Rockwood Gets Incorporated. Where IS Rockwood exactly?

Up until 1987 the Rockwood area (and areas further east and west) was considered unincorporated Multnomah County.  The County Sheriff and the local fire district served the area, but Gresham and Portland didn't. 


As mentioned in the first Rockwood history blog, Rockwood looked at forming its own city at one point but was eventually incorporated half into Gresham and half into Portland to support the infrastructure of new sewer systems to be required in the area. 


There are many theories/stories of blame to go around on how all of this affected Rockwood.  And in most cases I don't have facts to back these theories up.  However there were social consequences along the line and I have no idea of knowing if Rockwood had formed its own city, or if Rockwood had not been divided whether the social changes would have been affected.


Arguments:


1) When Rockwood was separated into two cities it was on the outer edge of both cities and didn't receive the attention that the rest of these cities received.  When Rockwood was incorporated, neither City took a proactive approach to welcome the residents, plan for infrastructure and work on livability issues.  It was like a forgotten appendage and did not receive equal capital funds for improvements etc. 


2) When Rockwood was separated, the unity and identity of the area separated with it.  No longer was it a community in of itself.  Portland set up a neighborhood association with a boundary at Portland's line.  Gresham set up a neighborhood association with a boundary at Gresham's line.  Services to the neighborhood changed.  The Gresham area of Rockwood has a Portland mailing address, which confuses MANY issues (more later) because many businesses and residents still are confused if they live in Portland or Gresham.


3) Neither "old" Gresham residents nor "old" Portland residents have been willing to accept Rockwood as being part of their City, and has always been negatively portrayed by both areas.


This editorial in the Gresham Outlook illustrates and affirms these attitudes still exist:
http://vvvvvv.portlandtribune.com/go/43-opinion/18954-lets-welcome-rockwood-as-part-of-gresham

FM cont'd and Food for Rockwood Residents

In 2003 when Fred Meyer vacated, so did many residents of the apartments in the Rockwood "Triangle."  Those that had found the location as a convenience for travel without cars and those whose interests were sustainability, found they couldn't be sustained in Rockwood. (See future blog on residents/housing issues of Rockwood.)

When Fred Meyer announced they were leaving, many renters in the local apartments gave their notice as well.  The "walking community" and mass transit community no longer were available and the promise of drawing these characterstics faded.

One of the customers who melted my heart the most was an elderly blind woman (who lives in the triangle to this day). She was very distraught as her abilities to travel were limited and accessing a grocery store outside the neighborhood would require her to find new forms of transportation and begin a new learning curve on how to access basic services.

I started a letter writing campaign at that time and asked Fred Meyer to not abandon Rockwood and leave this negative message to taint the neighborhood.  This led to over 50 letters sent to Fred Meyer executives and a small rally outside the store, only leading to more negative words from the executives, but plenty of support from store staff and disappointed shoppers.

As mentioned in the previous blog, other stores inquired about the spot (yes, Walmart was one) but Fred Meyer had no interest in giving up their ten (or was it twelve) year lease they still held.

In 2007 Mauricio Alvarez opened La Tapatia - a limited grocery store across the street from the Fred Meyer site offering groceries to the community.  Many convenience stores serve the local community.

Apartment residents have spoken to me about apartments in their complexes where neighbors can buy conveniences for cash.  Items such as laundry detergent, ice cream bars, milk and sugar were available by knocking on the neighbors' doors.  Upon first hearing this I was impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit of these neighbors to make additional money by offering their neighbor's these commodities.  However, this may or may not be tied to a bigger problem called "theft for resale."  Grocery stores everywhere are suffering from theft rings where common items are being stolen from their stores, disappearing slowly but surely.  Common items in theft for resale are baby formula, cleaning supplies etc.  This is not a problem unique to Rockwood, but clearly resale is much easier in a neighborhood where these commodities are in demand. 

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/09/northeast_portland_mom_four_da.html
Many groups have taken on the issues of providing food options to the Rockwood community where apartments are abundant and most serve lower income populations in the current environment.

WHY ARE THERE FOOD ISSUES?

On limited incomes and without traveling convenience, many families have few options for groceries and shopping for common needs in Rockwood.  Food stamps are often used at the local 7-11 and quick mart.  A food stamp budget buys much less food at convenience stores than average grocery stores.  Take into account the types of foods that are being purchased for family meals at these stores.  Basic nutrition needs are rarely met. 

A small community garden is in place on approximately 194th and Yamhill.  We Are Oregon, a local organization, began organizing a food co-op system and distribution.  These resources remain limited in the community.  Traveling to a full service store on the Max line, going East offers nothing.  Going west, the Max line will eventually get you to a grocery store but not conveniently.


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How Fred Meyer SCREWED Rockwood

It is 2012

It was 2002 when Fred Meyer broke up with Rockwood. Their spokesmen made their nasty comments that have echoed and been etched in the community for years like nasty gossip does.  The words of the nasty break up still are repeated by others regularly and have certainly affected the ability of Rockwood to start a new courtship with it's reputation becoming more damaged.

