the project with signs like these.
(Photo: ProtectRedland.com)
A scenic road and popular bike route between Oregon City and the Clackamas River could be severely impacted if a proposed, 139 acre development moves forward. Clackamas Compost Products, LLC filed a permit in August with Clackamas County in hopes of building a yard debris composting and biomass energy facility on Redland Road (about 10 miles southeast of Oregon City, map here).
The proposed development has raised quite a bit of ire from surrounding residents, who fear the industrial facility will ruin the bucolic setting of surrounding farmland and pastures. A traffic study carried out by the company themselves says the facility will add an additional 100 heavy truck trips to the road.
“I understand the vehicle hazards Redland Road poses. The increase in heavy truck traffic is not acceptable. It is literally irresponsible.”
— Jerry Paul, local resident
People who care about high quality bike routes are also concerned about the development. On October 22nd, the Clackamas County Tourism & Cultural Affairs office wrote a letter to Planning Commission opposing the project. They say the facility will have an “adverse economic impact” on several nearby tourism attractions. One of the five attractions listed in their letter is the Clackamas River Bike Ride.
The Clackamas River Ride — five miles of which are on Redland Road — is an officially recognized recreational bike route that is included in Clackamas County’s bike tourism promotion efforts and is featured in their Bike It! Map. Redland Road is also classified as a “County Scenic Road,” a designation that Danielle Cowan, Executive Director of the
Clackamas County Tourism & Cultural Affairs department says is not compatible with the proposed facility.
In their land use application, Clackamas Compost Products says their trucks will carry large loads of eight or more tons. The amount of trips they’ll generate (up to 102 per day) on Redland Road, they say, is “a small portion” of the total daily trips and they’ll be made only during business hours. The company also says they’ll be sensitive to Redland’s “scenic road” designation by only having one access point, widening the shoulder, and by adding new landscaping and signage to the road.
Jerry Paul lives near the area and rides his bike all over the local country roads. “I understand the vehicle hazards Redland Road poses,” he wrote to us via email, “The increase in heavy truck traffic is not acceptable. It is literally irresponsible.” Jerry has joined a grassroots effort, ProtectRedland.com, to thwart the proposed facility.
The next public hearing for the project is on Monday, November 15th at 6:30pm at Oregon City High School (19761 S. Beavercreek Road). At that meeting, Clackamas Compost Products will make their final comments and rebuttals to the Planning Commission who will then forward a recommended decision to the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners. A final decision is expected to be made by December 1st