Concordia Neighborhood Association | Portland, Oregon

Land Use, Transportation & Livability Update

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

By Ben Earle, Secretary, CNA LUTC

Things continue buzzing along for your LUTC, so without further ado, here’s the current scoop on what’s cooking!

Neighborhood Sustainability
In addition to Concordia’s participation in the Portland Alleys Allies Project over the past year, one of the benefits from sharing a part-time Portland State University “sustainability intern” with the Boise Neighborhood Association (BNA) has been development of a Neighborhood Sustainability Policy. The policy goal is to provide neighborhoods with guidelines for “…building more equitable, green, and just neighborhoods today and for the years to come.” The LUTC is reviewing the BNA’s version, and we expect to have a draft ready by early fall for community review and hopefully eventual CNA adoption.

Bighouse Development
Good news! Right before press time, mayor Charlie Hales agreed to join commissioner Dan Saltzman in sending a letter to developer Brian Spencer in support of the LUTC’s recommendations to address the design deficiencies of the four-story “mixed use” apartment building soon to go up at the corner of 30th Avenue and Killingsworth. The particular emphasis is on ensuring the ground floor is fully optimized for retail use as the current commercial storefront (CS) zoning guidelines clearly intend.

With this important, and most appreciated, support from the city, the LUTC is in the process of re-establishing contact with the developer, which will hopefully result in the desired changes. Toward this end, we are reaching out to key influential people and institutions in the community for their support as well, including:

  • Commissioners Nick Fish, Amanda Fritz and Steve Novick
  • Concordia University President Charles Schlimpert
  • New Seasons Markets
  • Oregon state senator-elect Lew Frederick
  • Tom Kelly, CEO, Neil Kelly and Portland Development Commission chair

We also encourage interested neighbors to contact these people. To see contact info for these people and progress updates, visit CNA website’s “Bighouse” section.

Residential Infill Project
See CNA chair Garlynn Woodsong’s latest report about both the city’s and the RIP Stakeholder Advisory Committee’s residential zoning code update proposals to improve the scale of houses, narrow lot development, and alternative housing options. For more info, and to submit your comments – which are due by Aug. 15 – visit the infill project website, email Julia Gisler or call Jill at 503-823-7624.

Transportation
At the Aug. 17 LUTC meeting, we hope to meet with an Oregon Department of Transportation representative about how best to ensure safe passage for all bicyclists and pedestrians using Northeast Portland Boulevard / US 30. This comes in the wake of the tragic death of a bicyclist at the 42nd Avenue overpass.

A promising new proposed Greenway Diversion Policy was presented to the LUTC in July. It would establish citywide greenways crossing arterial streets, would standardize greenway design and create transparency. It was brought to us by longtime bicycle advocate Terry Dublinski-Milton, who is also North Tabor Neighborhood Association LUTC chair and a member of the SE Uplift Board. The Portland Bureau of Transportation has expressed interest in the proposal’s “diversion by default” concept of “diversion at every main corridor would be [the] norm, thus becoming a part of the urban form not much different than a crosswalk or traffic signal” and Terry is asking the city’s neighborhood associations and coalitions for review and feedback. Read a full explanation and see his information here.

Concordia residents are always welcome at CNA LUTC meetings, 7 p.m. every third Wednesday in the Community Room at McMenamins Kennedy School. For more info see the LUTC section of the CNA website, send us your questions, and email the LUTC to join the notification list.

What to do when your groove is stuck in a rut

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Health and Wellness

By Kim Magraw

Although the human brain may soon be outsmarted by the computer, at present the brain is the most sophisticated and intricate machine we know of in the universe.

One of its most marvelous functions is automation. Once we’ve learned something handy – like turning our head, walking, juggling, typing, talking, driving or playing an instrument – our brain can put these activities on autopilot so we can focus our attention on some other activity.

But what happens when one of these programmed activities is unhelpful in a situation? For example, we move to a place where cars are driven on the other side of the road? Or we’re accustomed to speaking English and we move to a country where the language and sentence structure is completely different? Or we got a lot of attention from our parents by whining when we were young, but somehow all that whining doesn’t serve us at a later age?

