Archive

Hello Everyone-

After over 6 months of delay we finally got a response from the Washington County Staff regarding our petition to introduce common sense siting setbacks for gas stations. And SPOILER it is not good news.

Staff Response:

The requested siting restrictions would constitute a virtual prohibition on new gas stations in the urban unincorporated area. Staff is not aware of any other Oregon jurisdiction that has similar restrictions.

New gas stations are an uncommon development request in the urban unincorporated area; the County has received only one request for a new gas station in the last 10 years.

For these reasons staff does not recommend placing a new item on the work program to address this request.

See pg 13 of the draft work plan

Hello Everyone-

All in this edition - gas station developer Bob Barman intends to appeal his own approved Chevron at Bethany Lake, a gas truck delivery explosion, a new parody website, and the calming sounds of water. Should be fun, read on!

Bob Appeals

In a surprise move, the developer Bob Barman has filed an intent to appeal the Hearings Officer’s decision that concluded:

Hello Everyone-

Bad news first: Bob Barman's Chevron gas station near Bethany Lake has been approved by the Hearings Officer. With the bad news out of the way, let's talk about the good news and what can be done now. Oh, and I wrote a great (ok, acceptable) joke about all of this at the end.

Lets get into it.

Good News: Half Street Improvement Exception Denied

Hello Everyone-

I hope y'all are getting settled for the winter and holidays. In this edition of the Chevron near Bethany Lake chronicles I am asking for your help...

Help Needed: Two More Petition Signers

I need two people to email me saying they will sign the gas station setback petition to Washington County.

Hello Everyone-

I hope y'all had a great holiday weekend. In this edition of the Chevron near Bethany Lake chronicles you can read nearly 60 pages of public comment, help us get to 250 signatures on our land use law update, and learn about the Washington County Climate Action Plan meeting and how it is all related to this.

Additional Comments Published

As directed by the Hearing Officer Staff has left the comment period open for 7 days of new evidence, 7 days of rebuttal, and 7 days of closing arguments. The new evidence period ended Friday Nov. 25th and all of those comments have been published.

Hello Everyone-

I hope y'all are able to settle into a nice holiday weekend. But, before you do maybe you can make a comment about the Chevron near Bethany Lake? Or you could cozy up and listen to the audio from the hearing last week? These opportunities are made available to you below. :)

Listen to the Hearing Audio

The Hearing Officer listened to arguments on November 17th as planned. The team representing Robert "Bob" Barman, the applicant, focused their argument on avoiding paying for the required improvements to West Union and shifting that cost to us, the taxpayers.

Hello Everyone-

Hearing Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the Hearing’s Officer meeting about the Chevron near Bethany Lake is scheduled for tomorrow Thursday November 17th 2022 at 1:00pm. The meeting will happen over Zoom and everyone is welcome to attend and make a public comment.

As a reminder Washington County Staff recommended that the application be approved in their Staff Report. However, we disagree that this application should be approved and the third party hearings officer will hear our campaign’s objections via our land use attorney during the comment period of the Hearing.

Hello Everyone-

The Washington County Land Use Staff have issued their Staff Report. We haven’t had a chance to dig into it in detail but here are the high level details from the summary (pg.56):

• Staff recommends the Hearing’s officer approve the request
• Staff does NOT recommend Hearing’s officer approve half-street improvement exception
  • Staff notes the 13% increase in traffic caused by this development
  • Staff would accept payment in lieu of actually building improvement

We will be reviewing the entire report over the next week and a half. If we find anything particularly interesting we will let you know.

Hello Everyone-

Lots happening: As of this week over 200 Washington County residents have signed the petition demanding that the County update the law for gas station sites. Also, the Beaverton Valley Times covered the Chevron near Bethany Lake story again online and in print.

Can I still make a comment on the Chevron near Bethany Lake?

Yes you can still comment! With the Hearing moved from Oct. 20th to Nov. 17th you can still make comments. If you haven’t done it please do. Your comments on the old applications from last year DO NOT get considered on this new application.

Hello Everyone-

The latest update from the County is the applicant is likely to delay their Oct 20th hearing until Nov 17th. So, we have even more time to get public comments in. Read on for some more ideas for your public comment.

Oh, and at the end I link to a recently produced parody Chevron ad (warning: contains swearing).

Public hearing rescheduled

Hello Everyone-

Almost a year has passed and here we are again: ready to submit comment on yet another design of the proposed Chevron gas station adjacent to Bethany Lake. In the good news department Bethany has seen a 10% increase in registered electric vehicles since last year.

Read on for details on both!

