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Winter 2012

Columbia Crossroads Columbia Crossroads

Chad Deitchley

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Citation Details Citation Details Deitchley, Chad (2012) Columbia Crossroads, Winter 2012 Metroscape, p. 6-13.

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Page6 Metroscape

Althoughoftenoverlookedbyresi-dents of the urban centers thatsurroundit,HaydenIsland—lo-

catedinthemidstof theColumbiaRiverbetween Portland,Oregon andVancou-ver,Washington—exemplifies thekindof diverse community that defines themetroscape. Witha localpopulationof wellover2,000andasizableretailshop-pingdistrict,Hayden Island struggles tobe recognized as a destination locationknownforadistinctivemixof commer-cial,residential,andnaturalattributes.Its

unique geographical position, however,offers both the possibility of prosperityandthethreatof exploitation.HaydenIsland is situatedat thecross-

roads of twomajor shipping and trans-portationcorridors.RunningeasttowestaroundtheislandistheColumbiaRiver—anaturalaquatic freewayresponsible fortransporting 11 percent of allU.S. cornexports among other indispensable bulkgoodsandmanufacturedcommodities.Running north and south through the

island is Interstate 5—the largest over-

Columbia Crossroadsby Chad Deitchley

Photographcourtesyof thePortof Portland

Potential port and new bridge portend big changes for quiet Hayden Island

Page7Metroscape

land economic corridor on the WestCoast. Due in largepart to its locationat thesouthsideof theColumbiaRiverBridge, Hayden Island and the outlyingvicinityoccupyaparticularlyvitalstretchof thehighway.AccordingtoColumbiaCorridorAssociationExecutiveDirectorCorkyCollier,70percentof commercialtrafficthroughtheregioneitherentersorexitswithinfivemilesof thebridge.PortlandandVancouverareacommut-

ersarewellawareof thecongestionprob-lemsthatsuchheavytrafficcanproduce.Accordingto2005statistics, theroughly134,000vehiclescrossingthebridgeeachday create four to six hours of conges-tion. Adjusting for projected regionalpopulationgrowth,by2030thatconges-tionisexpectedtoextendupto15hoursper day. Muchmore than a simple in-convenience, thiscongestion,aggravatedbythearchitecturalshortcomingsof thecurrentColumbiaRiver Bridge,may re-sultinanaverageof onecollisionperday.Thisrateisnearlydoublethatof similarurbanhighways.Overcrowding and accidents are only

two among six major areas of concerncurrentlybeingaddressedbytheColum-biaRiverCrossingproject.Withoriginsdatingbackto1999,theColumbiaRiverCrossing project (CRC) seeks improve-ments in freight mobility, bicycle andpedestrian access, public transit options,andearthquakepreparedness inadditionto themitigation of safety and conges-tionissues.Afterover12yearsof plan-ning,analysisandcooperativeworkwithvarious state agencies fromOregon andWashington,theCRCisplanningtobeginconstructionon anew InterstateBridgesometimeinlate2013.Additionally, the proposed bridge is

designed to provide greater and moreefficient access to local businesses onHayden Island. Featuring improved,closely-spacedinterchangeswithauxiliary

lanes leading to I-5 exit ramps, it is ex-pectedtoreducecongestionintheareabyapproximately70percentwhileeasingtheflowof traffictoHaydenIsland’snumer-ous restaurants, hotels, and retail estab-lishments.Of course, the potential eco-nomicbenefitsof anupgradedInterstateBridge are not limited to the immediatearea.Emphasizingtheparamountimpor-tanceof effectivetruckpassagethroughtheColumbiaRiverCorridor,AFL-CIOLegislativeandCommunicationsDirectorElannaGuiney regards theCRCprojectasacreatorof bothshort-termconstruc-tion jobs and long-term import/exportjobs.Whilemostareaexpertsagreethatthe

present Columbia River Bridge is inad-equate and that significant alterations tothesurroundinghighwaysystemarenec-essary,manyfeelthatthedesignspresent-lybeingpursuedbytheCRCfailtosuf-ficiently address local land consumptionconcerns. LandscapeArchitect andAr-chitectureFoundationof OregonboardmemberCarolMayer-ReedmaintainsthattheveryI-5interchangesthatpromisein-creasedaccesstothebusinessesandresi-dencesof HaydenIslandwill alsocauseexcessiveandunwarranteddamagetothecommunity by expanding the highwaysystem’s footprint over a considerablylargerarea.Asevidenceof thegratuitousnature of this expansion, Mayer-Reedcontendsthatanearlierbridgedesignwasonthetablebutwasnotseriouslyconsid-eredbytheCRC.Byemployingcurved,rather than straight,merge lanes andbystackingtheselanesoverwaterratherthanstretchingthemoutoverland,thisdesign,proposed in 2010, would, according toMayer-Reed, preserve six city blocks oneachsideof thehighway.Underthecur-rentCRCprojectplans,theseblockswillliebeneath17lanesof traffic.In defense of the bridge project as it

ispresently going forward,CRCProject

The proposed bridge is designed to provide greater and more efficient access to local businesses on Hayden Island.

