Concordia Neighborhood Association | Portland, Oregon

Author Archives: Web Manager

CNews Update – Grove info, tour are on tap

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News
Eleven local organizations are asking builders to avoid harming the International Grove while reconstructing the 42nd Avenue Lombard overpass. Representing three of those organizations are (left to right) Angelique Saxton, Native American Youth and Family Center; Bruce Nelson, Cully Tree Team; and Barbara Wharton, Concordia Tree Team. Photo by Chris Baker

Local tree advocates met recently with city representatives to discuss how to protect and preserve the International Grove. A report on that meeting is at ConcordiaPDX.org/pbot-grove-trees. To learn more about the challenges to the 10-year-old grove and to tour it, meet Saturday, Oct. 2, at 10 a.m. at Holman Street and 41st Avenue.

Note the date change from what was announced in CNews at ConcordiaPDX.org/2021/09/tree-teams-celebrate-groves-10th and ConcordiaPDX.org/2021/09/advocates-rally-to-preserve-grove.

News from the NET – PublicAlerts system offers best disaster info

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

In the case of an emergency such as flooding or forest fires, it’s important to have accurate information about the situation, including information about when to evacuate.

In the past, government agencies used tools such as radio, television and automated calls to landlines to reach households. These days, those methods are less reliable to reach many people.

Luckily, in the Portland area, the PublicAlerts system allows individuals to receive these types of notification through text, email or calls to cell phones.

Although landlines are automatically registered to public alert notifications, cell phone users must sign up at PublicAlerts.org. The service is available in 11 languages, and it has an additional feature that allows people to identify if they have special needs that might require assistance during a disaster or evacuation.

Supplying this information ahead of time allows emergency responders to deploy resources and personnel more efficiently.

PublicAlerts is likely to distribute the most accurate, location-specific information quickly. However, if cell phone networks are not working during or after a disaster, local radio and television intend to broadcast the most accurate information.

Pay attention to official announcements from official sources such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management.

In a major disaster like a Cascadia earthquake, the damage to power lines and cell phone towers makes it difficult to access information through television or the internet.

Each emergency kit should have a radio tuned to emergency frequencies in case the disaster is widespread enough to prevent other news from getting through. Make sure you have extra batteries for your radio if it doesn’t have a hand-crank for power.

Know where your nearest Basic Earthquake Emergency Communication Node (BEECN) is, since this is a place to get information if other sources are unavailable. For most Concordians, that’s in Alberta Park, but check for information on other nearby ones at PortlandOregon.gov/pbem/article/483656.

Planning how to get reliable information can save lives.

Erin E. Cooper is a marine biologist living in Woodlawn. She spends a lot of time thinking about disasters and has been a NET member for many years. Contact her at OceanListener@gmail. com.

Volunteer organization fights food insecurity

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Trees, Volunteer Opportunities
Kris Balliet, Concordia resident, chairs the board of directors of the Portland Fruit Tree Project. The pandemic has put a spotlight on how many people need fresh food, so the nonprofit has increased its efforts to harvest the bounty of Portland residents’ back yards. Photo by Michael French

A local grassroots organization is fighting food insecurity with fresh food. The Portland Fruit Tree Project, a community-based urban food recovery project, works with homeowners, orchards and partner organizations to glean and distribute unused fruit.

Food insecurity is up in Oregon. Nearly 25% of households in the state experienced food insecurity in 2020, up from 10% in 2019. Households of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) are especially hard hit, according to a study by Oregon State University.

“There is no reason people should go without good food, especially when it is growing and dropping on the sidewalk,” said Kris Balliet, board of directors chair for the Portland Fruit Tree Project. She is a Concordia resident and the organization’s business office is located in nearby Leaven Community.

“We get there before fruit starts getting bad, gather it and put it into a system that gets it to people experiencing food insecurity.”

To distribute the food, the project works with community organizations, such as Black Mental Health Oregon, Hollywood Senior Center, Friends of Trees, Mudbone Grown’s CSA program, Davis Elementary School and other schools in diverse and low-income neighborhoods.

Kris said the organization, founded in 2006, struggled with finances prior to the outbreak of COVID-19. Since then, it’s turned a corner fueled by strong community support, ongoing demand for services and the hiring last year of director Heather Keisler Fornes.