Public comments for Bethany Lake Chevron open!

Hello Everyone-

I hope y’all are doing well during the heatwave here. It is a visceral reminder of how delicate our environmental conditions are for plants, animals, and humans; conditions that we have a responsibility to protect whether it be the atmosphere, water, or land.

Today I will give an overview of the new Chevron near Bethany Lake design, some actions you can take, and a summary of the successes of our campaign so far. Oh, and some cute duck photos at the very end too!

Third Design Application Documents

Hello Everyone-

I hope y'all are having a great spring. There has been lots of news and I apologize for the long two month delay in writing.

A New New Design for Bethany Lake Gas Station

Bob Barman and his team have withdrawn their gas station near Bethany Lake design application that required a variance request from the County. However, they submitted an application with the County for a third design. The County sums up the situation:

Hello Everyone-

Spring is in the air and the flowers are blooming throughout Bethany. I hope you have had a chance to enjoy the outdoors and you are keeping yourselves charged up.

Chevron near Bethany Lake Design #3 Meeting

Last night Bob Barman and Mercedes Serra from 3J Consulting hosted a meeting about the third design for Bob’s Chevron near Bethany Lake. In my opinion the meeting was not very insightful. To sample some of the questions they were unable to answer last night:

Hello Everyone-

REMINDER: In 1 hour, on March 30th 2022 @ 6pm, the developer meeting about a third design for the Chevron adjacent Bethany Lake will happen. Join the third design meeting via phone or Zoom.

I encourage you to read about the statement that I hope to read at this meeting when the developer asks for community feedback. I think it is a good re-introduction to the data and situation.

Thank You,

Hello Everyone-

Developer Re-design Meeting

Bob Barman, the developer proposing the Chevron adjacent Bethany Lake, is hosting a community meeting to discuss a third design for their gas station. The meeting is scheduled for March 30th 2022 at 6pm. Find all of their docs, Zoom link, and call-in numbers on our website below.

Also, I have drafted the statement I intend to read at the meeting on behalf of everyone working on our Neighbors Against Bethany Lake Gas Station campaign to stop this gas station and the Post Pump campaign to introduce gas station setbacks near parks and wetlands in Washington County.

Hello Everyone-

On Wednesday Feb 23rd 2022 I sent our letter to Washington County’s Land Use Department requesting that gas station setbacks from sensitive areas be introduced to protect our economic, health, and environmental interests. Thank you to the 130 people who signed the letter and the organizations that support the effort including Tualatin Riverkeepers, Washington County Treekeepers, and 350PDX Washington County.

As a reminder this is what we are requesting specifically:

Our request: We want Washington County land use codes updated to require that gas stations, currently operating gas stations excluded, be a minimum of 1,500 feet from any public park or playground, school, hospital, church, theater, dwelling unit, public library or building for public assembly; or any wetland, stream, river, flood plain, or environmentally sensitive area. We also want to see this applied to all zones across the County without an option for variance to ensure equitable and objective application of this requirement.

Hello Everyone-

Ten days ago we started a campaign to get Washington County residents to sign onto our letter to request that the County introduce setbacks for gas stations near sensitive areas like wetlands, parks, schools, etc. And today we have over 100 signatures and the Beaverton Valley Times put an article on their frontpage. Keep reading for details!

(Please read the letter and data if you haven't.)

Beaverton Valley Times Frontpage!

Hello Everyone-

As expected, during the January 20th Hearing the applicant, Bob Barman, asked for a continuance on his application for a Chevron Gas Station near Bethany Lake. I will send out a reminder email If the application is updated and as the new June 16th hearing date approaches.

But! There is no reason to take a 5 month rest on our campaign. In fact, we need your help today!

Your Signature Wanted! Letter to Washington County Staff

Hello Everyone-

There is a Hearings Officer meeting tomorrow for the proposed Chevron Gas Station near Bethany Lake. And a recording of yesterday’s public testimony at the Washington County Board of Commissioners.

Tomorrow: Hearings Officer Meeting

Thursday January 20th at 9am there will be a public Hearings Officer meeting about the Chevron Gas Station near Bethany Lake.

Hello Everyone-

I hope y’all are ready for 2022! We have a lot of work to do to stop the Gas Station near Bethany Lake and pass laws in Washington County to ensure these sorts of developments can’t happen in the future.

Write to Commissioner Candidates

There is a Washington County Commissioners primary election coming up in May for 3 out of 5 Commissioner seats. We want to see gas station land use discussed amongst the candidates. Please consider emailing the candidates about where they stand on protecting public resources from gas stations.

