Concordia Neighborhood Association | Portland, Oregon

Category Archives: Concordia News

ADUs over the back fence?

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

by Spencer Parsons

Take a look over your back fence. In addition to seeing your neighbors starting their Spring gardening, you may see them breaking ground on some new construction in their backyards. They may be building new accessory dwelling units (ADUs), some may even be building them inside their property line “setbacks”.

Generally, construction is restricted around a property’s boundaries by setbacks specified in zoning regulations, However, in December Portland revised its own Zoning Code regulations regarding ADUs, including relaxing height restrictions and setback requirements for new ADU construction. Homeowners in Portland are now allowed to build their ADUs within the five foot property line setback.

Portland Zoning Code Section 33.205 contains the updated ADU requirements. ADUs can be created by converting existing space in a home to separate living quarters, by finishing unfinished but existing space in the home (like in an attic or basement), by adding to an existing structure (like a detached garage) or by building a new structure.

Is an ADU the right Springtime/Summertime project for you? There are some considerations to weigh. Like all new construction, building a new ADU (or converting an existing structure into an ADU) will typically be subject to all applicable City permit fees, as well as system development charges (SDCs) that are levied by the Portland Parks, Environmental Services, Transportation, and Water Bureaus to offset the impact of the new development on the services provided by those City bureaus. However, some SDCs may be waived by the City for ADU projects if certain criteria are met and the project is submitted on or before July 31, 2016 and receives final inspection approval on or before June 30, 2017. If you are considering undertaking an ADU project, your first call needs to be the City for details on the SDC waivers.

Your next call may need to be to Multnomah County. The question of how new ADU construction may impact a homeowner’s property tax bill is still up in the air. The following disclaimer by the City of Portland, or similar versions, appear in multiple places all over the City’s web page:

Construction of an ADU could result in a significant increase in property taxes under Oregon tax law. So before you start an ADU project, it’s important to contact the Multnomah County assessor’s customer service line at 503-988-3326 or visit their website at for more information.

For some, the potential tax implications may be a deal-breaker for building a new ADU. For others, while it is something to watch it will not be enough to deter the addition of an ADU in the basement or backyard. Eventually, the dust will settle on the ADU property tax question. Whether that time will come before the SDC waiver window closes this July is still up in the air. Stay tuned…

Spencer Parsons is a land use attorney who lives in and practices law in the Concordia Neighborhood. He can be reached via email or phone (971) 279-2018.

2nd Annual Spring Alley Cleanup April 16th!

Posted on by Posted in CNA, Concordia News, Land Use & Transportation, Volunteer Opportunities

By Garlynn Woodsong Chair, CNA Land Use & Transportation Committee (LUTC)

For the second year in a row, the Concordia neighborhood is partnering with Concordia University, Metro, and SOLVE to host an alley cleanup event from 10a.m. to 4p.m. on Sat., April 16.

We learned last year that it would be particularly helpful for neighbors who own trucks and live on an alley to show up and help to transport the debris collected in the alleys to the Metro Central Transfer Station. The costs are “comped” by the event sponsors, so we just need the volunteers with trucks to show up! Last year, we did not have enough trucks or drivers, and some volunteers had to continue making the dump runs with too few trucks on into Sunday. We would like to avoid asking that of our volunteers this year.

Neighbors, students performing a day of service, and others will gather between 9:45a.m.and 10a.m. at the intersection of the 28th/29th alley and Emerson street to receive supplies and instructions, then split off to clean up various alleys around the neighborhood.

The cleanup is the first step in a long-term process of building community momentum towards alley improvement efforts. Alleys are a public right-of-way, but, like sidewalks, their maintenance is the responsibility of adjacent private property owners. Historically, alleys were used to provide automobile access to homes. There is now a growing community consensus that these spaces can be enhanced to not only serve this original function better, but also be community spaces that provide many opportunities for residents that enhance the quality of life. The specifics of the vision for the future of each alley must be developed and owned by the neighbors on each block.

There are over 120 alley blocks in the Concordia neighborhood. Of these, alleys will be prioritized for cleanup on April 16th where adjacent neighbors have reached out in advance, and/or show up on the day of the event.

Please contact Garlynn if you would like to be involved in the cleanup, if you can offer the use of a truck for the day of the event, and to learn more about how your alley could be improved to become a better community resource.

Concordia residents interested in discussing this or any other issue related to land use and transportation are invited to attend the Concordia Neighborhood Association Land Use and Transportation Committee (CNA LUTC) meetings at 7p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month, in the Community Room in the SE corner of McMenamins Kennedy School. Click here to join the LUTC mailing list.

Alberta Main Street seeks performers, sponsors & vendors for annual street fair

Posted on by Posted in Arts & Culture, Concordia News, Volunteer Opportunities

The 19th Annual Alberta Street Fair is Saturday August 13, 2016. Alberta Main Street is currently seeking performers, sponsors and vendors for the event. The Alberta Street Fair is a daylong celebration of community, art and music that brings over 25,000 people to Alberta Street. Hosted by Alberta Main Street, the street fair includes three stages of entertainment and over 300 vendor spaces between NE 10th Ave and NE 30th Ave.