When these preprogrammed habits are serving us, we are in a groove. When they don’t, we might think we’re stuck in a rut – a behavior that is really difficult to unlearn.

A trick is to have some tools to get us out of a rut. It turns out that a great first step is awareness. We quickly become aware when we’re driving on the wrong side of the road because that’s obvious. But a whiny attitude may be less easy to identify in ourselves.

After awareness, we can set the stage to bust out of a rut by putting some parameters in place:

  • Urgency: “I’d better get in the other lane or I’ll hit this oncoming car.”
  • Fascination: “This person seems so interesting, but she doesn’t speak a word ofEnglish.”
  • Focus: “I’m going to find a quiet space for two hours to practice my mandolin.”

Yes, automation is an amazing adaptation. Better yet, and more uniquely human, is plasticity –the ability to change and adapt, no matter how deep and rutted our groove may be.

Kim Magraw, a licensed massage therapist, may be reached via the ConcordiaMassagePros.com directory.

Do you feel like health advice is a moving target?

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Health and Wellness

Remember when you were a kid and your mom said “go outside and play.” Get moving! Believe it or not, your mom was on to something. Andrew Lafrenz, Ph.D., Concordia University Exercise and Sports Science associate professor and researcher, conducted a large study in the workplace showing the importance of even small amounts of movement on one’s overall health and happiness.

Participants in the study spent their work days sitting at desks. The workers were given timers and instructed to take two- to three-minute movement breaks every hour. Those who took as little as two to three minutes every hour to stretch and move were more productive, had higher job satisfaction and experienced reduced blood pressure.

“People often ask me how to drastically change their health by starting an exercise program or changing their diet,” he said. “My advice is to listen to your mother. Get off the couch, move a little bit every hour, eat your vegetables and spend more time with your family and friends.”

There is a similar link between activity and good health in children. In a study of health in children, he found that children with higher parental engagement, who ate meals as a family and who participated in school clubs and sports were much more physically active, had better nutrition, and they had lower rates of disease.

“We all know we’re not supposed to remain seated for hours on end,” pointed out Karen Morgan, assistant professor of Exercise & Sports Science and director of Physical Activity courses at Concordia. Many apps – designed for adults, families and children – have been created to remind you to get up for that much needed break.

“Some of our favorite free apps can be downloaded to your phone, computer or other device to remind you to take breaks from sitting at a desk too long,” she added. Those include: Stand up! The work break timer and Awareness.

“Try some Pokemon Go in the Concordia Neighborhood and at Concordia University,” she suggested.

The Residential Infill Project and Equity

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

By Garlynn Woodsong Chair, CNA Land Use & Transportation Committee

Last month, I discussed the Residential Infill Project Stakeholder Advisory Committee (RIPSAC). I mentioned the staff proposal is not supported by the infill project’s advisory group, and a majority of the RIPSAC has instead been in support of the Portland For Everyone (P4E) proposal. It’s actually not very different from staff’s proposal regarding scale, but takes more progressive steps toward allowing more missing middle housing types in all of the city’s single-family zones.

This month, I focus on the differences between the staff and the P4E proposals on location, and specifically how it relates to equity. City staff has put forward a proposal for the Residential Infill Project that will allow only some new missing middle housing types within a quarter mile of centers, corridors and frequent transit service stops – specifically duplexes, triplexes and up to two accessory dwelling units per primary structure.

The P4E proposal would simply allow these same housing types, with a few bonuses intended to encourage the preservation of existing structures, within all single-family zones citywide.

The argument for allowing these types in all single-family zones boils down to equity. It is more equitable to allow housing types with more than one dwelling unit per lot in all neighborhoods. That will allow for the possibility of creating new more-affordable housing units across the city, including in wealthier neighborhoods that are currently more exclusive. All neighborhoods would thus share in the burdens and benefits of these changes to our single-family zoning code to make it more form-based and focus on the size and scale of buildings rather than also limiting the number of dwelling units within.

The argument for allowing only these units near centers, corridors and frequent transit boils down to smart growth – density should be located near transit and amenities.