Hello Everyone-

I hope all of you are enjoying the holiday break. As we look towards 2022 my hope is we can keep up the pressure to stop the Chevron near Bethany Lake and close the door on any future gas station developments near sensitive areas in Washington County. And to do it we all have to keep talking about these desires in public.

To that end we have another Letter to the Editor that was published in the Beaverton Times and the first public records request from Oregon DEQ about taxpayer cleanup costs for gas stations was fulfilled.

Letter to the Editor: No more gas stations, period

Hello Everyone-

Welcome to Issue 11 of the NABGAS newsletter where we discuss updates to the Chevron near Bethany Lake proposal (L2100244) and Washington County land use code updates regarding gas stations.

Chevron near Bethany Lake Public Comments Available

Washington County has posted digital copies of all of the public comments made on the Chevron near Bethany Lake proposal. There were over 78 comments! Nice work everyone.

Hello Everyone-

What to do while waiting?

We have rougly two months until we know what will happen with the Chevron near Bethany Lake. So, in the meantime lets plan the necessary next step: updating Washington County land use codes to require setbacks from sensitive areas like parks and wetlands.

To that end we have taken a few initial steps including comments at the Board of Commissioners, Planning Commission, encouraging Tualatin Riverkeepers to write a letter to Commissioners, and a few meetings with commissioners. The discussion has been focused on the motivation for a code update and the data to support it.

Hello Everyone-

Public hearing rescheduled.

Today at the Public Hearing for the the Chevron near Bethany Lake the applicant asked for a continuance to tweak their application based on public comment and the Staff report.

Joe Turner, the Hearings Officer, has granted the applicant a continuance and a new Public Hearing on January 20, 2022 at 9 a.m.

Hello Everyone-

TODAY Public Hearing Thursday Nov. 18th at 10:30am

The Public Hearing where a Washington County Hearings Officer will review the application is today, Thursday Nov. 18th, at 10:30am. You can listen using the Zoom link below or the call in information in the announcement.

Read the hearing announcement

Hello Everyone-

Public comments still open!

The public comments are still open for the Chevron near Bethany Lake. Please be polite to the County Land Use and Transportation staff reviewing the messages. And feel free to use primary source references, data, and perspectives from our site.

Make a comment now!

Hello Everyone-

Public hearing is Thursday Nov. 18th at 10:30am

The Public Hearing where a Washington County Hearings Officer will review the application is coming up next week. You can listen in or participate using the call in information in the announcement or Zoom link. If you wish to make a comment you may but please keep it short and polite. Also, if possible, please avoid covering ground someone else has already covered.

Hello Everyone-

Staff public comment deadline tonight!

If you want to have the Staff reply to your comment you should try and get your comment in by end of day TODAY Monday November 8th. While writing your comment please be polite to the County Land Use and Transportation staff reviewing the messages. And feel free to use primary source references, data, and perspectives from our site.

Make a comment now!

Hello Everyone-

Staff public comment deadline!

In a few more days the Washington County Land Use Staff report will be released. If you want to have the Staff reply to your comment you should try and get your comment in by end of day Monday November 8th. Make a comment now! While writing your comment please be polite to the County Land Use and Transportation staff reviewing the messages. And feel free to use primary source references, data, and perspectives from our site.

Write a Letter to the Editor

Hello Everyone-

What actions have you taken to let the County and your neighbors know about your thoughts on the Chevron near Bethany Lake? Have you made a Public Comment on the Land Use application? Have you talked to a neighbor? Let me know what your experience has been.

Making a Public Comment

The public comment for the Chevron near Bethany Lake application is open for two more weeks, make a comment now! While writing your comment please be polite to the County Land Use and Transportation staff reviewing the messages. And feel free to use primary source references, data, and perspectives from our site.

Hello Everyone-

Public comments for Bethany Lake Chevron open!

The public comment for the Chevron near Bethany Lake application is now open. The land use case is L2100244. While writing your comment please be polite to the County Land Use and Transportation staff reviewing the messages. And feel free to use primary source references, data, and perspectives from our site.

How many electric cars are there in the Bethany area?

Hello Everyone-

While we are waiting for the public comment period to open on the Washington County Land Use Application for the Chevron adjacent to Bethany Lake we wanted to share some of the data we have been learning about potential impacts from this development.

Underground storage tanks (USTs) hold on to the gas that is eventually pumped into cars at gas/fuel/service stations. And at most stations there will be 4 tanks to handle the different octanes of fuels and diesel. And they will generally hold thousands of gallons of fuel.

Oregon's leaking USTs