What Does Hayden Island Need?

by PSU student Josh Thomas

The trucks rushing to and from Port terminals race past two schools. The average speed of trucks in the school zone is more than 48 miles an hour. Dennis Keepes, St. Johns activist and former president of the neighborhood association


Terminals 1-6 are represented. This industrial area, criss-crossed by highways and railways, is the locus of Portland's export market. It is also home to approximately 20,000 people. The St. Johns neighborhood is located near terminal 4. The Columbia Slough runs parallel to the Columbia River and empties into the Willamette near St. Johns. Courtesy of the Port of Portland

Although some people welcome businesses and new jobs, many residents and neighbors of Hayden Island object to expansion and development on the island's west end. The project will impact 19 acres of wetlands and 243 upland acres with abundant wildlife populations. The results of this development could affect indigenous species that need these wetlands to survive, including salmon. There will also be grave traffic concerns with more trucks being added to the already bottlenecked Delta Park. One proposed solution is to construct a new bridge. In fact, a number of angry residents created the Coalition of Community Advocates for Hayden Island in 1997 demanding that a bridge must come first before the building of any new terminals. Environmental air and water quality may also be at risk with port expansion and increased trade.


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