What if...
We could clean up the present GP Mill property to an unrestricted level (the cleanest level allowed within current regulations) and set the stage for a better downtown and future for Camas?
We could transform the GP Mill Industrial property into something like the City of Bend, Oregon did (*and is pictured above) - a vibrant, fun, recreational, healthy space for Camasonians to enjoy now and well into the future?
We could transform the GP Mill Industrial property into something like the City of Bend, Oregon did (*and is pictured above) - a vibrant, fun, recreational, healthy space for Camasonians to enjoy now and well into the future?
What's Stopping Us?
A few things actually...but none of the present roadblocks are insurmountable. Let's start by understanding the roadblocks...
1) The first hurdle we need to clear centers on how the property is currently zoned. It is zoned as "Heavy Industrial" and under Camas Municipal Code, the allowable uses on the property restrict future development such as commercial shops, food carts, grocery stores, convention centers or hotels, and ALL residential uses. This essentially precludes redevelopment of the property as a mixed use commercial/residential space.
2) A second, related barrier is that this heavy industrial zoning designation drives the level of cleanup planned by the Department of Ecology (Ecology). To simplify a rather complex process guided under the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA), this would translate to cleaning the site up to an "industrial" level rather than "unrestricted." Ecology uses a risk based approach to guide the responsible party toward a cleanup level that is most protective of any potential receptor (human or animal) based on the kind of use planned for a piece of property.
3) A third barrier is the redevelopment funding to create a special new place with lowered developer-led risk.
1) The first hurdle we need to clear centers on how the property is currently zoned. It is zoned as "Heavy Industrial" and under Camas Municipal Code, the allowable uses on the property restrict future development such as commercial shops, food carts, grocery stores, convention centers or hotels, and ALL residential uses. This essentially precludes redevelopment of the property as a mixed use commercial/residential space.
2) A second, related barrier is that this heavy industrial zoning designation drives the level of cleanup planned by the Department of Ecology (Ecology). To simplify a rather complex process guided under the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA), this would translate to cleaning the site up to an "industrial" level rather than "unrestricted." Ecology uses a risk based approach to guide the responsible party toward a cleanup level that is most protective of any potential receptor (human or animal) based on the kind of use planned for a piece of property.
3) A third barrier is the redevelopment funding to create a special new place with lowered developer-led risk.
The Solutions
The Camas Earth Day Society has brought forward a proposal to the Community Advisory Group that advocates a Mill District overlay, a planning tool that if adopted by the City of Camas, would provide the means for Ecology to redesignate the level of cleanup for this site from industrial (higher risk to humans and other receptors) to a LOWER risk, unrestricted cleanup level. Simply scan the flipbook version/QR code shown at the left to view it on your phone or click the pdf version below to view our proposal here.
In addition to our proposal, our own research has led us to several other mill property and other industrial redevelopment success stories in other cities here in the Northwest. To learn more about each of these locations and visualize what a potential future for our own Mill District could look like in our downtown, or to better understand the required steps and key elements others faced, click on any of the links below:
Bellingham, Washington
Vancouver, Washington
Bend, Oregon
Oregon City, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Bellingham, Washington
Vancouver, Washington
Bend, Oregon
Oregon City, Oregon
Salem, Oregon