“The pandemic illuminated how many people need fresh food, and how great the need is. Our expansion has been remarkable over the course of the last year,” Kris said. “We wanted to make sure that fruit was not going to waste, and kids were not going without fruit, even during a lockdown.”

Lately, increased donations are funding new programs.

The organization recently established a new BIPOC work training program in partnership with The Blueprint Foundation, a Black-led green workforce development nonprofit. The program aims to raise wage opportunities for youth and established workers in landscaping or other lower-wage work.

A new service helps property owners care for home orchards. Coaching helps do-it-yourself owners to better care for their trees. A full-service care programs offers comprehensive maintenance for fruiting trees, vines and shrubs.

“We invite everyone in the Portland metro area, and particularly the inner northeast, to participate,” Kris said.

Homeowners can participate by harvesting their own fruit or requesting volunteer help.

The project also welcomes cash donations, in-kind gifts and volunteers to harvest trees or offer skills like legal, grant writing or accounting services. For more information, visit PortlandFruit.org.

Michael French is grateful to live on 28th Avenue in Concordia, a place where neighbors talk to each other and he can get most places on foot, by bike or transit. Contact him at MFrench96@gmail.com.

Urbanism – Neighborhood has essentially no tree code

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Trees

Often, when homes in Concordia are demolished – to be replaced with new, larger homes – any existing mature trees on the site are also removed.

This practice can remove habitat for birds and animals, as well as remove the shading, cooling and air quality services trees provide to help mitigate the urban heat island effect.

But doesn’t Portland have an adopted city tree code that implements the Portland Urban Forest Plan and protects the beloved trees of our neighborhood?

According to research provided by neighbor Jordana Leeb, yes. And no.

Unfortunately, the current tree code exempts sites of under 5,000 square feet in size from tree preservation requirements when undergoing development.

What this means effectively is almost none of Concordia west of 33rd Avenue is subject to the Portland Tree Code:

  • Parcels south of Killingsworth Street tend to have an average lot size of 4,000-5,000.
  • Parcels north of Killingsworth sit on historically platted lots that are only 2,500 square feet.
  • Even east of 33rd many parcels are – or can be – subdivided into lots of 5,000 square feet or less.

For sites over 5,000 square feet, onethird of all on-site trees over 12 inches in diameter are to be preserved, but applicants can choose to pay fees in lieu of preservation for any trees they wish to remove below this threshold.

The fee is only due, however, if the site isn’t eligible for an exemption from the tree code because a tree is:

  • Dead, dying or could be declared dangerous by an arborist
  • “Nuisance species”
  • Exempted by a land use review
  • Tree removals already approved through a land division or planned development
  • Other reasons

Indeed, Portland’s tree code seems to be doing its part to help perpetuate Portland’s nickname: Stumptown.

Data from 2018 to 2020 citywide reports over 33 trees were chopped down that were at least a foot in diameter of the trunk at the breast height of the average person. Additional were uncounted trees with smaller diameter trunks.

The Portland Urban Forest Management Plan lacks any sort of quantitative goals to achieve in terms of tree canopy coverage, urban heat island mitigation or even tree planting.

Plans without goals are easier to achieve, which perhaps explains why this plan, policy and code do very little to actually preserve the trees of Concordia from being cut down during development.

According to the Portland Urban Forest Action Plan of 2020, 30.7% of the city is covered currently by tree canopy, up from 26% in 2002.

The plan does not state a goal for future tree canopy coverage; however, other cities have adopted goals. Nearby Milwaukie has a goal of increasing its tree canopy to 40% by 2040. Farther away, a tree canopy already covers 40% of Pittsburgh, which is still seeking to protect and expand tree coverage beyond that.

Garlynn Woodsong lives on 29th Avenue, serves on the CNA board and is an avid bicyclist. He also is a dad who is passionate about the city his son will inherit. He is the planning + development partner with Cascadia Partners LLC, a local urban planning firm. Contact him at LandUse@ConcordiaPDX.org.

