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Monthly Archives: March 2016

OPINION: Diary of demo & development, part 5

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Web Manager Posted in Concordia News, Land Use & Transportation, Opinion

By Luke Griffin

Everyone in Concordia has had the opportunity to watch a house be torn down to make way for new houses, duplexes, and skinnies, for better and/or for worse.  This is the continued chronicle of my personal experience.

Construction on the modern brownstone has been going strong now for months.  It is a daily part of our lives that impacts the entire street. Whatever it is, my attempts to remain neutral and not let it bother me are beginning to break and I think it is time for a good rant rather than a building progress report.

The building is an eye-sore blotting out the sun and supplanting green space.  Yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder but there are some features to this development that are simply factual. On a street of quaint houses, this cubist design is like a large brick in a bed of round river rocks.  The size of it is out of place as well, a bulking square cutting the neighborhood in half.  The building itself is placed the bare minimum 10 feet from the sidewalk and 5 feet from the side property line.  On a block of pretty front yards that is used to being filled with playing children and floating butterflies, this thing juts out breaking up the pleasant view of the middle class dream with all of its hulking indifference. There is no front yard, the classic feature which makes NE Portland neighborhoods so pretty and beneficial to the environment. For a city wanting to increase green space by 30%, this project seems like a total affront to our values and utterly disconnected from the neighborhood.

I take issue with the lack of notices we receive from the City and developers.  Throughout the entire process we have received a total of two notices before the work began.  However, since work has started we have found our street repeatedly closed, our cars often boxed in by double parked semi trucks, and the road itself torn up and poorly patched.  I don’t really mind the street closures and loss of parking, as I understand their necessity during construction, but it would be nice to get some advance notice as we go along.  Some people think we may benefit from the new house because, thanks to this awesome development, my home’s value will increase!  This, however is a bit misunderstood and is often used as an excuse for the continuation of these ill conceived projects.  It is actually my house and the houses around, along with our vibrant community, easy accessibility to local businesses, and generally lovely, connected, close-in neighborhood that motivates builders to demo and devo in the first place. I am also not planning to sell my house anytime soon.  Maybe my home value will be increased because of the duplex next door by the time I sell.  Then again, maybe the value would have appreciated anyways. It is completely hypothetical at this point.

As I get to the end of this entry, I realize in the greater context of the world’s problems, how Portland does residential development is a pretty minor thing.  However, framing the issue as a pro vs. anti argument is an overly simplistic way to stifle any sort of discourse about regulations. I am not against building but I personally believe it should be in harmony with the neighborhood it occurs in.  Portland’s few regulations mean that huge monoliths can replace quaint homes.  For those who make the argument that an owner should be able to do whatever they want with their property, my perspective is this: the Ayn Randian, me-only paradigm sells-out and otherwise diminishes core Portland values such as interconnectedness, community building. These homes price out the poor and working class as well as detract from the aesthetics and livability of Concordia.  I believe we can do better to maintain unique Portland neighborhoods and protect our most vulnerable neighbors while allowing thoughtful and mutually beneficial construction to occur.

Part 6:  Flooding concerns, Sunday workday, nasty interactions,  and garbage. 

5 fresh tidy ideas for toddlers in your home

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Web Manager Posted in Concordia News, Family

by Rachel Ivey, Room to Grow Childcare

As a parent and home daycare provider, I am always looking for fresh ideas to keep a peaceful and tidy home. Like most parents, I want our home to reflect all of its inhabitants, but it’ s easy for our living room to get buried under Lincoln Logs. If this struggle sounds familiar, these tips will get you on a path to creating and keeping a home that is inspiring for you and your little one.

  1. Get real! Does that obscenely loud pull-cord donkey make your brain ache? Get rid of it. Remember, the goal is to share space with your child and it’ s ok for something not to work for you. If it makes you squeamish to get rid of it completely, put it in the attic for a week and see how your child responds.
  2. Create “smaller sets.” Limit each kind of toy (blocks, dolls, cars etc) to 20 pieces or less and create a special basket for each set. An average toddler can only be expected to pick up about two dozen objects without becoming frustrated. Attainable goals feel good for everyone and encourage growth.
  3. Banish the “toy box.” Although it might seem like one big box for all the toys would make cleanup easier, it can actually set kids up for failure. The most exciting thing any toddler can do with a big box of anything is dump it all out. This can create a mess too big for toddlers. If your child likes to dump things out, encourage them to dump out just one set, like blocks. Putting them back in the box can be great fun!
  4. Establish guidelines for play. In our daycare, it works for the children to play with one ‘ set’  at a time in a specific area. Far from being limiting, this inspires the children to get the most out of each material. The expectation to clean up independently before moving on takes absolute consistency from caregivers, but once the routine is established, it allows the children freedom to choose, offers caregivers opportunity for positive feedback, and reduces ‘ empty’ time that can lead to dangerous boredom.
  5. ‘ Off Limits Until…’  We have toys that are just for afternoon play. This encourages delayed gratification and self-control, and gives them something to look forward to! Consider offering particular toys only during the ‘ witching hour’ or while you’ re making dinner.

