St. Johns neighborhood board to BottleDrop: Don’t come here

Elise Haas
·2 min read
4

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — On Monday night, the St. Johns Neighborhood Association overwhelmingly rejected a proposed BottleDrop site, with nearly unanimous opposition. The board said it is not a part of the solution to the community livability issues at this time.

Hundreds of neighbors gathered in person and online to voice their concerns about the impact the BottleDrop redemption center on Lombard Street at the former Dollar Tree. They cited increased traffic, homelessness, crime, drug use and dealing, all based on experiences at other BottleDrop locations.

Portland record shop owner helps nab burglary suspect

“We’re very concerned what it would bring to the area without any sign of additional resources coming,” said business owner James Armstrong.

St. Johns resident Jonah Jensen spoke at a neighborhood meeting opposing a proposed BottleDrop location in the area, March 11, 2024 (KOIN)
St. Johns resident Jonah Jensen spoke at a neighborhood meeting opposing a proposed BottleDrop location in the area, March 11, 2024 (KOIN)

Resident Jonah Jensen said he “wouldn’t have concerns about safety if the downtown area didn’t have marked improvement a week after removing those BottleDrops. So why are we willingly inviting this into our neighborhood? Why are we conflating compassion with enabling? It makes no sense.”

The neighborhood board argues that using this prime neighborhood space solely for BottleDrop purposes is inappropriate given the city’s need for additional affordable housing.

“Where do we need to go to solve the problems in our neighborhoods and our city?” said Board Chair RJ DeMello. “If we focus on that and solving that, that’s the productive conversation.”

‘Rebirth of a neighborhood’: Albina plans move forward

State Rep. Travis Nelson, who was also at the meeting, said he’s called for a meeting with leaders including Rep. Maxine Dexter, to find a more suitable spot for the BottleDrop.

A partially burned Dollar Tree in St. Johns is the site of a potential BottleDrop center in North Portland. February 28, 2024 (KOIN).
A partially burned Dollar Tree in St. Johns is the site of a potential BottleDrop center in North Portland. February 28, 2024 (KOIN).

“I’m here because I care and I initiated that meeting because I heard from you,” Nelson said.

Neighbors also said there are already 2 nearby alternatives for bottle redemptions in St. Johns. They emphasized they don’t need more locations to redeem bottles — they need more places to house people.

In a statement to KOIN 6 News, Eric Chambers of the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative said: “There have been no recent developments regarding the proposed facility in St. John’s (sic). OBRC continues to monitor public feedback and engage in the local review process. This is the very beginning of a long process, and we have remained in contact with the City of Portland and will continue to do so as the process develops.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.