Page8 Metroscape

Manager Anne Pressentin cites severalreasonsfortheultimateabandonmentof the 2010 bridge design. First and fore-most, the abandoned plan would shifttheproposedconstruction siteupstreamof its current location. This geographi-cal change, coupled with the height of the proposed bridge, would potentiallyimpede air traffic coming in and out of Portland InternationalAirport andPear-son Airfield near Vancouver, Washing-ton.TheinfrastructureneededtocreatethenecessaryhighwayconnectionswouldalsoimpacttheNationalHistoricalSiteof FortVancouver.Furthermore,accordingto Pressentin, the 2010 architectural de-sign failed to consider the high level of trafficintheareaandtheimprovedaccessto local businesses that CCA ExecutiveDirectorCorkyCollierconsidersanabso-lutenecessity.MayfieldManagementCompany(which

owns andmanages property onHaydenIsland)spokesperson,GreerKern,agreesthatthelocalretailcommunitymustlever-age the proposed CRC development tomaximize commercial success and“con-tinuetodogoodbusiness.”However,thesuccessorfailureof thelocaleconomyisonly one amongmany issues at stake asHayden Island prepares for change. Asthefounderof theHaydenBusinessAl-liance,Kernworkedtomitigateelementsof the CRC project with members of Hayden Island residents’ organizationssuchastheHaydenIslandNeighborhoodNetwork(orHINooN).InKern’sopin-ion,HaydenIsland’sbusiness,residential,andenvironmentalfactionsmustcometo-gethertodemandtransparencyfromgov-ernment agencies, like the CRC project,thataimtodrasticallyaltertheestablishedinfrastructure and ecological stability of theisland.Inshort,thecommunitymusttake advantage of the current changes

underway and work together toensureabetterHaydenIslandforall parties concerned. However, thecomplexitiesinherentinbalancingsuchawide diversity of interestswithin sucha limitedphysicalspacecontinuetodefyanyformof clear-cutconsensus.Ageneraloverviewof HaydenIsland’s

geographic and demographic make-upclarifies these complexities. In generalterms, the island is divided into easternand western regions. The more afflu-ent East Hayden Island is home to theJantzen Beach Supercenter—a shoppingmall that serves as the epicenter of themore than150consumerbusinesses,of-fices,andhotelsoperatingon the island.EastHaydenIslandalso supports anas-sortment of condominium complexes,houseboatmoorages,andmarinas. WestHayden Island, by contrast, is currentlyzonedMultipleUseForestry.Comprisedof 826acresof mostlyundevelopedland,itistheproposedsiteof afuturemarinecargofacilityindevelopmentthroughthePortof Portland.Althoughonlytangen-tially connected to the Columbia RiverCrossingprojectpresentlyunderway,thislong-term industrialventure threatens toimpactHaydenIslandandtheoutlyingre-gionindramaticafashion.Recognizingashortageof viablewater-

front property to support industrial de-velopment,PortlandMetrobroughtWestHayden Island into the Urban GrowthBoundary in 1983—an event that pre-cipitated thePort of Portland’s eventualpurchase of the land in 1994. In orderto sustain industrial growth, however,WestHaydenIsland—atpresentapartof MultnomahCountybutnotapartof Portland proper—must be formally an-nexedby thecity. Severelycomplicatingthisprocessof annexationareconflictingjudgmentsconcerningtheland’sultimate

