Hosford-Abernethy Neighborhood Development

Please join us for the HAND Land Use meeting, Tuesday, July 19 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Philip Neri.

There are three new applications up for review related to the Ladd’s Addition Conservation Guidelines. They can be found here under the South East Uplift Header and Hosford Abernethy designation: http://www.portlandonline.com/bds/index.cfm?c=35625

This email was sent out to immediate neighbors of the Hawthorne Safeway construction site, in lieu of concerns raised last week about concrete/rock crushing on the premises. If you would like to be on the email list for future updates, please contact Mike Rogoway via email: rogoway@rainycity.com.

Hi neighbors,
I have three updates for your on Safeway’s rock crushing at the Hawthorne site.

First, several of us received an e-mail yesterday from Jim Nicks, Inspection Services Manager for the city, who writes that Portland considers rock crushing a construction activity, not an industrial activity:

Hello Mr. Rogoway.

I am responding to your concerns about the Hawthorne Safeway project on behalf of BDS and Director Paul Scarlett. I have looked into the questions raised on your June 3, 2011 e-mail to Mr. Ponce, and and would offer the following in response.

I have consulted with our Land Use Services Division and it has been determined the temporary activity of crushing concrete/on-site recycling of construction debris is consistent with acceptable construction activities associated with the demolition and construction permits. In short, this is considered a construction activity vs. an industrial use.

Regarding the demolition permit review process, there is not a required review for means and methods of on site recycling activities, so the activity of crushing concrete on site would not require a specific approval.

While this activity is allowed as part of the construction process, it will also be subject to the provisions of the City Noise Control Code, Title 18. Our Noise Control Officer has made contact with the Safeway construction team in order to discuss the neighborhood’s concerns and compliance with the noise code.

The contractor has indicated they will utilize a watering system to control dust during the crushing operations The crushing operation is planned to last for 5 days, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

I hope you find this information helpful. Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions.

Sincerely

Jim Nicks
Inspection Services Manager
City of Portland
Bureau of Development Services
503-823-1054

Second, Safeway sent a brief note to HAND’s Joanne Stainbrook yesterday:

Joanne, we know that there has been concern about the scheduled grinding of concrete at the construction site.

To address this issue, the City Noise Inspector visited the site earlier today and tested the noise level of the grinding machine. He determined that a special noise permit would not be necessary.

We will be limiting the concrete grinding work to the hours of 8 AM to 3 PM for 5 days, excluding Saturday and Sunday.

If there are any subsequent complaints about noise levels, please direct those to the following party:

Paul Van Orden – 503-823-5829
Noise control officer
Compliance Services
City of Portland

Thank you.

Diane Phillips
Real Estate Manager
SAFEWAY INC.

And third, I heard from the state Department of Environmental Quality this morning regarding complaints about the rock crushing. He said the DEQ will look into dust control at the site — specifically, how dust will be controlled during off-hours — and inquire as to whether any testing has been done of Safeway’s concrete to determine whether it contains health hazards.

So that’s where it stands. I sent an e-mail to the city this morning asking how it reached its conclusions and how dust will be monitored during off-hours.

I know there’s enormous frustration within the neighborhood about this. We’ll continue to pursue it, but certainly wouldn’t discourage anyone from filing their own complaints.

You can file noise complaints with the city here:
https://www.portlandonline.com/bds/index.cfm?login=1&show_message=1&c=42240

You can file dust complaints with DEQ here:
http://www.deq.state.or.us/programs/enforcement/docs/PollutionReportingform.pdf

Thanks to all for your interest. We currently have 80 households on our mailing list. If you know of others who would like to be included, please pass along their information so we can keep them up to speed.

Mike Rogoway

If you live anywhere near SE 27th & Hawthorne, we don’t have to tell you, the Safeway construction project is well underway.

Here’s the latest Safeway construction schedule – SAFEWAY 3 WEEK 5 27 11 Apparently, ecavation work is the main task for the next three weeks.

Some neighbors have complained about the vibrations from demolition. Our neighbor Doug talked to Safeway’s contractor, Frank King, and got this report: “He said that they have the jackhammer on a backhoe, rather than a trackhoe, and that they aren’t using a hoe ram (all of these terms are new to me), in order to minimize the impact on the neighborhood. The workers have been instructed to avoid dropping slabs. They’ve also been monitoring the funeral home wall for damage, because it was in bad shape to begin with… Finally, he said that they wouldn’t be using the jackhammer for more than a few more days.”

Will continue to keep you posted.

If you have any questions or concerns, please send an email to our Land Use Chair Joanne Stainbrook: joanne@handpdx.org. She is a volunteer who is working hard to help everyone stay up to date on projects in our neighborhood.