Portland Courant

Environmental Services is seeking public comments on a potential property sale. The industrial property and the adjacent boat ramp at 3737 N Emerson are no longer needed for bureau or City operations and have been declared excess. 

Following the City Disposition policy, 3737 N Emerson was offered internally to other city bureaus and offices, but none expressed interest in retaining ownership. This property is currently in the 60-day public comment period, after which Environmental Services expects to submit an ordinance to City Council requesting the site be declared surplus and authorize the Bureau to sell the property.

The Environmental Services acquired this property in 1996 for use with the Big Pipe Project. The site was deemed incompatible with the project’s needs in 2001 and originally declared surplus in 2003. Due to contractual obligations from grant funding provided by the Oregon State Marine Board related to the boat ramp, disposal of the site was determined infeasible at that time.  

For the last six years, Environmental Services has rented a portion of this property to UPS for trailer storage and a portion of the property to Portland Parks and Recreation for heavy equipment use. Parks maintained the recreational lot and boat launch as part of the agreement to use the industrial site. Parks has since found a new location to shift operations to and vacated the site as of January 1, 2023, shifting maintenance of the recreation lot and boat launch back to Environmental Services.

Environmental Services protects public health and our environment by collecting and recovering resources from the city’s wastewater, managing stormwater, and restoring and protecting Portland’s rivers, streams, and watersheds. Operating a recreational boat launch falls outside of the scope of the Bureau’s work. As a result, the Bureau is initiating the City disposition process.

More details about 3737 N Emerson and the surplus property status and process can be found on the excess property webpage.

The public comment period for this property will run from May 10, 2023, to July 9, 2023. Comments can be submitted to BES.Property@portlandoregon.gov.

About Environmental Services
Environmental Services - the City of Portland’s sewer and stormwater utility - protects public health and the environment by collecting and recovering resources from the city’s wastewater, managing stormwater, and restoring and protecting Portland’s rivers, streams, and watersheds. 

Original source can be found here