What’s Up with That? Ross Complex trees may fall if BPA builds

Hi! What’s up with the trees surrounding the Bonneville Power Administration’s Ross Complex roadway? For several weeks they have had numbered stakes in front of them and now there appear to be some sort of metal tags with numbers. I do hope they are not planning to cut down these beautiful evergreens that make such a lovely entrance to the Minnehaha neighborhood.

—Helen Sutfin, Minnehaha

No, Helen, the trees aren’t necessarily marked for immediate cutting — but yes, the Bonneville Power Administration is eyeballing them for potential removal. If that does happen, it’s not likely to happen for a few years yet.

“The markings are associated with survey work being done to produce a topographical map of the Ross facility,” Doug Johnson of BPA wrote in an e-mail. “The map is part of a feasibility study BPA is conducting for a possible new office building on the Ross Complex grounds.”

According to a BPA information sheet, the regional power agency employs approximately 1,500 people in the Portland-Vancouver area but doesn’t have adequate facilities to accommodate that work force. BPA’s Ross Complex in Hazel Dell includes both permanent and temporary buildings, some of which need expensive ongoing maintenance due to age. That’s why BPA is considering a new office building on campus.

If the building does get built, it could be as large as 210,000 square feet and will be located on the north side of Ross Street, between Northeast15th Avenue and the main campus entrance off Highway 99.

A public meeting was held at Minnehaha Elementary School in September 2009 to explain the possible project to neighbors. Since then, Johnson said, the time line has slowed somewhat, with a preliminary environmental assessment due to be completed in December. Public comment will be collected and final decisions made after that. The earliest construction would begin is late next year.

“At this time, there are no plans to remove any of the trees,” Johnson said. “If the project moves forward, the environmental assessment would address how many trees would have to be removed and what the impact of the removal would be.”