The Portland plan lays out a goal for 80 percent of the residents of the city to live in complete neighborhoods by 2035. (A complete neighborhood is one in which residents can walk to most regular destinations in less than 20 minutes.) It is the very policy of providing for additional dwelling units on what are currently single-family lots citywide, at a scale that is compatible with single-family homes.

That will help to develop more complete neighborhoods citywide by adding to the demand for amenities and services, including additional frequent transit.

The city has a housing shortage currently, which is driving up the prices for all types of housing, both to rent and to own. Add the additional demand of more than a thousand people moving to Portland each month with the normal housing market churn driven by existing residents.

It would seem Portland needs to make a bold commitment to provide for abundant, diverse, and affordable housing to meet the needs of all family sizes in every neighborhood.

For more information, see portlandoregon.gov/bps/infill and portlandforeveryone.org

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 7 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month, in the Community Room of McMenamins Kennedy School. Click here to join the LUTC mailing list.

Ask the Historian: No evidence of chestnuts lining Alberta Court

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, History

By Doug Decker

The Question:
When I moved into our house in March 1962, there was a Joe Bernard Realty office in the building where Doggie Business is now. Joe said this area was part of the Bernardo family farm and there were chestnut trees from 42nd Avenue to 33rd.
My question: were there chestnut trees all along Alberta Court?
— Bob Walters, Alberta Court

The Historian Reports:
We really like questions like this, which require us to do some genealogy, some geography and some general asking around.

Joe Bernard was actually Joe Bennard, who was born in 1901 as Joe Bennardo. Joe ran a real estate company based in an office, now gone, that he built facing Alberta Court directly behind today’s Doggie Business. Joe built the Doggie Business building in 1937, originally a tavern and restaurant. Joe and his brothers – the brothers kept the original family name Bennardo – lived in the neighborhood, and one brother built the house three doors north on the west side of 42ndAvenue. But we weren’t able to verify if the Bennardos actually owned a farm, or what extent it may have covered.

The American chestnut (Castanea dentate) was a common tree in all American cities, but suffered a major disease outbreak that drastically reduced its numbers by the mid-1930s. It seems unlikely that enough of these great old trees would have been left mid-century to have lined Alberta Court. And of course it was called Alberta Street then and traveled along through open fields and forest stands.

And here’s an interesting note: Alberta Street was renamed to Alberta Court after a vote of residents on the street in summer 1940 and a city ordinance passed Aug. 28, 1940. On Aug. 11, 1940, The Oregonian reported, “Multnomah County suggested the city change the name of the street within the city limits to avoid confusion, and a survey of sentiment of the property owners was taken. Most of them approve the change to avoid confusion.”

We pulled up a series of aerial photos from the 1920s and 1930s that show the western stretch of the street, and we don’t see a line of trees in this area. We did connect with a former paperboy who delivered newspapers along Alberta Court in the late 1940s and, although he remembered homeless camps there along what was the city limits, he didn’t recall seeing any orchard or line of chestnuts.

This doesn’t mean there weren’t chestnuts along Alberta Court, just that evidence is scarce. In fact, it does appear there is a lone survivor of what Joe was remembering. You can find a beautiful old chestnut tree today at the northeast corner of 41st Avenue and Alberta Court, reminding us they were, indeed, in the neighborhood. We’ll keep digging on this and welcome any information from CNEWS readers.

Thanks for asking!

We love solving mysteries, so if you have a question for the neighborhood historian, email it to CNewsEditor@ConcordiaPDX.org and we’ll ask Doug Decker to do some digging.

Nextdoor.com hot topic round up

Posted on by Posted in CNA, Concordia News

By Carrie Wenninger

This month’s column is intended to provide a timely serving of hot topics – as well as pass along some news you can use – from Concordia Nextdoor.com

Doug the Dog
Wiley dachshund continues to elude traps and extend his about-town adventure. The farthest potential sighting was July 8 at 36th and Broadway.

July Fourth fireworks spark explosive neighborhood debate
Are they good patriotic fun or stress-inducing bedlam?

For some, Red Plum circular isn’t peachy, just junk mail
Click here to remove your address from the Red Plum circular.

Phishy phone calls
Look out for bogus phone scam claiming the IRS has filed a claim against you. Report phishing of that nature.

