County. According to County officials
there is a direct relationship to the elevations of the proposed alignments with respect
to energy consumption. The higher the sewage is pumped the more energy is needed.
The Trolley Trail alignment has one the highest energy requirements while the Easterly
alignments would consume much less. The troubling fact is if this pipeline is pushed
thru Oak Lodge the citizens will be burdened with pipeline projects that they receive no
benefit or usage from as it has no connection or purpose to Oak Lodge Sanitary
District customers.
Public Involvement Falling Short
Dusty, and on the shelf for several years sits the Mcloughlin Corridor Plan. A plan
adopted by the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners. Since that time in the late
1990's no Public Involvement or study has led to any resemblance of the significant
changes about to unfold in Oak Grove. Some local Citizens have made direct requests
for participation in the planning for over a year, often referred to as "PUBLIC
INVOLVEMENT". It appears that those requests were not welcome as the undesirable
Light Rail Terminus parking structure was rejected by the City of Milwaukie and
dumped upon the defenseless community of Oak Lodge. Did our County ignore the
Oregon State Planning Goals? Especially Goal One?
A likely funding mechanism is "Urban Renewal". Touted as the solution for blight along
the business corridor the net result is higher taxes, property tax specifically. Increased
property values become the source of money to pay the bond which in turn compounds
the urgency to make improvements. Furthermore it adds an incentive to bring in large
developments which in effect will displace current businesses.
Small businesses are the backbone of Oregon's economy. Local business owners
and their employees are often local citizens in the community. Their presence in the
community is often long standing and goes back generations. Family, friends,
neighbors, and other supporting business people stand to lose their qualitiy of life as
they now know it. The scorched earth approach of tearing down the existing
businesses in the name of transportation has a long list of victims. Local business
owners usually do not survive the new financial burdens higher property taxes imposes.
Crime becomes rampant as result of higher density housing. Higher density housing is
attractive to lower income individuals and less desirable to medium income families
with greater space requirements and a desire for a safe & friendly environment.
Ironically the people that migrated from other areas plagued with higher crime &
congestion find themselves running away from Metro's version of "Smart Growth".
Perhaps County officials should consider what the scars from the shattered lives of
hundreds of Oak Lodge residents will leave on their legacy...
Meanwhile rumors are flying about that the returning County Commissioners have
courted some Mayors in Clackamas County cities about filling the open seat on the
new five member County Commission. If Jim Bernard and Charlotte Lehan win their
race for two of the three new county seats and the County choses a City Councilor or
Mayor to fill the vacant seat in January of 2009 it will be another justification for the
unincorporated county residents to continue their claim they are "under represented". It
seems the Cities have little regard for the plight of the disenfranchised citizens of
unincorporated Clackamas County. Half of the County's residents reside in
unincorporated areas. If unincorporated North Clackamas County were to incorporate it
would become the largest City in Clackamas County. Unincorporated North Clackamas
County is comprised of the area of Oak Lodge and areas East to I-205, but South of
Milwaukie and North of Gladstone. The estimated population is about 60 thousand
people.
Sewer Dilemma
The Kellogg treatment plant has been the nucleus of turmoil and controversy for over
10 years. Political pressure has prevailed over common sense as studies on top of
studies have magically rationalized the demise of Kellogg. The inconsistencies in
costs and who pays are even more troublesome. Would a new site that is out of the
flood plain and not on high valued waterfront property survive political pressures for the
next one hundred years? At todays cost of wastewater treatment facilities, many hope
so.
The Wastewater Solutions Committee was idealized by some to be a forum that would
lead to resolving the political dilemma facing Clackamas County. Most of the
participants were overwhelmed with a steep learning curve that they seemed unwilling
to delve into. A common theme that surfaced at virtually every meeting was
governance.
to be continued