Page9Metroscape

value as appraised by Portland Metro.Today,thelandisdesignatedasboth“re-gionallysignificantindustrialland”andasa “regionally significantHabitat Conser-vationArea.”Thisconflictedland-useassessmentcanbe seen as indicative of the challenges

facingHayden Island as awhole.A veritable jigsaw puzzle of

mixed-use purposes, theisland—bothvictim

andbenefi-ciary

o f its key lo-c a t i on—mus tfindaplace for residential andcommer-cialenterprises,whilesimultaneouslyleav-ingroomforthewealthof naturaldiver-sitythatsustainsitasanecosystem.Canallof theseoften-incompatiblepiecesbemadetofitwithinthefinitespaceof anislandthatmeasureslessthanthreesquaremilesinitsentirety?The contentious nature of this ques-

tion is perhaps most profoundly real-ized bymembers of theHayden IslandManufacturedHomeCommunity (HIM-HC).LocateddirectlybetweenthefutureCRCconstructionsiteandtheproposedWest Hayden Island development, theHIMHC stands at the epicenter of thechanges currently underway, and thesechanges have the capacity to impact thecommunity in significant, life-alteringways. Accounting for a full two-thirdsof Hayden Island’s overall population,the1,300 residentsof themanufacturedhome community include a dispropor-tionate number of elderly, low-incomeindividualswithelevatedhealthissues.Asfounder of theHayden IslandLivabilityProject (a grassroots organization repre-

senting the interests of this communityduring these times of change),HIMHCresident Pamela Ferguson details thewaysinwhichtheinfirmanddisabledareparticularly threatened by the industrialtransformations that might soon engulf them.Centraltotheseconcernsaretheuncertainfatesof twonearbystructures:theHaydenIslandSafewaygrocerystoreand the abandoned Thunderbird Hotel.Standing amid amaelstromof commer-cial,residential,andenvironmental inter-ests, the controversy surrounding thesetwobuildingsillustratesinmicrocosmthelarge-scale changes that promise to altertheveryfaceof HaydenIsland.Asthesolesourceof freshfoodandpre-

scriptionmedicationon the island,Safe-waygrocery is integral to thehealthandwell-beingof localresidents.Thestoreisimportant to theelderly and incapacitat-edmembersof themanufacturedhomecommunity,manyof whomareunabletotravel farther distances to get the meat,produce, and medicine that they need.Under the current bridge and highwaysystemplansbeingpursuedby theCRCproject,theHaydenIslandSafewaywouldbedemolishedpriortoconstruction.De-spitepublicoutcryfromresidentorgani-zationssuchasHINooNandtheHaydenIslandLivabilityProject,thepresentCRCdesigns, including the demolition of thelocalSafeway,haverecentlypassedaFinalEnvironmentalImpactStatement(FEIS).Underfederallaw,theCRCprojectisnowallowedtoformallyseekthefundingthatitneedstopushtheprojectforward.The FEIS acknowledges the nega-

tive impactthe lossof thegrocerystorewould have upon the surrounding com-munity, but it also maintains that thisimpact is sufficiently mitigated by theimprovements in transportation infra-structure that the new developmentwill

Page10 Metroscape

Concept A

Concept B

Page11Metroscape

provide.Withmoreefficienttrafficflowforbothcarsandbussesanda light-railextensionrunningfromdowntownPort-land to Vancouver, Hayden Island resi-dentsareencouragedtopatronizeoneof fouralternativegrocerystoreslocatedinadjacent neighborhoods. According toPamelaFergusonandtheHaydenIslandLivability Project, however, these storesareeither too farawayor tooexpensivetoqualifyasviablealternativestotheex-istingSafeway. Oneof thestores listedbytheFEIS—anearbyCash&Carry—functions primarily as a restaurant sup-plier and sells only in bulk. Others aresimply not readily accessible, especiallyforelderlyresidentswithlimitedmobilityand/orphysicaldisabilities.While acknowledging that the store is

avaluableasset to thecommunity,CCAExecutive Director Corky Collier viewsthe loss of the Safeway as symptomaticof thelargerissueof retailstagnationonHaydenIsland.Citinglowsalesandeco-nomichardship,Colliercontendsthatthereal problem is how to “lure customerstoSafewaytojustifyitsexistence.”Thissentiment is echoed by Metro Directorof PlanningAndyCotugno,whopointstothefactthatthepopulationof HaydenIsland itself is insufficient to supportitscurrent levelof retailgoodsandser-vices.Theexpansionof I-5isnecessarytoencourageeconomicgrowthandkeepbusinesses alive. By taking additionalmeasures to lessen its footprint on thecommunity, the CRC project would, bynecessity,alsolessenaccesstoarearetailoutletsliketheill-fatedSafewaystore.Inotherwords,theverymeasuresthatcouldhave saved the local grocery store will,unfortunately,requireitsdemolition.The second building of vital concern

