Oregon City area residents are invited to weigh in on the future of Willamette Falls at a city meeting 6 p.m. Sept. 8.
The Oregon City Planning Commission is scheduled to hear public testimony about plans to rezone the former Blue Heron paper mill site at the edge of the historic downtown. Community members and planners collaborated on a yearlong public process that calls for turning the former industrial area into a mixed-use zone to allow commercial, residential and employment opportunities.
The Willamette Falls Legacy Project would also include a riverwalk on the east side of the Willamette River, allowing the public to view the most powerful waterfall in the Pacific Northwest. Willamette Falls has also long been a cultural and gathering place for Native American tribes, and the Oregon Trail ended there.
“We’re incredibly excited about this opportunity and very proud of the work everyone put into imagining the future here in Oregon City,” said Christina Robertson-Gardiner, the project manager and a planner at Oregon City.
The site’s new owner has also expressed support for the plans. The project is a partnership among Oregon City, Clackamas County, Metro and the State of Oregon.
Comments about the proposed zoning change can be submitted to Oregon City at [email protected].