At last month’s SMILE meeting, Moreland Woods’ owners, Foundation Partners Group (FPG), provided an update to their current plan for the property. While the session revealed a small piece of good news, most of what we learned turned out to be bad news for Moreland Woods and our campaign to protect its trees and wildlife.
Here are the details:
- Although included in part of an earlier proposal, FPG now says it doesn’t intend to build a cemetery on the property.
- However, because FPG is also selling its existing parking lot east of SE 14th, the company is proposing to construct a new, 26-stall parking lot north of the existing mausoleum. This much we knew, but…
- …according to FPG, construction of the proposed lot will require cutting down and removing 25% of the trees on Moreland Woods.
- Finally, FPG intends to sell the Woods’ remaining 1.9 acres, opening them up for development and possible removal of the remaining trees.
For a detailed plan of FPG’s new proposal, click here.
Needless to say, we were saddened to learn all this. As two separate surveys have shown, FPG’s proposed plan aligns neither with our own goals nor those of most of their neighbors and members of the community.
After two years of working with FPG to achieve a compromise and a solution that reflected everyone’s needs, we’re essentially back at square one — now with fewer trees and a smaller piece of property.
Last week we reached out to the company, seeking to move the dialogue forward. We’ll let you know what happens.
In the meantime, please consider attending the project’s pre-application conference, to be held on Wednesday, November 6, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. at BDS, 1900 SW 4th Avenue, 4th Floor, Room 4a. While there won’t be an opportunity for community feedback at the meeting, we can still be a presence in the room to remind FPG and BDS that protecting this beautiful property remains a priority to the majority of us in Sellwood-Moreland.