Concordia Neighborhood Association | Portland, Oregon

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Ideas for Fun Outings via Public Transit

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

By Megan Cecil-Gobble | Contributing Writer

Grandfather and grandson on their transit adventure to the zoo, photo Megan Cecil-Gobble

Looking for a novel and inexpensive way to entertain the kids and save on fossil fuels? Want to see holiday lights and hear spiritual music along with getting some exercise? These adventures can be done by riding our area TriMet buses, MAX trains, and Portland Streetcars. Read on.

Family Adventure by #70 Bus and MAX Train

Getting your family to the Oregon Zoo in Washington Park is a bus ride followed by a train ride and it takes about an hour and 15 minutes from Concordia. There are lots of sights to see along the way. Catch the southbound #70 bus along NE 33rd. Get off the bus at Lloyd Center (NE 11th and NE Multnomah) and walk south to catch the red or blue line trains towards Beaverton or Hillsboro. Get off at the underground Washington Park station. Take the elevator up to the surface and walk to the zoo. Don’t forget to purchase tickets ahead of time online at OregonZoo.org.

You could also opt to hike part of the well-marked Wildwood Trail which starts north of the elevators. There’s even a part of it that is OK for strollers and wheelchairs. All buses and trains are equipped to carry them–and you. Other

Local Adventures Using Buses #17, #72 and #8 Bus

#17 runs along NE 27th and gets you to Downtown Portland for shopping or fairs, to the Convention Center for craft or car shows, or to see Fireworks on the 4th or Christmas Ships in December at Trillium Crossing.

Bus #72 is a commuter bus, but also gets you where you want to go for the sights. Around the holidays, The Grotto’s light and musical entertainment is a few blocks from the bus stop at NE 82nd and Sandy. The #72 bus goes to Clackamas Town Center, but a faster way to get there is switching to the yellow line MAX train going east at the NE 82nd and I-84 MAX Station. Catch the #72 on its route along Alberta to NE 30th, then Killingsworth past 42nd toward 82nd.

Bus #8 runs along NE 15th and runs by Lloyd Center, through downtown, and up to Pill Hill (OHSU, VA hospitals). For a round trip from OHSU, hike or bike across the Tilikum bridge, catch the streetcar back downtown, catch the Max back to Lloyd Center & take #8 or #17 back to Concordia.

Out Beyond the Neighborhood

Because my family is experienced taking the bus around Portland, we enjoy riding local buses wherever we go on vacation. It is a great way to see sights, meet people, and save money and carbon dioxide. Once you’ve practiced transit skills around our neighborhood, you too will be able to travel the world.

Be seeing you–by bus, by bike, or by legs.

Megan is the SW2 rep and a retired nurse/engineer. She travels, bikes, hikes, and swims along with her local multigenerational family. Stay active, be healthy.

The Benefits of Community Gardening

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Gardening

By Kepper Petzig | Contributing Writer

Maria Cummings tending her tomatoes, Photo by Kepper Petzing

Have Your Own Garden

Have you ever thought that tomatoes and strawberries from the store don’t have the flavor you crave? Do you love making flower arrangements for family and friends? If you dream about having fresh home-grown vegetables and fruits and you enjoy getting your hands in the dirt, all this can be yours with a garden.

What? Not enough sun? Not enough space? You’d rather have roses in your yard than potatoes? A Portland Park District Community Garden may be for you.

Community Gardens

Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) operates 60 community gardens located throughout Portland. The only community garden that falls within the Concordia Neighborhood is the Kennedy Community Garden. Located on 35th Street behind McMenamins Kennedy School, the Kennedy Community Garden has .36 acres and was acquired by the city in 1999. Maps of the Kennedy Community Garden and the other Portland community gardens can be found on the PP&R website.

People interested in joining a community garden must submit a plot request form and are added to a waitlist. Since most gardens have a one or two year waiting list, it is possible to be on two garden waitlists at a time. Garden plots are assigned as they become available.

Costs and Labor Involved

There are different sized garden plots and fees are based on the size. Fees and sizes vary from $5 a year for a single ADA-accessible raised bed to $220 a year for an 800 square foot plot. 100 square foot plots are popular and cost $9 to $36 a year. There are scholarships available based on income.

In addition to the plot itself, tools and gardening materials must be purchased but gardening can be done fairly inexpensively. Many gardens provide donated compost and/or bark chips. Garden starts and seeds may be obtained from neighbors. Water is provided at no additional charge. However, most gardeners spend money on their garden for soil amendments, tools, seeds and plants.

As plants grow, weeds grow, too and gardening is work. The garden’s community plantings need care and each gardener is required to contribute 6 hours per year on community upkeep.

