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Wednesday, September 27, 2023
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Commission denies police station permit WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
T
he St. Helens Planning Commission denied the request for a Conditional Use Permit and Sensitive Lands Permit for the city’s new police station which was planned to be built at the intersection of Old Portland Road and Kaster Road. “The Police Station requires a Conditional Use Permit to be allowed,” said St. Helens City Planner Jacob Graichen. “The approval authority for Conditional Use Permits is the Planning Commission. At the Commission’s last meeting on Sept. 12, they (by unanimous vote) denied the permit.” At the Planning Commission meeting Sept. 12, the commission heard a report from City Planner Jacob Graichen outlining the process the city has undertaken in picking that location and the scope of work to complete the project. In the presentation, it was discussed that a portion of the property where the police station is set to be placed falls in the boundary of both a 100-year and 500-year floodplain. Of note, the building itself is not planned to be in the 100-year floodplain, but access to the facility would be at risk because Kaster Road and Old Portland Road fall within the floodplain boundaries. The building would be partially in the 500-year floodplain, but the facility is designed to be elevated two feet above the projected 500-year flood level. Under St. Helens city code, a “critical facility” means “a facility for which even a slight chance of flooding may be too great.” Critical facilities include schools, nurs-
The industrial property for the proposed station located at Kaster Road and Old Portland Road.
of the notion that the design process could come this far without getting a Conditional Use Permit first. Other members of the commission echoed his concerns. After hearing public comments in favor and against the permit, Hubbard motioned to deny each of the permits for the property. Now that the Conditional Use Permit has been denied, there is an appeal period. “Basically, the basis for denial is proximity to mapped floodwaters (floodplain), which in this case at least affects access,” Graichen said. “Most of the property is out
ing homes, hospitals, police, fire, emergency service installations, and installations that produce, use, or store hazardous materials. Within the city’s code, construction of a “critical facility” can only be initiated if there is no feasible alternative site is available.” Then Planning Commissioner and now City Councilor Russell Hubbard had questions for architects from Portland-based architecture and interior design firm Mackenzie, who were part of the presentation and are working with the city on the project. Hubbard seemed to disapprove
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of the mapped flood area, but Old Portland Road and Kaster Road along the property are not. Floodplain regulations have a higher standard for ‘critical facilities’ like police stations.There is an appeal period that lasts till Sept. 29. If appealed, the decision would go to city council.” The need for a station During the presentation, Graichen discussed various sites that had been discussed before the City Council unanimously decided on the placement at Kaster and Old
Portland Road. Part of the reason the Kaster and Old Portland Road location was chosen was because there is room for the station to be expanded as the population grows in the coming decades. The property was also chosen because of feedback from the police themselves, who liked the location because of the easy access the property would allow and easy access for officers to Highway 30. St. Helens Police Chief Brian Greenway spoke at the meeting in favor of the location, noting that this location would allow officers to act quickly without dealing with traffic issues or delays due to train crossings. “This is a good decision, in my opinion, and the officers’ opinion who had weigh-in and buy-in into this selection process,” Greenway said. “I would just ask that you consider the approval of this. It’s been a long go. The officers are excited. We also understand that we don’t want a knee-jerk reaction. This is probably your most important decision in your history of Planning Commissions, but we’re looking forward to getting something.” Greenway said that a new facility would not only help law enforcement do their jobs more effectively but also make the department more desirable to recruits. The project seeks to address the issue of the outdated police station that currently houses the St. Helens Police Department at 150 S 13th Street. The 2,200-square-foot building was constructed in 1971. The new facility will allow for the continued expansion of the St. Helens police force as population and call volume increases.