In 2002 the headlines read, "Fred Meyer Leaves Due to High Crime in Rockwood."  Just last week I was standing in line at the bank and listening to 2 gentlemen behind me speaking, "...well you know that the crime is so bad here even Fred Meyer had to give up on this community..." as the other man nodded his head in agreement.  Go online and do a search for ROCKWOOD FRED MEYER and you can pull up these assertions on at least ten different comment lines, as this discussion is still alive in 2012.

The FIRST rotten step from Fred Meyer was the assertion that Rockwood is a high crime area and using that as their reason to leave.  I only wish I had all of the documentation on that information that I held back in 2002.....

The reasoning was challenged back then by many... those in Fred Meyer Corporate who spoke anonymously, and definitely plenty of workers within the store.  It was pointed out that the store was not a full service store and that the profits were not as high so the store was planned on being closed for that reason; it was pointed out that none of the security measures that were in place at ALL other Fred Meyer stores were added to the Rockwood site, because the determination had been made to close before and no further capital costs were to be added.  For a store with high crime, it was noted that this store implemented none of the crime deterrents added to the other stores, which would of course have had an effect.  It was noted that other stores in North Portland had just as high/higher of theft rates. But the reason stated by those  "in the know" was Wood Village Fred Meyer was not getting the traffic they had wanted and WinCo had moved not far down the street. It was determined that by closing the Rockwood location - which was not a high volume store - they may be able to increase sales at Wood Village.

1.) Thank you Fred Meyer for tainting the reputation of Rockwood forevermore with your self-serving thoughtless and irresponsible public relations message. Fred Meyer turned the responsibility of leaving from their shoulders by forever condemning a neighborhood instead.

BUT THEY DIDN'T STOP THERE!

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-94834390.html

 FRED MEYER HOLDS PROPERTY IN ROCKWOOD HOSTAGE....

When Fred Meyer closed their doors in 2003, they held a long term lease on the property.  They were locked into a lease where most assumed they would sell to the first offer.  But Fred Meyer/Kroger drove the stake in deeper as they refused to entertain offers from any business that was similar to theirs.  Though the neighborhood needed a grocery store, Fred Meyer turned away any offers from such amenities.  Fred Meyer was much more concerned about their competition moving into the neighborhood and potentially affecting their stores in Gresham/Wood Village and 148th and SE Division than doing the responsible thing for the Rockwood community.

Behind the scenes, the development staff at the City of Gresham heard new interest of buyers, but could not get Fred Meyer to let their lease go - instead leaving an empty eyesore in the middle of Rockwood.

This land was "locked" until the City used Urban Renewal funds to acquire the property.

But was it too late?

BIG CHANGES IN ROCKWOOD....

In  September 1986 the Max/Light Rail System was built that traveled through Rockwood and on to Gresham.  Did the light rail bring crime to the area as some believe?  In my opinion, it was a culmination of many factors, which we will discuss throughout the history....(SEE LATER BLOG ON "The Rockwood Identity Crisis.")

In 1987 the City of Gresham and the City of Portland incorporated areas of Rockwood in order to fund/regulate the new requirement of a municipal sewer system from septic tanks. Did the separation and incorporation of the Rockwood community into the cities of Gresham and Portland create the issues in Rockwood as some believe?  More factors... as we will discuss further.....

THE MAX TO GRESHAM/NEW DEVELOPMENT....1980s

Apartments in Rockwood were built throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s. WERE TOO MANY APARTMENTS BUILT?

As the Max came to Gresham, I believe Rockwood became an even more DESIRABLE place to live.  Those who didn't want to drive cars to town now had great options.  Apartments filled the area and stayed rented.  Renters could walk to the Max station to make it either direction in and out of town.  Fred Meyer was a "one-stop" shopping center that was within walking distance.  The "Rockwood Triangle" offered everything within a convenient walking distance with garden center, bowling, shopping, max travel, burger king.... you name it. Over the years some of these conveniences waned, with the most devastating blow coming with the convenient one stop shopping center.

In 2002 Rockwood Fred Meyer left our community, leaving behind a large empty town center, discouraging words and no handy shopping area for those in the local apartments.  As neighborhood conditions changed (i.e. loss of a grocery store which took away the walkability for those without cars) the apartments ended up being a liability.  So the question becomes, whose fault is the failure of the areas businesses, apartment complexes and neighborhood?

Is it light rail's fault for going in, when at the time it wasn't a crime draw, but perhaps they didn't plan into the long term effects?

Is it the County's fault for, when it was still an unincorporated area, failing to develop wisely?

Is it the City of Gresham's fault for, when inheriting the neighborhood, not having the foresight to realize what the future would bring if proper standards and changes weren't implemented?

Is it Fred Meyer's fault for leaving Rockwood high and dry?

More to come.  :)



Other Perspectives:

 http://bojack.org/2012/06/lake_o_apartment_bunkers_would.html (see after first 9 comments to get to Rockwood info)  /what do i disagree with?  Because the City of Gresham planners were not in charge of the apartment developments in Rockwood at that point.  This area was not incorporated until 1987....

http://ti.org/antiplanner/?p=3239