to the Hayden Island Livability Projectand the manufactured home residents

that it represents is theshutteredThun-derbirdHotel.LocatedmereyardsfromtheHIMHC, thepropertyonwhich thebuilding now stands will likely becomethestagingareaforimpendingCRCcon-struction. Thisdecision,however, isfarfrom finalized. Although it singles outtheThunderbirdproperty as aprobablestagingsite,therecentlycompletedFEISdoesnotspecifically identifyanydemar-cated location for these activities. Thislackof specificityhasthusfarsparedtheThunderbird property from undergoinganin-depthenvironmentalimpactassess-ment.The dearth of official scientific data

onthis issue is troubling toPamelaFer-guson and the Hayden Island LivabilityProjectforacoupleof reasons.Firstof all,theFEISacknowledgesthatthelandon which the Thunderbird Hotel pres-entlystandsistheformersiteof bothalandfill and an auto service station. Assuch,itisknownorsuspectedtocontainpre-existing soil and groundwater con-tamination. Secondly, as oneof the 23HaydenIslandpropertiesolderthan1980currentlyslatedfordemolition,theThun-derbird structure itself is suspected tocontainasbestosandothertoxicmaterialsthat could be released into the environ-mentuponthebuilding’sdemolition.Atpresent, neither theCRC nor any othergovernmentalorganizationhasdoneduediligencetoanalyzethepotentialhazardsposedby the building or the land uponwhichitstands. CRCProjectManagerAnnePressentin

maintains that an environmental reviewof the Thunderbird property is prema-ture and that, until funding is acquiredandaconstructioncontractorisbroughtonboard,thestagingareafortheprojectwill remain undecided. She goes on toassure residents that, wherever the spe-

Concept A

Concept B

Page12 Metroscape

cific staging area and construction sitemight be, best practices will be used tominimize dust, restrict hours of opera-tion,andfurthermorepreventthespreadof potentiallyharmfulcontaminatesintotheoutlyingcommunity. Suchassuranc-eshavedonelittle,however,toquietthefearsof HIMHCresidentsandthegraveconcernsof environmentalactivistssuchasAudubonSocietyof PortlandDirectorBobSallinger.Sallinger’s efforts to protect the unde-

velopedareaof WestHaydenIslandplac-eshimindirectoppositionnotonlytothePortof Portland’splansforanindustrialmarinefacilitybuttothecoordinatedef-fortsof theCRCprojectaswell.For,inaddition to the its proposal of a bridgeconstructionstagingareanearoronWestHaydenIsland,theCRCprojectisalsoaninstrumentalpartof cost/benefitdiscus-sionsthatcouldresultintheconstructionof anauxiliarybridgethatwouldserviceWestHaydenIslanddirectly.If amarinecargofacilitywereindeedtofindaneven-tualhomeonWestHaydenIsland,com-mercialtruckingandrailroadtrafficintheregionwouldcertainlyincrease;andif thenewlydesignedCRCbridge cannot ade-quatelyaccommodatethisincrease,thenasecondbridgewouldbecomeanunavoid-ablenecessity.The potential cost of such a bridge,

estimated at more than $100million bytheAudubonSocietyof Portland,willbeaddedtotheoverallcostof WestHaydenIsland’s annexation. By including WestHaydenIslandwithincitylimits,theCityof Portlandwouldberesponsibleforpro-viding thenecessary infrastructure (elec-tricity,gas,sewer,etc.)tosupportprivatedevelopment. Setting asidequestions astowhethertheCityof Portlandcanaffordsuchinvestmentsinthecurrenteconomicclimate, many critics doubt the overall

long-termprofitabilityof aWestHaydenIslandindustrialport.Accordingtoinde-pendentbusinessconsultantandFriendsof West Hayden Island leader TimmeHelzer, existing regionalmarine facilitiessuchasthenearbyPortof Vancouverareconsistentlyunderused. Helzterharborsreal concerns that theproposedHaydenIsland port might be obsolete before itbeginsoperations.At this early stage of the planning

process, speculation about the marineterminal’s long-term economic viabilityremains uncertain. Construction at theproposedlocationisyears,if notdecades,downtheline.Inthemeantime,innumer-able variables— includingwhat, if any,private commercial interests might stepin to fund, build, andoperate the facili-tiesinquestion—willcontinuetothwartaccurate economic predictions. AsPortof PortlandRegionalTransportationandLandUseManagerSusanLahseneputsit,atthepresentstage,governmentofficialsaremerely“planningtoplan.”Thisisnottosuggest,however,thatthe

