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| Council passes auto dealer amendments for 122nd Ave. (continued) “Did you go back to the working group on this?” Leonard asked. “We let the Planning Commission handle it,” Manning said. Leonard questioned the need for public testimony at the second session, pointing out it had occurred at the first. He reacted defensively to the Hazelwood speakers, especially Harrison. “I take exception to the idea that (the amendments) short-circuited the public process,” he said. “The amendment I proposed reflected exactly what the working group said. The Planning Commission changed it. Some end run was done by someone.” He later added, “These are hard processes, very contentious. I think this is a fair approach to one of the best businesses in the community.” Commissioner Dan Saltzman, recently re-elected by 58 percent of the vote in the May primary, was more defiant than defensive. He said those who criticize changes in a proposal at the end of a public process seem to think “we’re here as part of a processional, here to ordain. We’re here to exercise our independent judgement that may differ from commissions and citizen committees.” Commissioner Erik Sten downplayed the changes. “We made a decision to allow the Tonkins to stay on this site,” he said. “The littlest details are always argued the most vociferously. How do you take a use that’s not typically friendly to neighborhoods, and make it more compatible? This is a good plan. You can make the best plan in the world, but if no one invests in it, it stays on paper.” Dealerships allowed by the new rules “are likely to be built, and they’ll be better than what we’ve seen before.” The normally loquacious Commissioner Sam Adams cast his vote without comment. Manning later indicated the Planning Bureau is likely to oppose at least two of the remaining amendments. Regarding the proposed gas pumps he told Hazelwood last month, “Safeway says their clients would ‘cross-shop,’” and thus reduce area auto trips. “We’re not sure that’s the case. Some think it’s a traffic generator. That area is still conceived of as a light rail area, and gas stations are not considered part of the equation.” Neither are auto dealers, but “they’re already here, they’re hard to relocate, and they provide a retail service that could be reached by foot or transit. It’s hard to conceive of someone going on foot to a gas station, unless they’re filling a gas can for their lawn mower.” There is also the “equity” issue of whether it is fair to allow gas pumps at supermarkets and deny them to conventional gas stations. Regarding the proposed zone change, the city’s No Net Loss policy says that if you change from a zone that requires new development to include housing to one that does not, you must replace the lost development potential somehow, somewhere in the city. At council, Sten indicated that for him the policy no longer matters. “Some have felt (the policy) has outlived its usefulness, but it’s still on the books,” Manning said. The final amendment is much less contentious. Zehnder told council that the intent of the change — to allow new additions that failed to meet code requirements as long as they brought the property closer to meeting them — is the Planning Bureau’s intent, he said. He thought the code already allows what the amendment calls for, but had no problem with language that was more explicit. Editor’s note: After the votes described in this article were cast, The Oregonian ran an article by Ryan Frank, July 17, noting that Ron Tonkin representatives had lobbied City Hall staffers 16 times during the course of the zone change process — bearing gifts, no less. Fry gave 500 pounds of composted horse manure to Rich Rodgers, an aide to Sten. One wonders why because there is already a plentiful supply. Maybe if Mid-county activists had lobbied City Hall as often as Ron Tonkin representatives did, the outcome might have been different. |
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