Making just these 5 changes will restore balance to your home and create a space where the whole family can thrive and play in harmony.

Rachel Ivey is a mother, owner and operator of Room To Grow Childcare and researcher of all things home and child. For tips, and advice on thriving with children, please feel free to contact roomtogrowportland@gmail.com. 

The Alberta District and its bungalow grocery

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Web Manager Posted in Concordia News, History

First of three parts: Understanding the neighborhood’s early beginnings

By Doug Decker

This is the first of a three-part series about the early days of the Alberta business district, written by Northeast Portland neighborhood historian Doug Decker. To read more of Doug’s research and writing—or to read the full text of the early news stories mentioned here—visit his blog: www.alamedahistory.org

We’ve come across a fascinating property in the Alberta Arts District, formally known as the Elberta Addition (that’s not a typo, that’s an actual plat name). It’s a bungalow grocery store and home we’ve researched on the northwest corner of NE 27th Avenue and Going Street. Built by Irish immigrants and operated for several generations, the building eventually ran out of retail energy in the 1960s when it became a church and then an artist’s studio before nearly collapsing from years of deferred maintenance and decline. We’re eager to share the fascinating story of this sweet little building—which has been lovingly restored—and in Part 2 in the next edition of Concordia News, an incredible photograph from the pinnacle of the store’s retail life.

A little context

But first, we have to provide some context about the area that today might like to be known more for its hipness than the complex currents of change underway, though both are present in ample quantities.

To be clear, the geography of the area in mind actually holds three of today’s neighborhood associations: King, Vernon and Concordia, and the business district known as Alberta Arts (which technically resides mostly within the Concordia neighborhood: think MLK to NE 33rd and Alberta to Killingsworth). But back in 1909, this area was a muddy, brushy flat that existed outside the city limits and beyond what Portlanders thought of as their city.

If you lived up here in 1909, you were probably either a dairyman or the advance guard of development, and you could see the city creeping your direction. After the Lewis and Clark Exposition, Portland was booming with new residents and new construction, and hungry for relatively close-in developable land.

Change at the turn-of-the century

Here’s a hopeful word picture from H.D. Wagnon, secretary of the Alberta Improvement Association, about how much change took place at the turn of the century.

“From five to seven years ago a man on horseback had to make a wide detour through fir and hazel thickets to pass through what is known as the Alberta district in the northeastern section of Portland, but it is now a great residence and business district and a center, with nearly 40 stores and 10,000 people. In the old days the few people in the Alberta district waded through mud and threaded thickets to their modest homes built on lots that were selling from $20 to $40 each.

“One handicap for the district is that part of Alberta street was laid out too narrow, but proceedings have been started in the City Council for the widening of the street, and all new buildings have been set back to conform to the new line. The street railroad company has promised that when the street has been widened it will lay a double track and make further improvements over the present schedule of 21 minutes to the west side.”
-From The Oregonian, January 9, 1910

If you opened up the real estate section from any Sunday edition of The Oregonian during these early days you’d find a flurry of advertisements for Alberta’s desirable lots. The new streetcar provided access, the lots were affordable compared to other new subdivisions elsewhere in town, money was relatively available to loan during the rising economy of 1910, and people were flocking to the area.

Alberta District Grows Detail

Of course, this caused its own problems, documented a few months later in the June 26, 1910 edition of The Oregonian:

Alberta citizens demand school

And by the end of 1910, Alberta was becoming so populated, that neighbors were demanding the city build a school. The problem of education infrastructure lagging behind neighborhood development was a trend across the eastside, which was successfully raised and driven by active and engaged parents (particularly moms). One might think this equation would be clear enough for neighborhood developers (homes + kids = need for schools), but their focus was on business and the sales of lots represented profit while the construction of school buildings represented only cost. During those early years, Secretary Wagnon, a promoter through-and-through, preferred to focus on the immediate positives:

“One cannot get beyond the sound of the hammer or the sight of piles of lumber in this district.”