Broadleaf Arbor set to finish in January WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
Amid construction delays, developers of the new housing community Broadleaf Arbor expect the project to be done in the first quarter of 2024. In an interview with the Chronicle in March of this year, developers stated that they expected the project would be done in October. Unfortunately, supply chain issues have disrupted the arrival of electrical equipment and delayed the project’s completion. “Our current construction schedule shows 1/3/2024, but that is contingent on receiving our electrical gear by the end of this month or early next,” Community Development Partners Marketing Coordinator Anna Kornfield said. “There have been electrical equipment delays that have delayed the project.” Kornfield said that they are awaiting the arrival of electrical main breakers for the project. Construction began in August 2021. In March of 2023, the first tenants began moving into Building E as part of Broadleaf Arbor’s plan to move in people in phases as each building is finished, according to the Com-
munications Manager for Broadleaf Arbor, Jena Green. Building E was the first building completed for residential use; however, the Community Building and Resident Services/Management offices have been open since February. Since March, 72 households have moved in as buildings have been completed. Despite the delays, more households are expected to move in over the next two months. “We are expecting to move in between 12-39 households in the next two months,” Kornfield said. The overall housing development is made up of 16 acres and 239 one, two, and three-bedroom homes available to individuals and families. Located at 2250 Gable Road at the intersection of Gable Road and Columbia River Highway, the housing community seeks to serve residents of all ages and backgrounds. Demand for the housing the project will provide is sky-high, and Kornfield said the waiting list of potential residents is 795. St. Helens City Planner Jacob Graichen said the development helps address the need for housing outlined in its 2019 Housing Needs Analysis. “The city adopted a Housing
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Broadleaf Arbor has been under construction for more than two full years.
Needs Analysis (HNA) in 2019, which looks at all types of housing to determine the city’s 20-year housing needs. A broad range of housing is necessary since housing availability of all types is linked to affordability,” Graichen said. “The Broadleaf Arbor development does help the city meet our projected 20-year need for multifamily development. Oregon law requires that St. Helens update its
HNA in 2027, at which time we will assess our existing housing inventory again.” With so many people on the list, there may be a need for more such housing projects in the future. The 11-building complex is made up of walk-up style apartment buildings, townhomes, a senior housing building, and a central community and resident services building homes
for households making up to 60% of the area’s median income (AMI) levels ($63,900 for a family of four), according to its website. “The community at Broadleaf Arbor is just beginning to form, and we are looking forward to the completion of construction so we can fully implement the vision for the
See BROADLEAF Page A2
Riverside Community Outreach fostering hope WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
A local non-profit is excited to try and make resources available to
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foster children and foster families by developing a new safe space that will open in phases in the coming years. Riverside Community Outreach (RCO) is a non-profit community organization serving vulnerable children and supporting families in Columbia County, Oregon. At a fundraising event dubbed “Evening of Hope” on Sept. 23, RCO founder Abby Olson gave attendees a walkthrough of the building at 1465 Columbia Blvd that RCO hopes to turn into a support center for vulnerable youth and families. “Just this last year, we were able to get the building that is connected to the food bank,” Olson said. “What we really want to do with it is start spending time on prevention.” Olson began RCO in 2018 to serve families impacted by foster care in Columbia County. Olson and her husband have worked as foster parents in the past, and they have adopted five children in addition to their five biological kids. Olson started RCO because no non-profits in St. Helens were partnered with the Every Child move-
ment, which needs partner organizations to support foster children and families. “We started our own non-profit, and it became an official 501(c) (3) in 2019. That’s the local nonprofit here in Columbia County that serves families impacted by foster care,” Olson said. “And because we had been foster parents, and walked the journey with our own kids, we wanted to have a really holistic approach.” Olson said a holistic approach means not just serving the child in foster care but also the foster families, their relatives, and their biological families when reunification happens, and they meet needs regarding child welfare. One of the big focuses for RCO is meeting tangible needs. “Things like clothes, shoes, diapers, wipes, car seats. Often, when kids come into care, they come into foster care with the clothes they’re wearing, and that’s it,” Olson said. “Sometimes they get to bring stuff with them, and often it’s just like
See RCO Page A6
Courtesy photo from Abby Olson
Abby and her husband Matt at the construction site of their envisioned support center.