CNA LUTC Meeting, Wed., Sept 15th, 2021: Draft Agenda

Posted on by Posted in Land Use & Transportation
Here’s the draft agenda for the CNA LUTC meeting this coming week.
We’ll have Brandon Spencer-Hartle, with the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, join us to discuss the Historic Resources Code project.
For those with an interest in preserving the century-plus old buildings in our neighborhood that define the character for its built environment, this is a good meeting to attend and give feedback at!
After a summer hiatus, we’re returning all-virtual, not as person as we hoped, thanks to the Delta variant and the other factors you all already are well aware of.
You can join the meeting here:
Web:

Phone:
316-512-3077
PIN:
417604919#
One-touch:
316-512-3077, 417604919#
Looking forward to seeing you then!
cheers,
~Garlynn

From the Board – Save the Trees

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

Hey neighbors, this month’s CNews is all about trees, which is a topic near to my heart and likely most of yours. For the upcoming quarterly CNA General Membership meeting – Wednesday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m. – we’ll continue the conversation with local tree experts. I hope you can join us. Virtually.

Which leads me to my next announcement. We’ll be meeting virtually in September for both the CNA board and general membership meetings. We were looking forward to meeting in person once again, but due to the uptick in Covid 19 cases we’ll have to wait a bit longer.

The board didn’t meet in August, but we accomplished a few things nonetheless. We joined 10 organizations in endorsing a letter to city and state agencies asking them to preserve the International Grove at 42nd Avenue and Lombard Streets during the planned construction of the new overpass. Portland Bureau of Transportation responded, and there is a planned meeting to discuss the issue.

In addition, the letter the CNA board wrote to the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) regarding the sale of Concordia University resulted in an opportunity for CNA to meet with LCEF. We look forward to a productive conversation where we’ll express the neighborhood’s desires for the property. (See letter at ConcordiaPDX.org/cusale.)

Getting back to the topic of trees, this year’s extreme heat has likely been harder on our trees than any year on record. As I write, we’re in the midst of another heat wave…

It’s sad to experience this and it’s easy to feel powerless, but there are things we can do. For example, the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) offers a one-time water/sewer rebate for planting a tree, and another program will plant trees on your property at affordable, sliding scale prices. Visit PortlandOregon.gov/bes/63490 for details on those programs.

In a similar BES program, I signed up and received three ponderosa pines in 2014. These trees are now six years older and, because they are more drought tolerant, they were OK in the heat.

We need to do everything we can to preserve the trees we have and continue to plant more. Find sign-on information for the CNA General Membership Meeting at ConcordiaPDX.org/CNAMeetings. And join us Sept. 1 to hear from local experts about what you can do!

Native Portlander Peter Keller has lived in Concordia since 1997. He runs a small marketing agency with partner Max, out of their home studio. He loves exploring outdoors with and without his dogs.

Urbanism – What placements might be best for ACUs?

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Land Use & Transportation

Last month, I introduced the concept of accessory commer–cial units (ACUs) that redress the historical wrongs that created economic exclusion by enacting racial segregation.

ACUs create new destinations within our neighborhoods and enhance walkability.

What forms might accessory dwelling units (ADUs) take as infill within an existing neighborhood such as ours? A traditional building form sometimes found within the front setback in our neighborhood is a carriage house, with a residence above a garage on the ground floor.

A twist on an ACU could see one placed on the ground floor facing the sidewalk, with an ADU on the second floor. This arrangement could also work in an alley.

This sort of gentle infill could help to build neighborhood intensity without significantly changing neighborhood character. It could build the local demand for services, such as retail and transit, that do better when there are more customers within a short walking distance.

When considering where ACUs might be appropriate, there are at least four different potential regulatory paradigm concepts worth considering:

  1. Along all frontages facing bicycle boulevards/greenways
  2. Only at new village center nodes, such as selected intersections along family-safe bicycle facilities
  3. At intersections
  4. Everywhere, on any properties, for any reasons, as long as they face a sidewalk or internal courtyard accessible by pathways from the sidewalk that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Concept 1 would deliver on the original vision, to give bicyclists the option to choose local retail by bicycle, since it appears that our main streets aren’t going to be made family-bicycle-friendly, anytime soon.

However, by allowing ACUs on greenways everywhere, there would be potentially greater conflicts with neighbors interested in a strictly residential character for the street they bought into.

Concept 2 concentrates ACUs within smaller, more defined areas, minimizing the potential of conflict with neighbors. From an equity perspective, however, it would be the least equitable, as the least number of property owners would have the opportunity to provide and benefit from revenues of ACUs.

