TL;DR: Columbia Community Bible Church is inviting neighbors to a special Mother’s Day Celebration on Sunday, May 10, 2026, at 11:00 AM. The event will include a morning gathering celebrating the love and care of mothers, followed by finger foods and fellowship. All are welcome.
Columbia Community Bible Church is inviting neighbors to a special Mother’s Day Celebration this Sunday morning. The gathering offers an opportunity for community members to come together, celebrate the important role mothers and caregivers play in our lives, and spend time connecting with neighbors in East Columbia.
Event Details
Mother’s Day Celebration Date: Sunday, May 10, 2026 Time: 11:00 AM Location: Columbia Community Bible Church 420 NE Marine Drive, Portland, OR 97211
Finger foods and fellowship will follow the morning celebration.
Community Invitation
Whether you regularly attend church services or are simply looking for a welcoming community gathering on Mother’s Day, all neighbors are welcome to attend.
ECNA is sharing this event as a community notice to help neighbors stay informed about local gatherings and opportunities to connect.
We appreciate local organizations and gathering spaces that help bring neighbors together and create opportunities for connection across our community.
For more information, contact Columbia Community Bible Church directly.
TL;DR: All three District 2 City Councilors toured East Columbia on April 10 to see how proposed wetland buffer zone expansions could restrict what you can build, farm, or do on your property — and significantly reduce land values for many neighbors. Join us at our Open House on May 6, 6–8 PM at Columbia Bible Church to learn more and make your voice heard.
Hi neighbors! On April 10, ECNA Chairman Patrick Henry and neighbor Gary Kunz led all three District 2 City Councilors — Sameer Kanal, Dan Ryan, and Elana Pirtle-Guiney — on a driving tour of East Columbia. The goal: to show them, street by street, how proposed Environmental Zone (E-zone) overlay expansions could affect residential, farming, and commercial properties throughout our neighborhood.
What’s Happening
The City of Portland is considering expanding protected buffer zones around wetlands connected to the Columbia and Willamette Rivers. Under the proposed zoning changes, properties near these waterways — including many in East Columbia — would be classified as “environmental zones,” restricting what owners may build, add, or do with their land.
One important distinction: most waterways in our area connect to the river through pump stations, not natural tributaries. Fish cannot pass through them. Despite this, the proposed overlays would treat these pump-connected ditches and engineered wetlands the same as natural river corridors — placing many private properties under environmental restrictions without a direct ecological connection to the river to justify it.
You can explore the CCIL project and see how the updated E-zone mapping may apply to your property using the City’s interactive map: portlandmaps.com/bps/ccil
What the Tour Covered
Neighbor Alice Christine Walker met each touring group along Gertz Road and walked the councilors into the brush to “ground-truth” the actual conditions on the ground. The tour included properties near the Oak Harbor Trucking business, a parcel straddling South Shore and Faloma Roads, a Marine Drive home, several Meadow Drive homes, and a Blue Heron home. In each case, the proposed buffer zones covered all or most of the privately owned parcel.
Walker also brought her expertise in farming and land preservation programs to the tour, explaining how the proposed changes affect not just homeowners, but also larger landowners with Oregon-protected farming rights. She highlighted a particularly striking example along NE Gertz and NE Levee: a wetland created by Oak Harbor Trucking as a condition of paving over their truck yards. Under the proposed overlays, that mitigation-created wetland could now be used to reclassify adjacent traditional farmland as an environmental zone — denying those landowners their ability to raise animals and grow food crops.
Why This Matters for Your Property
For many East Columbia property owners, the proposed buffer zones could mean:
Restrictions on adding ADUs, garages, or other structures on your property
Loss of Oregon-protected Right to Farm protections for larger and agricultural properties
Reclassification of pastureland as “wetland,” changing what you’re legally allowed to do with your land
A meaningful reduction in property value
The councilors saw these realities firsthand. Now we want to make sure the broader community understands what’s at stake — and has a chance to weigh in.
Open House: Come Learn More and Have Your Say
Date: Tuesday, May 6 Time: 6:00 – 8:00 PM Location: Columbia Bible Church, 420 NE Marine Drive, Portland, OR
All neighbors are welcome — whether your property is directly affected or you simply want to stay informed. Come with questions, bring a neighbor, and help us shape the direction of this conversation with the City.
Together, we stay informed. Together, we advocate for East Columbia.
TL;DR: A new community survey is open to help shape a 10-year Watershed Improvement Plan for the Columbia Slough floodplain. If you live, work, or spend time in the area, your input matters! The survey is open through April 19.
There’s an important opportunity right now to help guide the future of flood safety and environmental health in the Columbia Slough watershed. Community members are invited to participate in a survey that will directly inform a long-term plan impacting our neighborhood and surrounding areas.