We like that sound-picture and can absolutely imagine what it must have been like on a weekday morning, closing your eyes anywhere along Alberta and hearing hammering and construction in every direction. That little detail tells its own story.

Market fairs spring up

Alberta Market Opens From the Oregonian, June 26, 1914

Against this backdrop of growth and growing pains, local residents started some new traditions with unintentional echoes in the life of the district today. Market fairs for produce and hand-made products were springing up mostly as a matter of necessity for local residents.

The open-air markets were a temporary fixture, but steady retail was shoring up its presence in the district. That’s where our bungalow grocery story will begin in Part 2: construction of a store connected to a house at the northwest corner of NE 27th and Going, right in the heart of the construction boom.

Next up: In Part 2, 105 years ago, an older Irish couple moves to the neighborhood and opens a men’s clothing shop, which quickly becomes a neighborhood grocery.

GO42 Open House – April 7, 6-8pm

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Web Manager Posted in Events, Local Businesses

GO42 Open House - April 7, 6-8pm. Meet the new business owners of 5128-5140 NE 42nd Ave

42nd Avenue Business Breakfast

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Web Manager Posted in Archive, Events, Local Businesses

business-breakfastHosted by: Roses Ice Cream
5011 NE 42nd Ave.
Friday March 25
9-10:30am

Featuring Local State Representative Lew Frederick.

Agenda includes:

  • Legislative Session Update
  • Local Networking
  • Pancake Breakfast

Please RSVP via phone (971.361.9923) or email.

Industrial real estate market report

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Web Manager Posted in Concordia News, Land Use & Transportation

Last month I provided a review of the current Retail real estate market where many of us look for a sign of economic vitality. This month I want to provide a window into the local Industrial real estate market. Industrial real estate typically follows Retail by 6 months while it adjusts to demands for manufacturing activity or supply- chain inventories. It shows what industry is anticipating in terms of public demand.

We have been seeing high demand and low vacancy rates develop over the last 3 years and particularly a spike in pricing over the last 12 months due in part to an uncertain political landscape, concerns over global economies and OPEC Oil pricing. But by and large, the U.S. has been doing well and appears to be on a solid footing for now. I believe the Industrial real estate market in Portland will continue to remain stable through the remainder of the year. We will have a much better idea of what to expect when we know who will be sitting in the White House and what happens to oil prices. We are in a good place at this point and perhaps the only area of concern might be the shortage of availability.

The following is a brief review of where we stand at the moment:

  • Total Industrial inventory in the Greater Portland Metro Area amounted to 201,072,105 square feet in 6,055 buildings at the end of the Fourth Quarter 2015. The Flex sector consisted of 20,971,087 square feet in 810 projects.
  • The Warehouse sector comprised 180,101,018 square feet in 5,245 buildings. 471 owner-occupied buildings accounted for 35,424,077 square feet of Industrial space.
  • The Average 2015 Portland Industrial market ended 2015 with a vacancy rate of 4.8% and rental rates ended the fourth quarter at $7.09 per square foot per year ($0.59sf/mo.).

A closer look at the industrial market is represented by Airport Way and Columbia Corridor properties:

Warehouse Market Statistics
Airport Way vacancy stands at 1.3% with rental rates quoted at $6.33/yr. ($0.527/sf/mo.)
East Columbia Corridor vacancy is 6.3% with rental rates quoted at $6.70/sf/yr. ($0.558/sf/mo.)

Flex Submarket Statistics
Airport Way vacancy is at 10.5% with rental rates quoted at $11.17/sf/yr. ($0.93/sf/mo.)
East Columbia Corridor vacancy is 5.8% with rental rates quoted at $14.18/sf/yr. ($1.18/sf/mo.)

Sales Activity
The average price per square foot equated to $72.83 per square foot. Cap rates were lower in 2015, averaging 6.68% compared to the previous year when they averaged 7.09%. However, to put this in perspective, a modern 20,000 sq. ft. general- purpose warehouse building will fetch closer to $110/sf compared to $85/sf in 2008.

For additional information please call Isaac Quintero, Principal Broker Magellan Properties, llc at 503 351 4585.