Learn and Share from Other Gardeners

A community garden is a chance to meet neighbors and share seeds, starts and information. Maria Cummings began gardening at Kennedy Community Garden in 2007. She loves the garden so much that last year she moved across the street.

“In case I grow too old to drive, I can still walk to my garden,” says Cummings. In addition to onions, potatoes, tomatoes, and shishito peppers, Cummings grows beans from seeds she brought from her native Brazil. She is especially proud of the dahlias she tends in the community plot. Cummings is well-known at Kennedy for helping other gardeners. If you want to know how to grow tomatoes or how to grow and braid garlic, ask Cummings.

Another Concordia resident, Will Goubert, gardens at Sumner Street Community Garden. Goubert loves community gardening.

The community garden “lets us have trees around our house and have a vegetable garden, too. I enjoy the community and the chance to interact with other gardeners,” says Goubert.

Good for the Community

Community gardens do more than just provide food for their plot owners. Some of the community gardens support a Produce for People program which provides fresh produce to food banks and pantries. Goubert describes his garden plot as “a refuge, a sanctuary for all the stress in my life.” Fall is a good time to get on a waitlist for a community garden. To learn more, visit the Portland Park District Community Garden website.

Kepper Petzing has lived in Concordia for 40 years where, with their partner Lowen, they rai sed t wo children. They are nonbinary. They love gardening and fresh food and are grateful for the community gardens.

Leaders Push for Equity in City Planning

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

By Rich Burton | LUTC Chair

In November 2024, Portlanders will vote for three representatives in each district, expanding the City Commission to 12 members. The districts are North / Northeast, East, Southeast, and West. There are three proposed maps for district boundaries and the Concordia neighborhood designation is in the North / Northeast district in all three proposals.

This is a result of Ballot Measure 26-228, which was approved in November 2022. Ballot Measure 26-228 directed the City of Portland to implement these three changes by January 1st, 2025:

  • Establish four geographic districts, with three city council members elected to represent each district, expanding the city council to a total of 12 members
  • Allow voters to rank candidates in order of preference, using ranked choice voting
  • Establish a city council that focuses on setting policy and engaging with community, transitioning day-to-day oversight of bureaus to a mayor elected citywide and a professional city administrator

The Independent District Commission (IDC); tasked with implementing these changes, has been conducting in-person meetings and collecting feedback on the district proposals.

A meeting was held on July 13th in the North / Northeast district at Self Enhancement Inc., a nonprofit aimed at serving underserved youth. At the meeting, North / Northeast Portland community leaders urged to boost engagement efforts and hear all voices to improve equity. Community leaders testified on how the districting process might impact Black Portlanders. Speakers mentioned communities of color and renters as key voices that should be heard when determining the four geographic voting districts. Renters, they said, have traditionally not had a voice on the City Commission and urged the IDC to consider access issues so engagement is truly inclusive. Watch a video of their testimony here.

Feedback gleaned from these community engagements will be used in development of the district plan. Learn more at Portland.gov/transition/districtcommission.

Rich Burton is the Chair of the Land Use and Transportation committee and serves as Member at Large #4 for the Concordia Neighborhood Association board. He is interested in building community.

Fall Happenings in Concordia Neighborhood

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Events

By Michelle Fitzgerald | Social Committee Member

Check out the neighborhood yard sale at homes across Concordia on September 16th-17th.

Welcome to the very teeny tiny beginning of fall! Just because the seasons aren’t changing doesn’t mean the social committee isn’t hard at work planning events to bring our community together.

Our next exciting event is an opportunity to meet your neighbors, check out their cool wares and pick up a few treasures at the Annual Yard Sale. This event will run for two days, on Saturday September 16th and Sunday, September 17th from 8am–3pm each day. Maps of participating houses will be made and posted to the CNA website and will also be available at each participating house.

In October, we are working on two cool things for you! First, we are looking for new ways to enjoy the decorations, haunted houses, and events celebrating Halloween in our neighborhood. Stay tuned for more information and please reach out to the Social Committee at Social@ConcordiaPDX.org if you have ideas. Second, we will also host our Candy & Goodies Giveaway at the lovely Bar Cala. Details will be announced as we get closer.

And remember, the Community Room at McMenamins Kennedy School is available to rent for your own social gatherings. The money supports CNA social activities, all of which are open to our neighbors. Book the space at ConcordiaPDX.org/community-roomrental.

These events run on team spirit and dedicated volunteers are still needed. If you have a particular interest or would like to volunteer, please let us know. Our social committee meetings are on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at various locations. Drop in, come for sweet treats or just say hello. We will change locations monthly and post reminders on our social media pages and our website.