Portof Portlandisnottakingtheproposeddevelopment seriously. With the largestmineralbulkportontheWestCoastandthe third largest auto importport in theUnitedStates,theorganizationisfamiliarwiththeprofitabilitythatcanaccompanyexpansion.Andpositionedinthemiddleof thelargestwheatexportregionintheUnitedStates,thePortof Portlandiscon-fidentthattheconsistentlylucrativegrainmarketwill continue to thrive andgrow.AccordingtoLahseneandthePort,anad-ditionalmarineterminalonWestHaydenIslandwouldleveragethepossibilitiesof-fered by the stable import/export mar-ket and promote economic growth inthe region. This sentiment is echoed byAFL-CIO representativeElannaGuiney.Althoughitistoosoonintheprocessto

... at the present

stage, government

officials are merely

“planning to plan.”

Page13Metroscape

determinejusthowmanyjobswillbecre-ated by theWestHayden Island project(orby theCRCproject for thatmatter),Guiney isconfident that localorganizedlabor will profit significantly from thisdevelopment.Not only isWestHaydenIslandoneof thelastavailableplacesforfuturemarinefacilitiesinthemetroscape,but,becausethisareahasbeenearmarkedforindustrialdevelopmentformorethan20years,Guineycontendsthatopportu-nities to exploit other sites have repeat-edlybeensquandered.As undeveloped waterfront land be-

comesarapidlydisappearingcommodity,theinherentvalueof WestHaydenIslandbecomes more and more apparent. Intheeyesof SusanLahseneandthePort,theareaisanideallocationforamarineterminalbecauseitsitsonanaturaldeepdraftchannelintheColumbiaRiverandprovides ready access to railroad andinterstate highway systems. To others,however,thetruevalueof WestHaydenIslanddoesnotlieinitsproximitytoma-jorshippingcorridorsbutinthevitalrolethatitplaysinthesurroundingecosystem.In and of itself, West Hayden Island

isa richanddiverseecological resource.Designated a “Habitat of Concern” byPortlandMetro,theareaincludes39acresof wetlands,over100acresof grasslands,andoneof theremaining intactcotton-wood bottomland habitats in the vicin-ity. It is also home to four species of amphibians, nine species of mammals,andatleast81speciesof birds,includingtheAmericanbaldeagle. Furthermore,theshallow-waterhabitatneartheisland’sshoreprovidesacrucialprotectiverestingareaforfourspeciesof migratingsalmon.Calling the location a “biological hot-

spot,”BobSallinger calls forpreservingWestHaydenIslandinitsentirety,creat-ing a wildlife area and nature park that

protectsindigenousanimalsandsupportsoutdoor recreational activates such ashiking and canoeing. Although currentplansdesignatejust300of WestHaydenIsland’s826acresforindustrialdevelop-ment, Sallinger insists that the island’snatural resources can no longer affordtobedownsized.“We’vealreadysplitit,split it, and split it; and each timewe’releftwithsmallerandsmallerpiecesof in-tactnaturalareas.If wearereallyseriousaboutprotectingandrestoringourriver,weneedtoprotectandrestoreplaceslikeWestHaydenIsland. Wecan’tcuttheminhalf ortwothirdsagainandhopethatthey’restillgoingtofunction.Thesystemisn’tfunctioningnow.”Taking a larger view, this critique of

mixed land use can be applied not onlyto West Hayden Island’s fragile ecosys-tembutalsotoHaydenIslandasawhole.With commercial, residential, and en-vironmental concerns all jockeying forsuperiority, one must wonder whetherthe small island can accommodate suchawidediversityof interests.Intheend,however, it is thepopulationof HaydenIslandandthepopulationsof the largercommunitiesthatsurrounditthatwillbemostsignificantlyaffectedbythechang-escurrentlyunderway,andsoit isuptothesepopulationstoensurethatHaydenIslandisgovernedresponsiblyandtothemutualbenefitof all.AsTimmeHelzerand theFriendsof WestHayden Islandput it, “We believe that if the public iswell-informed about the facts, they willcomeupwiththesolutionthatisintheirbest interest. We’re not sure that thepoliticianswilldothat.Wethinkthatthepublicwill.”M

Chad Deitchley is a freelance writer and editor working out of Portland, Oregon. He can be reached at deitchley@hotmail.com.

If we are really serious about protecting and restoring our river, we need to protect and restore places like West Hayden Island.