Two thumbs up
 Nextdoor.com’s Recommendations section has been upgraded to make it easier than ever to find neighbor-approved businesses. Find it on the home page menu tagged with a heart icon.

Rx for old meds
Click here for recommendations for disposing of expired or unneeded prescription medications.

Carrie Wenninger is a Concordia resident and lives on 29th Avenue. She is also a freelance writer with a penchant for poetic prose who tries to look for the humor in everyday life. She also is a mom and world traveler who, with her partner, owns a company that restores and repurposes vintage homes. Contact her via email.

Special Announcement from Concordia Neighborhood Association (CNA)

Posted on by Posted in CNA, Concordia News

The next CNA meeting will be a special meeting of the Board of Directors to discuss the specific issue of filling the Advertising Sales role for Concordia News. Other agenda items may be added as needed.

Date: Tuesday, August 9th
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Community Room of McMenamin’s Kennedy School (5736 NE 33rd Ave, Portland, OR 97211).

This meeting is open to the public and any interested community members are welcome and encouraged to attend.

What do you want? Media team seeks reader input

Posted on by Posted in CNA, Concordia News

This is the age of information, in which we’re bombarded (or enlightened, depending on your perspective) with streaming news videos, blogs, texts, podcasts and various social media post notifications. So getting a plain old black and white newspaper in one’s mailbox can feel kind of comforting. At least it is for those of us (way) older than 35.

We know, however, the Concordia neighborhood has a median age of 35 years. So, to provide neighborhood news and info to a broader audience (okay, I mean younger), the CNA Media Team is working to beef up more than just the quality of this publication.

We are also working to improve the website and grow our Facebook presence. Why? To appeal to those people who didn’t grow up luxuriating in a morning routine that includes hot coffee, a comfortable couch, and the daily (printed) newspaper.

This all takes a great deal of vigilance and effort. Six months ago the ConcordiaPDX.org website was three years out of date, and we had no Facebook page. We’ve made great strides since then but, because CNA website postings and Facebooking is performed entirely by volunteers with jobs and families, we ask for your patience while we work to improve our digital presence.

Now, here are three ways you can ensure we’re barking up the right media tree to provide what is relevant to you, our valued readers, as resources allow:

  1. Complete the survey online.
  2. Email CNewsEditor@PDX.org with story or regular feature ideas, breaking news items and events, or to submit a letter to the editor.
  3. Email CNewsME@ConcordiaPDX.org if you have suggestions for improvements or ideas forCNEWS, the website or our Facebook page, – or you’d like to volunteer to help in any of these areas, or as a reporter.

Recent CNA Media Team accomplishments:

  • Added automatic CNA Facebook posts to the home page of the CNA website.
  • Held a Beverage ‘N Brainstormingafter-hours session that we expect to continue. From that session came ideas that debuted last month:
    • Trending on Nextdoor.com is a light-hearted compendium of what Concordians are talking about.
    • What’s Selling in Concordia offers a quick look at neighborhood real estate data.
    • Ask the Historian by northeast Portlander Doug Decker answers readers’questions about Concordia history and connects it to the present day. (Doug offered up this concept, and readers have jumped in with queries.)

We have a few more ideas, but your feedback on what we’ve been providing on the pages of CNEWS, on our website and on Facebook would be very helpful to ensure we’re on the path to happy Concordia neighborhood readers. We look forward to your input! And please – LIKE us on Facebook.

What is your foresight, vision for Concordia Neighborhood’s future?

Posted on by Posted in CNA, Concordia News

Hello, Neighbor,

The winds they are a changing… will it be a hurricane or a summer breeze. No, not talking about the weather but governance, locally and globally. Like it or not, the world is in for a paradigm shift. The question is, will the shift happen to us or will we to it?

I look around and see whole political systems being overhauled and social fabrics being torn apart by festering injustices and poverty. In contrast, the Concordia Neighborhood appears as though we are doing quite well… or are we?

Events are driving changes
I think most of us would agree on that assessment and consider ourselves fortunate not to experience the unrest we have seen in the news almost daily. The severity and impact of these events are driving changes which were usually initiated by leadership within political parties. Now, matters have become so pressing citizens have, in some cases, scrapped their representatives or taken the discussion to the street.

