Hi Petitioners! 

I have just delivered your 5,531 signatures and comments to the Portland City Council before tomorrow's meeting. 

Please consider attending the Portland City Council meeting if you are available tomorrow. At 9:30am, local community leaders and students will address the council. You're also able to attend virtually. Information is available here: https://www.portland.gov/council/agenda#toc-wednesday-may-3-2023-9-30-am

If you have not done so already, please email the Portland City Council about your opposition to the proposed Prologis Distribution Center before tomorrow's council meeting. Let's fill their inbox! 

Thank you again for your support! I have posted my opposition letter below if you would like some inspiration.

 - Breylan

Subject: Opposition to Proposed Parkrose Distribution Center: Consider Social, Racial, and Environmental Justice

Dear Portland City Council,

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed Prologis Distribution Center in Parkrose and to urge you to find a better use for this site that takes into account Portland's commitment to social justice, racial justice, and environmental justice.

As you know, the proposed development will have severe and long-lasting negative impacts on our community, particularly those living east of I-205. The increased truck traffic and air pollution will harm the health and quality of life of our most vulnerable members, including children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems. The proposed distribution center does not align with our community's sustainable development and environmental protection vision. It will release significant amounts of greenhouse gases, which does not align with our community's goal to reduce our carbon footprint.

Additionally, the proposed distribution center will be in close proximity to several schools in our community, posing a risk to the safety of our children. The increased truck traffic and noise could create hazardous and unsafe conditions for students walking to and from school and participating in outdoor activities during recess and physical education classes. The potential exposure to air pollution and toxic diesel fumes could also negatively impact our children's health and well-being.

The proposed warehouse faces Parkrose High School’s athletic fields and will significantly pollute our low-income minority community. It is concerning that the PBOT is excited about creating a Zero-Emission Delivery Zone on the West side of the Hawthorne Bridge, where almost nobody lives, but is encouraging the development of a distribution center literally next door to some of the most diverse and cost-burdened residents in our city according to 2020 census data.

The true cost of this project is the loss of opportunity for our community. Once this Distribution Center is in, the opportunity is gone. Parkrose and Argay Terrace will continue to be pass-through areas with unhealthy air, forgotten by our leaders. Parkrose/East Portland has an incredible opportunity to bring about real economic change and hope for our students. We must not squander this potential site on yet another distribution center, especially when a 90-bay distribution center is nearing completion just seven blocks away at NE 138th near Costco. City leaders need to acknowledge they have a role to play in helping our community thrive. We are a neighborhood, not an industrial zone.

Lastly, I would like to bring to your attention the recent incident where a student of Parkrose High School was struck by a driver while crossing 122nd Ave. PBOT's public commitment to "making streets safe for everyone" does not align with their previous decision to grant an exception for a 60-foot wide driveway for the proposed Prologis Distribution Center on 122nd Ave. This exception being granted is an example of PBOT's failure to consider the safety of the people who live here.

In conclusion, I urge you to take into consideration the concerns of our community and find a better use for this site that aligns with the City of Portland's vision for social justice, racial justice, and environmental justice. I hope you will take this letter and the 5,531 signatures and comments of the supporters of our petition against the proposed Prologis Site seriously. To see our petition, please visit change.org/protectparkrose.

Thank you,

Breylan Deal-Eriksen
Local Business Owner & Resident