To all who asked for follow-up on the January 19th meeting with 7-Eleven:

I regret to say that, in spite of heroic efforts on the part of many, it appears that a 7-Eleven will be coming to the corner of SE 52^nd and Woodstock. It’s hard to beat the fact that this is allowed by city code, And the developer and 7-Eleven seem all-out determined on going ahead.

On Friday January 28^th, a few of us are going to City Hall to hear the Bureau of Transportation’s response to Lancaster Engineering’s traffic/safety study (see third meeting listed below).

Some (brief) follow-up will be included in the last three meetings listed here.

- Terry Griffiths, Woodstock NA Land Use Co-Chair

THURSDAY, JANUARY 27^TH, 7:10 PM
WOODSTOCK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION LAND USE COMMITTEE
Woodstock Community Center, 5905 SE 43^rd (Across from Bi-Mart)

A BRIEF summary of the meeting with 7-Eleven. The main body of the meeting will be a conversation with Bernie Keroski from the Portland Development Commission. Mr. Keroski works with the Lents neighborhood on developing their business district. We are hoping he can give us pointers on how to encourage the business mix we want for Woodstock.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28^TH, 11:00 – 11:30
MEETING IN MAYOR SAM ADAMS OFFICE WITH PBOT REPRESENTATIVE
Suite 340, City Hall, 1221 SW 4th

A representative from the Portland Bureau of Transportation will provide a response to the Lancaster Engineering Traffic/Safety study that high-lights traffic/safety issues in and around the proposed 7-Eleven development at SE 52^nd and Woodstock. Anyone interested is welcome to attend but attendees should be familiar with the traffic/safety study. Please RSVP to Terry Griffiths (503-771-0011) if you wish to attend. We can provide a summary of the Traffic/Safety study. ALL ARE WELCOME, BUT SHOULD RSVP WITH TERRY.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2^ND, 7:00 PM
WOODSTOCK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MONTHLY GENERAL MEETING
Woodstock Community Center, 5905 SE 43^rd (Across from Bi-Mart)

Multiple topics will be covered. The Land Use Committee report will include a brief summary of the 7-Eleven meeting as well as of the last two meetings listed above. For more information see: www.woodstockpdx.org

Controversy arises over 7-11 at S.E. 52nd and Woodstock Blvd.

By Merry MacKinnon
The Bee, Nov 3, 2010

Ever since Arby’s Restaurant at S.E. 52nd Avenue between Woodstock Boulevard and Martins Street closed two years ago, cracked asphalt has accumulated in piles around the empty building, and the parking lot has become a dumping ground for stained mattresses, derelict couches, and other detritus.

Homeless men hang out there and, were it not for a border of mature sweetgum trees blocking some of the unsightliness, the corner could be a textbook example of urban blight.

Which is why some may be surprised that when word spread that a 7-Eleven convenience store could locate there, a group of Woodstock residents, including many homeowners on S.E. Martins Street, quickly organized to oppose it.

“If enough concerned citizens stand up and say, 'No!', I think we can stop this,” says Yvette Clark, who owns a house on S.E. 51st and Martins. “Better to be empty than be a 7-Eleven.”

Click here to read the full article.

TONIGHT'S AGENDA VIA THE WNA

Tonight's meeting will be run by Woodstock Neighborhood Association President, Kathryn King. Please see the below agenda.

7-11 7:00pm
Ground rules: up to 1 minute per person for comment during discussion. Recap on strategic plan 2 minutes, update on SEUL position 2 minutes. Meeting adjourn at 8:00pm, exit church 8:30pm. Once spoken, new parties will have opportunity for comment prior to additional 2nd comments.
Call to order	7:00
Brief introductions	7:02
Brief Background
WNA Position – Kathryn	7:06
Site plan & elevations – Terry	7:07
Good neighbor plan – Leah or Terry	7:09
Petitions, yard signs, strategic plan - Yvette	7:12
Long term vision for neighborhood – Kenny	7:15
Organizing opposition and outreach – Creation of steering committee 1. Pass around sign-up sheets for email, taking yard signs &/or petitions; 2. Decide on email address; 3. Someone to manage a list serve; 4. Formal spokesperson.	7:16
Ideas for desirable neighborhood businesses: 1. Summary of online survey and website for taking survey; 2. Strategies for approaching these businesses and property owners.	7:45
SEUL position - Leah	7:58
Close “at large” meeting	8:00
Steering committee discussion & organizing
Exit building	8:30

Come to the planning meeting, Nov 9th at 7pm!!!

The meeting time is 7:00pm, and not 7:30pm as I accidentally previously posted. Please pass it on.
WHAT: Planning Meeting (without developer, realtor, & 7-Eleven rep!)
WHEN: Tuesday, Nov. 9th, 2010 @ 7:00pm
WHERE: Our Lady of Sorrows - Corner of SE 52nd and SE Woodstock (kitty-corner to 7-Eleven site)
WHY: At this public planning meeting the objectives are...