Change is inevitable and typically understood with a 20/20 hindsight perspective. The Concordia Neighborhood is no stranger to change thanks to the many who dedicated themselves to creating the Renaissance. Concordia has become one of Portland’s most desirable neighborhoods.

So no wonder we can look at the rest of the world and tell ourselves all is good. Being fortunate enough to recently move here three years ago, I and others like me are the beneficiaries of these people’s efforts, but can we sit back and go for the proverbial “free ride”? This inheritance of prosperity and wellbeing is only a gift and requires us to be proactive in its preservation if we hope to expect the same future for our children.

Looking into the crystal ball, Concordia looks like it is going in the right direction, but then again, Republican and Democratic party structures had been moving along as though the road ahead were wide open. Assumptions should also be accompanied with reality checks from time-to-time if we are going to be an inclusive society and avoid reversal of fortune.

Foresight needed, not just hindsight
When looking in the rear-view mirror, each and every one of us knows what could have and should have been done to prevent the disturbing events of late. If we are going to heal the world, what we really need is to refocus our 20/20 hindsight to foresight. Let’s take those criticisms and observations about past events and ask ourselves not what we should have done but what will we do to promote wellbeing.

Each one of us is capable of bringing positive changes without having to lead the charge. Change happens in incremental stages and, dependent on small events, eventually connecting to bring about change. We can be the force for a better future just by taking small opportunities to step out of our comfort zone, reaching out to others or when we join an organization of like-minded folks.

Each of these activities lets others know who we are and what is important to us. And like the great philosopher Raffi has said, the more we come together the happier we’ll be. Let’s not make any assumptions going forward, let’s have more conversations no matter if it is about skinny houses or garden club news. Let’s have an understanding and appreciation for the other… not a bad formula for peace.

Lastly, Portland city commissioner Amanda Fritz has been rescheduled to appear at the November general meeting of the association. Please send me your vision for our neighborhood — one year, five years and 15 years from now — to see if Amanda is on the same page as we are, or if she needs to adjust her vision for our future.

Thanks again,
Isaac Quintero Chair
Concordia Neighborhood Association

Come one, come all Aug. 13 to the Alberta Street Fair

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

Fun, funky, family friendly and free. That’s the 19th Annual Alberta Street Fair, presented Saturday, Aug. 13, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. by Legacy-GoHealth Urgent Care.

Showcasing the best of the Alberta Street community, the event features entertainment, music, vendors, and food and drink for people of all ages. Hosted by Alberta Main Street, the event continues to be one of Portland’s most beloved neighborhood street festivals and draws more than 25,000 people.

The fair will kick off with the Sixth Annual Children’s Parade, starting promptly at 11 a.m. at 15th Avenue and ending at the Center Stage at 21st Avenue. Participants meet at 10:30 a.m. at the Alberta Co-op parking lot at 15th Avenue.

Additional event highlights include:

  • Kid’s Activity Corner, hosted all day by PDX Parent at 18th Avenue, provides crafty fun and entertainment for children of all ages
  • Unique products and crafts from Alberta’s local businesses and 300 vendors lining Alberta Street between 11th and 30th avenues from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Dancing and music at three stages located at 11th, 21st and 30th avenues – keep an eye on albertamainst.org for the full lineup
  • Local beer and wine at the family friendly venues: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Radio Room Beer Garden, 11th Avenue, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Bella Faccia Beer Garden, 29th Avenue; and 1-6 p.m., PDX Urban Wineries Tasting Pavilion, 30th Avenue
  • Food and beverages from Alberta’s well-known eateries, food carts and Street Fair vendors
  • All-day activities and demonstrations between 10th and 11th avenues

Volunteers are needed, mostly for three-hours shifts. In addition to helping put on a great community event, you receive a super cool T-shirt, a ticket for a beer, (if you are age 21 or older) and an invitation to our volunteer appreciation party in late August. Sign up for a shift today and tell your friends!

A suggested $2 donation supports building a vibrant and healthy Alberta Street. Donations are accepted at the info booth, 1722 N.E. Alberta Street, and the beer garden. Please consider walking, biking or taking public transportation to The Alberta Street Fair.