Concept 3 spreads the opportunity for revenue, lowers the barrier to opening a new business and increases access to the lowest rungs on the economic ladder to those who need it most. Those include populations victimized historically by racism, sexism and other forms of oppression. By allowing ACUs on any properties – or perhaps any served by ADA-compliant sidewalk networks – ACUs could come to areas where residents may have moved to find life in peaceful, quiet neighborhoods.

Neighbor concerns could be addressed through regulations that use ambient standards to deal with noise, odors, traffic and other potentially-noxious impacts – or by addressing the impacts rather than by establishing use regulations.

It’s up to each community to engage in dialogue over these three paradigms and choose the one that resonates most with community members participating in the public process.

Editor’s note: Garlynn’s first install–ment about ACUs was published in July at ConcordiaPDX.org/2021/07/urbanism-acus-could-make-shopping-by-bike-more-safe. In a future CNews, he’ll dive deeper into questions of commercial space affordability and a discussion of the potential benefits to neighbors from ACUs.

Garlynn Woodsong lives on 29th Avenue, serves on the CNA board and is an avid bicyclist. He also is a dad who is passionate about the city his son will inherit. He is the planning + development partner with Cascadia Partners LLC, a local urban planning firm. Contact him at LandUse@ConcordiaPDX.org.

From the Board – See you in person ,come September

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

Now that the COVID-19 restrictions have mostly been lifted and we’ve endured a once-in-millennia heat wave, the CNA board voted to take the month of August off. In practice, this just means we won’t meet in August. I’m hoping the rest of our summer is less eventful and crossing my fingers that fire season isn’t as bad as recent years.

The great news is that the McMenamins Kennedy School Community Room will re-open Aug. 1. On Sept. 1, the board will meet in person there, barring any changes to state or city regulations. Out of respect for neighbors and regular board meeting attendees, we’ll adhere to the following rules:

Those who’ve been vaccinated may attend meetings without masks but must offer proof of vaccination.
Those who’ve not been vaccinated must wear masks at all times during the meetings and must socially distance.
We’ll continue to offer video/phone dial-in options so attendees can join remotely.

To earn our time off in August, we had a very productive meeting in July. We discussed the recent sale of Concordia University to the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF). The fate of the property is still unknown, as it may be in legal limbo for some time. However, now that there is a new owner, the CNA board will lobby LCEF with the neighborhood’s desires as expressed in our recent poll results.

We heard from the Concordia Tree Team’s Jim Gersbach and others who are asking for our assistance to help preserve the International Grove of trees that were planted 10 years ago at the intersection of 42nd and Lombard.

The grove is in danger of being damaged or removed during planned reconstruction of the Lombard overpass. The CNA board will lobby Portland Bureau of Transportation and Oregon Department of Transportation representatives to preserve the grove from harm during construction.

We also made progress on the staffing front. I’m excited to announce that Javier Puga-Phillips was appointed by the CNA board to the position for At Large 4, recently vacated by Sonia Fornoni. In addition, Javier will serve as CNA Social Committee chair and manage McMenamins Kennedy School Community Room. Go Javier!

In addition, Micah McNelly has volunteered for the CNA IT position. Thank you Micah! We are very happy to have you aboard.

Finally, I want to announce that we are hiring for the paid position of recording secretary. Please see the ad below for this position and reach out to me directly to apply.

Hope you all enjoy the rest of the summer!

CNA Seeks Recording SecretaryThe Concordia Neighborhood Association is hiring a recording secretary to record and transcribe minutes of board, general and land use meetings held at McMenamins Kennedy School or virtually.

The contract position pays $35/hour for meetings and time spent preparing and publishing minutes online. Hours are about 5-7 per month.

  • Directors meetings: usually 7 p.m. 1st Wednesday each month
  • General meetings: quarterly, 7 p.m. 1st Wednesday of the month
  • Land use meetings: 7 p.m. 3rd Wednesday each month

The position requires good writing, transcription and document preparation skills. Availability and dependability are a must! Residence in Concordia is not mandatory.

Interested? Contact the Chair@ConcordiaPDX.org with a resume, references and writing sample.

Native Portlander Peter Keller has lived in Concordia since 1997. He runs a small marketing agency with partner Max, out of their home studio. He loves exploring outdoors with and without his dogs. He is the current CNA Chair.