1. Inform the public about what is happening (in detail) with news from the Woodstock Neighborhood Association Land-use committee and others who have been working on the issue.
2. Discuss educated next steps on how to either stop 7-Eleven from entering at all, or (if unable to stop them) find a way to get them to make changes such as no malt liquor sales, address traffic issues and litter, lease to local tenants providing products and services that will better the community, and/or AVOID the installation of a check-cashing store, chain coffee shop, and other bad choices.
3. Distribute lawn signs, organize petition signing, and create a communication web to ensure people are informed quickly of meetings and updates.
4. Organize what we are doing in preparation for the next public meeting with the realtor, contractor, and chain rep. (e.g. who is inviting the media, getting the community informed, etc.)

NEW NEWS: THE 9th IS NOW A PLANNING MEETING

WHAT: WNA SPECIAL SESSION: FORMAL LETTER MEETING
WHEN: NOV. 9th, 2010
WHERE: OUR LADY OF SORROWS (Corner of 52nd and SE Woodstock)
TIME: *****7:00pm****
MEETING TYPE: PUBLIC-all welcome!, RUN BY WNA PRESIDENT AND LAND-USE COMMITTEE CHAIR

DETAILS: According to the Woodstock Neighborhood Association (WNA) as per last-night's monthly meeting, the developer and realtor asked if we could CANCEL the meeting on the 9th and reschedule for later in November, TBA. **WE ARE STILL MEETING ON THE 9th**, but instead the Woodstock Neighborhood Association officials are meeting to drafting a formal letter to the city, the realtor and contractor with very specific points of concern. The WNA has been advised that this is the best way forward. THE DEVELOPER , LAND OWNER AND REALTOR WILL *NOT* BE IN ATTENDANCE ON THE 9th.

We have some very informed and great people working on this via the WNA, so please come to become more informed on what us as citizens can do moving forward. Specifically the Land-Use Committee Chair of the WNA has done a great deal of research to understand our steps moving forward. Do understand, however, that this is a WNA meeting and so will be held to order and standards in order to complete this letter in a timely manner. Please keep your tempers in check.

There is also a meeting this Friday, November 5th, but this meeting is specifically about getting petitions signed. The formal compliant letter, better details of what we are doing moving forward, etc., will be at the meeting on the 9th.

Thank you again for being part of this. Please attend both or just one! Please let others know about this.

- Woodstock Cares

PLANNING MEETING: Friday, November 5th at 6:30pm

Please come if you would like to hang signs, get petitions signed, and/or contact media outlets etc., in opposing the 7-Eleven moving into SE Woodstock and SE 52nd. This is a planning meeting for what to be done before a November 9th public meeting.

For those of you that didn't know there is a big meeting on November 9th, 2010 with the landowner, developer and 7-Eleven rep. Please let's make sure this meeting is well attended by media outlets, concerned citizens and public officials!

The planning meeting is this Friday at 6:30pm at Pappacinno's to arrange outreach and petitioning for keeping 711 out.

If you can't come please email CareAboutWoodstock@gmail.com if you would like to post posters, take petitions door to door to get signatures, and/or do anything else for the November 9th Meeting.

Stay tuned for a meeting very soon

I'm finding out from a few folks about having a meeting this week ASAP.

Heads up. We need to be considering people for roles to do the following tasks in a hurry before the next meeting with the land owner, developer, and 7-11 rep. These are what I believe the tasks will be, but we need to flesh this out at a meeting ASAP.

Tasks:

• Make posters inviting people to the next public meeting (1 person)
• Distribute posters (3-5+ people - all over Sellwood, East Moreland, Reed, Mt. Scott and Brentwood... AND Woodstock)
• Someone writes our official statement of the standing of Woodstock Cares and our opposition to 7-11's intended presence.
• Someone call AND(not or) emails the big TV outlets about the meeting. Ask them to send a reporter and preferably a camera. Tell them a big turnout is expected (fingers crossed) (1 people)
• Someone to post meeting to free e-calendars and announces on social media sites as invitations, ads and other ongoing information (1-2 people)
• Someone contacts the 4-5 neighborhood associations and asks them to send at least one representative each, if not a posse (1 person)
• Someone calls AND(not or) emails KBOO, OPB and other radio outlets to request a reporter AND offer a live interview by a representative of Woodstock Cares. (1-2 people)
• Someone calls AND(not or) emails Willamette Week, Portland Mercury, and other publications in Portland about this meeting an issue.
• Someone to call local businesses and request they send a representative to the meeting to voice their opinion. (1 informed person)
• Someone to call/email other citizen action groups that may be interested in backing this effort. (1 informed person)
• Optional: Someone contacts local universities to inform civic participation and request advice, support and that they let their students know to come to the meeting as well (1 informed person)

Thoughts? Feedback? Ideas?