Thurs, Oct 17, 2019 @ 6:30PM: Palisades Neighborhood Association Meeting

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URGENT! PLEASE ATTEND UPCOMING MEETING TO SAVE COOKS BUTTE!

Date: Thursday, October 17 6:30-8:30PM
Where: Lakeridge High School – Rotunda Room
Attire: Wear GREEN!
View the agenda.

On FaceBook? Let us know your coming.

PNA Postcard Send to Each PNA Resident
Save Cooks Butte Flyer Delivered to Each PNA Resident

Palisades residents please plan to attend this very important neighborhood general meeting. Our neighborhood association has a vital role to play in opposing the proposed Cooks Butte C800 Emergency Communications Tower at the City’s Development Review Commission (DRC) Hearing. We need every residents’ support to ensure our board goes on record opposing this major development in our natural park.

Not a PNA resident? Blue Heron, McVey-Southshore, and Westridge residents can take action now and request a general meeting to oppose the tower!

Background

  • November 22, 2017: City received C800 draft pre-application and lease for tower at Cooks Butte.
  • December 5, 2017: City approve Resolution 17-69 authorizing C800 to lease Cooks Butte for tower
    • No community notice given to discuss this major development in a natural park.
  • April 20, 2018: City sign C800 lease for Cooks Butte tower.
    • No community notice given to discuss this major development in a natural park.
  • December 13, 2018: Clackamas 800 Radio Group’s Pre-application Meeting.
    • The Palisades Neighborhood Association (NA) did not have representation this meeting.
    • The City claims to have emailed the then acting Palisades NA Chair, Kirsten Aird, multiple times to attend the meeting; claiming no response.
    • The City’s appears to have not taken any steps to contact the Palisades NA Chair.
    • This is one of the many reasons residents were not informed about this major development impacting their natural park until Labor Day weekend 2019.
  • April 2019: PNA General Meeting.
    • A resident, Brad Home, inquired about a rumored tower.
    • The Palisades NA board claimed no knowledge and took an action to determine merit to the rumor.
  • June, July, August 2019: Palisades NA board, City, and C800 discuss tower proposal.
    • Palisades NA board toured another C800 tower site.
    • Palisades NA did not communicate to the residents.
  • August 29, 2019: 125 Palisades NA residents receive notice of tower proposal.
    • Only 1 sign at Palisades Crest Drive entrance, not at actual site location, by-passed by 4 trail heads.
    • Request to C800 to add signs at all public right-of-ways refused, citing C800 followed City requirements.
    • Residents take communication into own hands with signs, flyer, and petitions.
  • September 16, 2019: Palisades NA board publishes minutes of Sandy Site tour in July 2019.
  • September 16, 2019: Clackamas 800 Radio Group’s 2nd Pre-application Meeting.
    • The Palisades NA board was once again absent for this major development meeting.
  • September 18, 2019: Clackamas 800 Radio Group hold Neighborhood Meeting
  • September 26, 2019: Palisades NA board received 4-page C800 meeting minutes.
  • October 3, 2019: LO Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Advisory Board meeting includes an agenda item for Cooks Butte on Weds, Oct 9th meeting.
    • Next day, agenda item for Cooks Butte agenda items is removed
  • October 4, 2019: Resident, Scott Handley, inquires about C800 meeting minutes and discovers they are inadequate.
    • Several residents take action into own hands to transcribe the unedited, full length video for submittal to City and PNA board
  • October 6, 2019: Resident, Scott Handley, meets with Palisades NA acting chair, Dave Thatcher, to discuss communication breakdwn
    • Dave agrees to include full transcript with Palisades NA board notes (a few pages) to the City by the October 10th deadline.
  • October 9, 2019:
    • Residents submit 39-page transcription of the C800 neighborhood meeting to City and PNA Board.
    • 35+ Residents attend and give citizen comments on intended uses of natural parks, including Cooks Butte at the Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Advisory Board meeting.
      • Advisory board unanimously pass a motion opposing telecommunications towers in the Cooks Butte natural park.

NA boards represent their residents not the City.

DRC Process

  • The Palisades NA, Blue Heron NA, McVey-Southshore NA, and Westridge NA can testify for up to 10 minutes (not including questions from the panel) at the DRC hearing.
  • Presenting testimony allows these NAs to appeal a DRC decision to the City Council.
  • If the NAs follow their by-laws appropriately, the City waives the customary appeal fee…which could be as high as $5450!!!

We need to direct our Palisades NA board to OPPOSE this proposal at the DRC. We will need to work closely with the board to build the opposition testimony.

Additionally, we must work with our our neighbors in the neighboring NA’s that were also informed about this proposal to gain their support in OPPOSING this proposal.

With 4 NAs in opposition, that would afford our opposition testimony to 40 minutes at the DRC hearing, including 4 appeals to the City Council should the DRC grant this condition use permit.

Please reach out to your friends in these NAs and have them email their boards ASAP.

Each NA below has a link that generates an email for their respective boards for a resident to request a general meeting.

Blue Heron NA Residents

  • Per the by-laws, 20 residents required to request the board to call a special general meeting.

  • Request a General Meeting.

McVey-Southshore NA Residents

  • Per the by-laws, 20 residents required to request the board to call a special general meeting.

  • Request a General Meeting.

Westridge NA Residents

  • Per the by-laws, 20 residents required to request the board to call a special general meeting.

  • Request a General Meeting.

October 11, 2019
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