Comprehensive Plan Proposed Zoning – Neighborhood Discussion Drop-In Hours

Posted on March 13, 2016 by Web Manager Posted in Archive, CNA, Events, Land Use & Transportation

Concordia_CompPlan_Map_11-18-15

Nan Stark, City Planner / NE District Liaison for the Bureau of Planning Services (BPS), will be in the McMennamins Kennedy School Community Room from 4:30 – 6:45 pm on Wednesday March 16th to talk with Concordia property owners who received Measure 56 proposed R5 to R2.5 zone change notices.

She will also be available to talk about the status of the Comprehensive Plan Update and related topics. Her contact info is:

503-823-3986
nan.stark@portlandoregon.gov
www.portlandoregon.gov/bps

These proposed changes will also be discussed during the monthly CNA Land Use & Transportation Committee (LUTC) meeting that follows from 7 – 9 pm.

Click here to join the LUTC notification list.

cna comp.plan comprehensive plan Land Use & Livability lutc R2.5 R5 zoning

Land use attorney opens doors in Fox Chase area

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Web Manager Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses

By Susan Trabucco, CNA Media Team

Spencer Parsons
Spencer Q. Parsons, an attorney who specializes in land use and other government-related law, recently opened his legal practice in Concordia’s Fox Chase area. Photo by Susan Trabucco

Stepping in the door to land use attorney Spencer Q. Parsons’ office, one gets a decidedly different vibe than that of most law offices. No dark-paneled wood or receptionist counter barring the way to casual entry here. Instead, visitors to this recently opened law office will find a smiling Parsons jumping up to greet them from within a light and airy office finished in mostly subdued and soft tones. From the washed concrete floors, natural-wood window and door trim and creamy walls to the surprising blast of candy-apple green drapes framing the many large windows, the overall effect creates an atmosphere of approachability.

A Portlander of 23 years, Parsons is a Concordia resident who lives with his family near NE 31st and Ainsworth.  His office is only a few blocks away in the Fox Chase business district of the Concordia neighborhood, located on the bottom floor of a vintage brick building that had been condo-ized for sale. His wife, Maria Los, owns the retail vintage clothing shop, Half Pint. By 2014, Half Pint outgrew the space, and Los moved the operation to North Mississippi Avenue, leaving the spot available for Parsons.  Two years of remodeling work done largely by Parsons, and the space was ready for the debut of his private practice last month.

Parsons earned his undergraduate and law degrees from University of Oregon. After graduating from law school he began practicing at the Portland firm of Beery, Elsner & Hammond and worked with many local governments, including Happy Valley, North Plains, Fairview, Hillsboro and others.  Much of this work involved land use issues. Parsons then worked as Assistant County Counsel for Columbia County, providing legal counsel to the county’s Board of Commissioners; Planning Commission; Land Use and Planning Department; Forest, Parks and Recreation Department; Road Department; and the Office of  Animal Control.

Now on his own, Parsons’ primary practice area is real estate and land use law. He works to help clients understand existing land use law – how they can – or can’t – legally address a perceived problem, and how to interpret land use law for a desired project.

“People will say they don’t like what they are seeing happen in their neighborhood, but they don’t know what, if anything they can do about it,” said Parsons.Parsons sees himself as a kind of “translator” and a liaison for clients who have to navigate a complex land use process. “I think of myself as a peace-maker. I advise my clients to tell government staff to drop the jargon and talk to them like they are an eight-year-old,” said Parsons. “My hope is to focus on the nexus between the law and land use.”

Parsons’ secondary law emphasis is working on behalf of clients who have the need to address government in any matter.

“If someone has to go before city or state government, it can be intimidating; my aim is to inform and get people through the process.”

On the government side, he might provide assistance with applications for small business contractors, the public contracting process, city permit requirements, or even barking dog problems.

Find Parsons at his office located at 5400 NE 30th Ave., Suite 106. For more information call (971) 279-2018 or visit his website, www.SQPLaw.com.

Susan Trabucco is a business communications consultant. She lives in the Beaumont Wilshire neighborhood, just a few steps from Concordia. Reach her by emailing susan@trabucco.biz or call (503) 440-7732.  

CNA Board & General Meeting – March 8th, 6pm

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Web Manager Posted in CNA, Events

The board of directors of Concordia Neighborhood Association will meet at 6pm on March 8th at McMenamin’s Kennedy School Community Room. The board meeting will be followed immediately at 7pm by a meeting of the general membership. The draft agendas for both meetings are below.