Call for Performers: Alberta Main Street seeks a diverse array of performers appropriate for a family-friendly event. The non-profit seeks performers of all kinds: musicians, dancers, children’s performers and other acts that appreciate and represent the cultural diversity of our neighborhood. Performers are invited to learn more and apply online. All acts must perform original material or works that are clearly in the public domain. The application deadline is April 17, 2016.

Sponsorship Opportunities: The eclectic mix of entertainment and craft at The Alberta Street Fair epitomizes the Portland draw and is a fantastic opportunity for exposure for your business. By sponsoring Alberta Street Fair, you can: directly connect with an active and engaged audience, showcase products, bolster your brand by partnering with a respected event and support your consumer’s community. For more information available online.

Vendor Registration: Local artists, crafters, makers, organizations and food vendors are invited to participate in this popular event. Vendor registration fees vary by the type of vendor and size of booth. More information and registration is now available online. Register before June 15, 2016 for early bird pricing! For additional information about Alberta Main Street contact Sara Wittenberg at  or visit albertamainst.org.

Challenges & opportunities face our neighborhood – you CAN make a difference!

Posted on by Posted in CNA, Concordia News, Volunteer Opportunities

Hello Neighbor,
It’s been a busy month for your Board so let me take a moment to get you caught up with what your Directors have been up to.

Homelessness & Toxic Air
At the General Membership Meeting on March 8th, speakers addressed the latest events connected with the Mayor’s Homeless Plan and provided an update on Toxic Air issues. Adam Lyons, Associate Director- Neighborhoods Program and Manager- Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, spoke to both issues. Officer Anthony Zoeller with the Portland Police Bureau’s North Precinct (and a regular attendee) gave additional perspective to the Homeless Issue.

In order to address some immediate needs , the Mayor has been active in coming up with solutions for the Homeless issue with little input from the community. However, Lyons has been very active in championing alternative solutions with a focus on neighborhood input. We expect to be hearing more from Adam regarding strategies for ensuring that the neighborhood is represented. As of this writing, no final decision has been made regarding locations of City-owned property selected for “camps”or for final policies to manage these sites. If you have a desire to get involved with this process, please let me know. I will make sure you are connected to the appropriate party.

What I know for sure is that communication within City Hall is inadequate.You can make the request, but you never know if anyone is really listening at the other end.Importantly, there appears to be a lack of understanding priorities.

St. Johns shelter challenges
 Take for instance the red tape and bureaucratic morass the St. Johns Neighborhood Shelter has been experiencing. It is apparent that City Staff is looking only at codes and regulations, not the human condition. Why else would the City not allow a variance for a 5- foot-wide sidewalk but insists on a 6-foot-wide sidewalk at the rear of the property that is rarely used. Why is the City imposing permitting fees and other charges that make shelters too expensive to build when homeless mothers and children remain on the street? Get your priorities straight, Planning Department and those Commissioners who have their hands on the steering wheel!What we should remember is that many of these “Homeless”people had homes in our neighborhood but were not as fortunate as the rest of us who survived the economic meltdown created by Wall Street.

Toxic air potential in Concordia
Toxic air in Southeast and North Portland should not be seen as some other neighborhood’s issues when the likelihood of the Concordia Neighborhood hearing about its own bad air is pretty high. Given our proximity to the Columbia Industrial Corridor, we should not be surprised to learn that we face a similar situation. Adam Lyons identified straight answers and real transparency with the Department of Environmental Quality as being the biggest obstacles in confronting the issues. He believes that once there is some real communication from DEQ and related agencies, we will learn how deep this problem really is. We will be providing additional information as it is uncovered and will keep you posted. Please keep an eye open for news; and, if you are growing your own veggies, make sure you are cleaning them thoroughly before putting them on a plate.

Use it or lose it: Other items of importance
 While this newspaper has gone through a major upgrade in professional journalism, it sits on very brittle ground. We now have a temporary volunteer Editor through June of this year. If we do not find a replacement, we will see the end of our neighborhood newspaper, i.e., the lights go out. Same can be said for our Board of Directors. Many are now in the last 6 months of their tenure with no new volunteers in sight. We need to hear from those of you who are willing to step up to the plate for all of us. We did get a Board Member to volunteer as Vice-Chair (Chris Lopez). Chris has been extremely active in our community, and we welcome his assistance in moving us forward. We are still down two Board Members, and I certainly see an under-representation of women. Use it or lose it, isn’t that the way the saying goes and never so true as today. We need to keep this paper going to make your wishes known. The alternative is to let someone in an office downtown or an unknown in government position make our decisions for us.

Thanks for listening in; let’s make this neighborhood great by YOU becoming a force of one.

Happy Spring!
Isaac Quintero, Chairman CNA

OPINION: Diary of demo & development, part 5

Posted on by 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 by 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 by 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.

Industrial real estate market report

Posted on by 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.

Land use attorney opens doors in Fox Chase area

Posted on by 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 Land Use Update

Posted on by 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.