De La Salle settles into new digs in Cully

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Schools
De La Salle North Catholic High School opens its new doors next month on the St. Charles Church property near 42nd Avenue and Killingsworth Street. Construction began in July 2020 and is scheduled for completion before school opens Sept. 7. Photo courtesy of De La Salle North Catholic High School

De La Salle North Catholic High School (DLSNC) opens its new doors next month. The school relocates from its north Fenwick Avenue location – its home since 2006 – to St. Charles Church, located near the intersection of 42nd Avenue and Killingsworth Street.

DLSNC, established in 2001, is a private, four-year, college preparatory school that provides education for under–served students. According to school officials, it is Oregon’s most diverse private school.

Ninety percent of the students receive financial aid, and in 2020, 100% of its graduating seniors were accepted to colleges. All DLSNC students participate in a corporate work-study program, which offsets 75% of their tuition fees.

School officials began searching for a new home in 2016, and 40 different potential locations were evaluated prior to the move. In March 2019, a letter of intent agreement was reached with St. Charles for the school to use the church grounds for the next 50 years, with assurances for two 25-year extensions.

Last summer construction began for the new $20 million facility. A variety of private and public donors funded the school’s development with $25 million.

“We are really excited about the coming together of the De La Salle, St. Charles and Cully communities,” said Oscar Leong, DLSNC president. “It’s a true partnership, in harmony with the community.”

The new campus features state-of-the art science laboratories, a visual arts center and a new gymnasium. DLSNC’s girls and boys volleyball and basketball teams have traveled off campus historically for practices and games. Since 2018, all three teams have been very competitive, and the boys team won the 3A State Championship in 2018 and 2019.

The new facility will also allow for increased enrollment, from 280 to 350 students when autumn term begins Tuesday, Sept. 7.

Applications for the coming school year are still being accepted. For details, call 503.285.9385.

Dan Werle lives in Concordia with his wife, Anna, and their dogs.

Teacher named among top three

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Schools
It’s casual days of summer for Woodlawn School teacher Lionel Clegg. He’s still celebrating his recent selection as one of three Oregon teachers of the year. He was nominated by a former student. Photo by Chris Baker

“People may call me strict. But, I always say I am ‘firm but fair,’” said Woodlawn School 1st grade teacher Lionel Clegg.

He was selected by OnPoint Community Credit Union as Educator of the Year for elementary school teachers. Along with bragging rights, the honor pays his mortgage for an entire year. “

In class, I ham around. The kids know when we can joke and have fun, but they also know when I am serious and need them to be more attentive.”

But it goes much deeper than that.

“I believe that we, as adults, often hinder our kids’ potential because we fail to see all that they are capable of doing,” Lionel explained. “As an educator, I take that task to heart and strive to get my kids to recognize their true potential.

“I have always been in the primary grades because I pride myself in starting the kids off with a strong foundation,” Lionel said.

Fiona, now a 5th grader, nominated Lionel with the help of her parents. She was his student four years ago. “I think he was good as my teacher for 1st grade because he really set me up for success,” Fiona said.

Lionel has spent 23 years as a teacher at Woodlawn. He’s actually an alumnus of the school and, while he was an undergrad at Portland State University, he volunteered at Woodlawn in his nephew’s classes.

As soon as Lionel received his masters’ degree, Woodlawn principal at the time, Linda Harris, advised him to apply for a third grade position there.

Mrs. Manyongai-Jones, his fourth grade teacher, is one of the chief reasons he became an educator, according to Lionel. “She was the first teacher of color I had, and she really taught me to have a sense of pride about being an African American.

“My sixth grade teacher at Whitaker Middle School, Mr. Williams, gave me that first conversation about having to go above and beyond since I was a young African American man,” he added.

“One of my favorite books to share with my students is an old classic by Shel Silverstein called ‘The Giving Tree.’”

The story is simple, but drives home the act of giving one’s self to another in a relationship.

“This book is about unconditional love,” Lionel pointed out. “After reading the book, I always have a conversation with my students about who this tree reminds them of in their lives.

“It really is a great talk every time I share this with the kids.”

Tamara Anne Fowler is Edit Kitten, a writer with 20-plus years of experience offering a softer, gentler approach to editing and coaching. Her personal editors – Armani, Max Factor and Spicey’D – are also her cats. Visit her at EditKitten.comor contact her at Tamara@EditKitten.com