What’s Happening
The Flood Safety District of northern Multnomah County is developing its first-ever 10-year Watershed Improvement Plan for the Columbia Slough floodplain.
This plan will shape efforts to:
Improve environmental health
Strengthen flood protection
Support the long-term resilience of our watershed
Following a series of community workshops earlier this year, organizers are now gathering broader input through a community survey.
Why It Matters
The Columbia Slough touches many of our daily lives—whether you live nearby, commute through the area, enjoy its trails, or care about local ecosystems.
The more community voices included, the better this plan can reflect the needs, priorities, and values of the people who are most connected to this place.
How to Participate
Take the survey and share your input
Encourage neighbors, friends, and local organizations to participate
Help spread the word through social media or community networks
The survey is available in multiple languages, including: English, Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Simplified Chinese, Ukrainian, and Somali.
Get Involved
Your voice helps shape the future of our shared environment. Whether you’ve lived here for years or just enjoy visiting the Columbia Slough, this is a meaningful way to get involved.
Let’s work together to support a safer, healthier watershed for everyone.
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📩 Questions? Reach out to Jamie Stamberger at Knot Studio: Email: JStamberger@knotstudio.com Phone: 503-446-6445
TL;DR: The City of Portland is updating Environmental Overlay Zones (E-zones) in parts of the Columbia Corridor, including East Columbia. Join us March 11 at 6:00 PM to hear directly from city planners about how these changes may affect local properties. Staff will also be available after the presentation to look up individual properties and answer questions.
Hi neighbors! The City of Portland is updating Environmental Overlay Zones (E-zones) as part of the Columbia Corridor Industrial Lands (CCIL) project. These overlays help protect wetlands, wildlife habitat, and other natural resources—but they can also influence what types of improvements or development are allowed on certain properties.
While the formal public comment period has ended, many neighbors still have questions about how the updated maps and regulations may affect their homes, businesses, or nearby land. Our upcoming neighborhood meeting will be a chance to hear directly from city staff and get answers.
What’s Happening
Representatives from the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability will join us to explain the CCIL E-Zone project and what the updated environmental overlays mean for properties in and around East Columbia.
City planners will give a short presentation about the project and then open the floor for questions. After the presentation, they’ll stay to speak with neighbors one-on-one and help look up individual properties to discuss potential impacts.
Whether you’re a homeowner, renter, or business owner, this is a great opportunity to learn more about how these environmental protections intersect with property use in our neighborhood.
Meeting Details Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2026 Arrival Time: Please arrive by 5:45 PM Meeting Begins: 6:00 PM Location: Columbia Community Bible Church, 420 NE Marine Drive, Portland, OR 97211
Environmental overlay zones help protect wetlands, wildlife habitat, and other natural features that make our neighborhood unique. At the same time, these overlays can influence what kinds of changes are possible on certain properties.
Understanding how the new mapping works can help neighbors make informed decisions about future improvements, development plans, or property use.
All neighbors are welcome. We hope to see you there!
TL;DR: Meet District 2 City Councilors Elana Pirtle-Guiney, Sameer Kanal, and Dan Ryan on Tuesday, March 4 at 6:00 PM at the Alberta Rose Theatre. This City Club of Portland event is a chance to hear how Portland’s new form of government is going and what’s ahead. Register here.
Hi neighbors! If you’ve been curious about how Portland’s new 12-member City Council is working — or you simply want to connect directly with your District 2 representatives — this is a great opportunity to show up, listen in, and take part in the conversation.
What’s Happening
The City Club of Portland is hosting “Portland, Meet Your City Councilors!” — a four-part panel series happening in each district across the city. On Tuesday, March 4, from 6:00–7:30 PM, District 2 residents are invited to gather at the Alberta Rose Theatre (3000 NE Alberta St.). Doors open at 5:30 PM.
Why This Conversation Matters
In 2024, Portlanders made history by electing a new City Council under a new form of government. Now, with one full year of service completed — along with the appointment of a new City Administrator and the election of a new Council President and Vice President — this is an important moment to reflect.
What’s working? What’s been challenging? And where is Portland headed next?
The evening begins with a moderated panel featuring questions submitted during registration, followed by informal time to connect directly with your councilors and neighbors. Whether you’ve been closely following city government or just want to stay informed, this is a welcoming space to learn more and be part of the civic conversation.
Event Details
Date: Tuesday, March 4 Time: 6:00–7:30 PM (Doors open at 5:30 PM) Location: Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta St., Portland Cost: Free (registration requested)
How to Attend
Space is limited, so be sure to register in advance:
We encourage East Columbia neighbors to attend, bring a friend, and help spread the word through your networks. Opportunities like this help strengthen transparency, accountability, and connection between residents and city leadership.
Together, we stay informed. Together, we shape the future of our neighborhood and our city.
East Columbia Neighborhood Association 