Michelle, alongside her husband John, loves connecting with neighbors and creating opportunities to build deeper connections in our community. She is an avid quilter and loves antiques.

LUTC – What Is Residential Infill Project Zoning?

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

By Rich Burton | LUTC Committee Chair

Residents of Concordia and other inner NE neighborhoods might have noticed new construction that reflects Portland zoning changes known as Residential Infill Project (RIP). If you see two, four, six or eight-unit structures popping up where you once saw one home, that likely is the result of RIP.

RIP took effect in August 2021 and its second iteration, RIP2, took effect in June 2022. Both measures were intended to address housing shortages and affordability by allowing more density and flexibility on plots that previously allowed only single-family homes. People who aren’t familiar with zoning rules (particularly during the COVID pandemic) might be surprised to learn some of the specific impacts of RIP and RIP2:

  • With the changes introduced, a developer could opt to put four to eight units on a lot on your street, depending on the lot size and their ability to divide the lot.
  • No on-site parking is required for these new multi-household units.
  • Required setback s; minimum distances from the property line to the structure, have been reduced to 10 feet.

Proponents hailed RIP as a way to bring much-needed affordable housing to Portland, but the effort also had critics. Andre Baugh, a Planning and Sustainability and Commission (PSC) member at the time, objected with concerns about displacing low-income and minority residents. Others worried about traffic congestion, strain on infrastructure and lack of true affordability. Check out this YouTube video of Baugh addressing the PSC in 2018.

Anticipating the impact of RIP/ RIP2, the Laurelhurst and Eastmoreland neighborhoods worked to be designated as historic districts, which reduced their being affected.

Here are a few links to learn more about this topic:

For more information, email the CNA LUTC (Land Use and Transportation Committee) at landuse@concordiapdx. org or share your thoughts with us at the LUTC meeting held the 3rd Wednesday of each month, 7-8:30 PM at the Kennedy School Community Room.

Rich Burton is the Chair of the Land Use and Transportation committee and serves as Member at Large #4 for the Concordia Neighborhood Association board. He is interested in building community.

Law and Psych Students, KISS Coffee Coming to University of Oregon Campus This Fall

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Schools

By Kathy Crabtree | Contributing Writer

New University of Oregon banner at former Concordia campus, photo by Raymond Crabtree

After a year of anticipation, months of behind-the-scenes planning, and a recent frenzy of activity, the former Concordia University campus will be populated with University of Oregon (U of O) students this month. U of O bought the campus over a year ago and has been preparing for all Portland programs and courses currently housed in Old Town to be moved to Concordia by the academic year 2024-25. The first students to attend the new campus will be third-year law students and in September, additional programs will begin on the new campus. According to Heidi Hiaasen, Assistant Director of Communication for U of O; the College of Education’s Masters School of Psychology and the Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral Health will likely also be moving to the new campus.

“We are pleased to announce that KISS Coffee will take over the coffeeshop in the Library and Learning Center and is expected to open in late fall,” she says.

Students will initially be housed in the 27th Street Apartments which are equipped with kitchens and independent living spaces offering two, three, or four bedroom units. Hiassen says that security precautions will be provided by the University of Oregon Police Department (UOPD); the Director of Security will oversee campus safety. Additional UOPD community service officers and unarmed private security officers will be on-site.

Administrative offices set to open this fall include Student Life and Belonging, University Advancement, Government and Community Relations, Facility Management and the university vice president’s office. Those offices will provide support for both campuses.

The Library and Learning Center has landscaping, new paint and carpet, and new University of Oregon banners have sprung up throughout the neighborhood. The Library and Learning Center will be open to both students and the public later this month and may include evening and weekend hours.

The University is hosting a Community Connection Event on August 9th from 4:30-6 pm. It will be held at the Library and Learning Center at 2900 NE Liberty St. Community members are invited to come and learn more about recent building renovation schedules, academic programs and other details related to the move. The April Meeting had more than 100 people in attendance.

Kathryn Crabtree is a retired Nursing Educator and author of books that celebrate women of a certain age- invisible to many, who use their deductive reasoning to solve mysteries. The bad guys never see them coming.

News from the NET – How to maintain a firewise landscape

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

By Micha Wolf | Concordia/Vernon/Woodlawn Neighborhood  Emergency Team

True summer is beginning, temperatures are rising and so is the danger of a fire starting in our backyards. We live in an urban area, and you may think that fires (especially forest and wildfires) only affect homes far away in the mountains…

You might even be conscientious about watering your lawns and gardens, take measures to store your barbecue safely or if you smoke, diligently dispose of your stubs in a proper container.