BOARD MEETING – 6pm

6:00 – 6:05pm Roll Call, Establish Quorum

6:05 – 6:10pm CONSENT AGENDA Approval/Amend Prior Board Meetings Minutes

6:11 – 6:15pm Treasurer’s Report

6:16 – 6:28pm Public Comment (limited to 3 min per speaker)
6:29 – 6:40pm Old Business

  1. Mark Charlesworth end of board term
  2. Policies and Proceedures Committee Folow-up
  3. Egg Hunt Status
  4. Yard Sale Event

6:41 – 7pm New Business

  1. Recruitment of Board Member to fill vacant seats
  2. Resignation from Concordia News Mary Wiley and update by Susan Trabucco
  3. Request to modify good neighbor agreement by Lorna Fast Buffalo Horse, Principal, Alliance High School
  4. Policy regarding those seeking public office campaigning at CNA meeting

Following may have to occur during general meeting

Community and Committee Reports (Each Committee to please provide written Summary for each board member, prefer report submitted prior to meeting with discussion reserved for meeting)
1. Media Committee 2. Land Use Committee 3. Social Committee
4. Clean-Up Committee 5. Roles & responsibilities Committee 6. Policies and Procedures Committee

 

GENERAL MEETING – 7pm

  1. Status of Mayors Homeless Campsites
  2. Air Quality issues (Bulls Eye Glass etc.)
  3. Building the Concordia News
  4. Radon issues
  5. City of Portland NET Update and Tools for Survival
  6. Update on Planning Social Committee Spring Social Events:
    a) Egg Hunt
    b) Community Clean-up/Recycle Event.
    c) Board member vacancy

CNA Land Use Update

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Web Manager Posted in Concordia News, Land Use & Transportation 1 Comment

By Garlynn Woodsong, Chair, CNA Land Use & Transportation Committee

The CNA Land Use & Transportation Committee (LUTC) is making a number of improvements. The Board approved the first LUTC Charter providing clear guidance on its policies, responsibilities, processes, and operations. They also ratified an initial slate of Members: Ben Earle, Steve Elder, Sam Farber-Kaiser, Ken Forcier, Jeff Hilber, Ali Novak, Kirk Paulsen, and Garlynn Woodsong. Up to nine are allowed and we hope to fill the open position soon.

The LUTC is also excited to work with the new CNA web team to soon start posting meeting information and related resources on the revived site.

Portland’s Comprehensive Plan is moving into concluding phases, with a final City Council Public Hearing on April 14th, followed by voting sessions April 28th, May 25th, and June 15th. The Planning & Sustainability Commission (PSC) will hold Hearings on the Transportation System Plan May 8th and the Employment, Campus Institutional, and Mixed Use Zoning Projects and the Residential & Open Space Zoning Map May 10.

Nan Stark, NE District Liaison for the Bureau of Planning Services (BPS), will be in the Kennedy School Community Room 4:30 – 6:45pm on Wednesday March 16th to talk with Concordia property owners who received Measure 56 proposed R5 to R2.5 zoning change notices and to anyone wanting to discuss the Comp Plan Update.

The Residential Infill Project also progresses. The Stakeholder Advisory Committee (RIPSAC) I serve on representing CNA and the NE Coalition of Neighborhoods (NECN) recently held an extensive two-part design review discussion addressing building scale, narrow lot development, and alternative housing options. The RIP Online Survey Report is due as I write this, so look for the results in the April CNA Newsletter.

The  20s  Bikeway  Project  is  slated to  begin  construction later  this  year.  Unfortunately  it  won’t  include the improvements to protect the bicycle greenway from expected cut-through traffic likely from stop sign removal along the route that affected neighborhoods were promised. The Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) reversed their decision becausethe last formal traffic count from 2009 did not show a high enough level of traffic to qualify for traffic diversion per the Greenways Report adopted by City Council last August.

In addition to a couple of important new residential and mixed use development projects covered in other articles, your LUTC is also working on major arterial speed limit reductions, Concordia University related parking concerns, bicycle safety improvements on N. Portland Highway, and next steps in the Alley Improvement Project process.

Concordia residents are always welcome at CNA LUTC Meetings, 7pm every third Wednesday in the Community Room in the SE corner of McMenamins Kennedy School. Click here to join the LUTC notification list.

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