Even so, it does not take much to start a fire in dry conditions and when occurring in summer, fires are more likely to result in damage and property loss.

A fire may start small by a burning coal, a dry patch of grass or a match accidentally tossed into your yard. While you might be able to get a smaller fire under control rather quickly, the real danger is a ladder fuel–a process where a small fire grows bigger by moving upward fast, through vegetation of different heights and possibly even advancing dangerously close to a building. Concordia neighborhood is susceptible to ladder fuels because it boasts lots of old-growth fir trees and many older homes have mature landscaping (tall trees and shrubs) around them.

Here are some tips from the Neighborhood Emergency Team on how to keep and maintain a firewise landscape:

  • Water plants adequately
  • Clear any debris from the yard
  • Mow grass and keep it under 4 inches of height
  • Prune trees high (at least 10 ft) to create a safe distance from other plants around and under it
  • Space mature plants two times their circumference apart
  • Cut dead material out of bushes (especially Arborvitae and Cedar) Following these precautions will significantly reduce the likelihood of a fire.

To fight a fire, always keep a functioning and serviced fire extinguisher nearby. Stomp out a very small fire. If in doubt, call 911 immediately. For more information on fire and smoke, see publicalerts.org/wildfire-smoke.

Next month’s News from the NET: how to plant a firewise garden.

Micha Wolf ha s retired from teaching primary school, loves being in nature and believes in building community through engagement.

LUTC Column – Land Use & Transportation Committee active again

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

By Kepper Petzing | LUTC Member

The Land Use and Transportation Committee (LUTC) of the Concordia Neighborhood Association (CNA) has been reestablished after being inactive for about a year.

The purpose of the committee, chaired by Rich Burton, is to get together, discuss and take actions on issues that affect land use and transportation within the Concordia neighborhood. These issues include zoning and comprehensive plan maps, construction and development, demolition, bicycle and pedestrian issues, speed limit, greenhouse gas emissions, and sustainability, among others.

This is the first installment of a new monthly column for Concordia News. Below is an overview of the issues that are currently being discussed at the LUTC meetings.

New speed safety cameras

Approximate locations

  1. Eastbound: 2800 NE Columbia Blvd.
  2. Westbound: 3000 NE Columbia Blvd. The cameras are installed and functioning. They are preceded with a sign that reads “Traffic Laws Photo Enforced,” a speed limit sign, and a speed reader board displaying the driver’s current rate of speed. Speeding tickets are automatically generated.

New bridges under construction

  1. 33rd Ave. over Lombard St. Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is now hoping for an Aug. 25 opening date, subject to delays. Check the PBOT website for updates (plus find cool details about construction).
  2. 42nd Ave Bridge over NE Lombard PBOT is constructing a new earthquake-ready bridge that will also provide better access for freight, walking and biking. Construction will begin shortly after the 33rd bridge opens. Check the PBOT website for updates updates.

Safety concerns

  1. Intersection at 36th Ave. and Lombard St. LUTC supports neighbors’ concerns about safety at this intersection – especially with left hand turns on to and off of 36th Ave. We are recommending this intersection allow right hand turns only from Lombard or from 36th. Because Lombard is a highway (U.S. Highway 30 Bypass), control over it falls under Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) jurisdiction. LUTC is beginning inquiries to ODOT.
  2. Prescott Street speeding and volume of traffic LUTC is coordinating with other impacted neighborhoods to encourage PBOT to conduct a safety analysis of Prescott Street and consider what abatements and/or traffic calming measures might improve the issue. We encourage neighbors to write letters in support.
  3. Building at 2734 NE Alberta St. This building sheds bricks and has been labeled “dangerous” by city officials. We remain concerned about this hazard and are questioning the city about enforcement of building regulations.

Housing needs

LUTC understands the need for infill housing in our neighborhood but would like our community to have a say in how development occurs. We are hoping for more transparency from the city regarding planned developments. If you know about building plans, have questions or concerns, please reach out.

Help us help you!

Consider attending our monthly meetings which are held in-person at 7:00 pm on the third Wednesday of each month in the Community Room at McMenamins Kennedy School, 5736 NE 33rd Ave. Everyone who lives or works in Concordia is invited.

Email us with ideas, information, or concerns at LandUse@ConcordiaPDX.org. Find us on the Concordia Neighborhood association website at ConcordiaPDX.org/lutc.

Kepper Petzing has lived in Concordia for 40 years, where, with their partner Lowen, they raised two children. They are nonbinary. They love community and are grateful for Concordia News.