May 2008 neWS The Southwest Portland Post • 5 Hillsdale, South Portland reach compromise over Naito Parkway plan Healing Touch Massage By Lee Perlman The Southwest Portland Post Hillsdale Neighborhood Association chair Don Baack, and longtime South Portland neighborhood activist Jim Gardner, say they may have an agree- ment to end a long-running dispute about the proposed South Portland Circulation Plan. The plan, conceived in the late 1970s, would shrink Southwest Naito Park- way between Arthur Street and Bar- bur Boulevard from a freeway to a neighborhood collector, with standard intersections at local streets, two traf- fi c lanes, on-street parking and lower speed limits. The plan would also simplify the spaghetti maze of access ramps at the west end of the Ross Island Bridge. This would at least reduce some of the road barriers that have divided the neighbor- hood since the 1950s, and free up land for other uses. Baack has consistently opposed the project, saying that it would cause through traffi c to shift to Barbur and interfere with road access to much of the rest of southwest Portland. In ad- dition, the current plan would replace the current direct connection to the Ross Island Bridge with a more roundabout and time consuming route. Although City Council agreed in principle to implement the project (without allocating funds toward its estimated $50 million cost), Baack has continued to argue against it. Baack has long called for two interim steps: to retain a direct connection from Barbur to the bridge, and to re-engineer Naito so that if can be converted into “pro time parking” (wherein parking lanes become traffi c lanes during rush hour) if city and state traffi c engineers deem this necessary to handle traffi c demand. Baack has made a tentative agree- ment with Gardner to cease active opposition to the project in exchange for these concessions. Gardner told his board that the bridge connection would have the positive effect of reducing the amount of through traffi c on neighbor- hood streets. Board member Connie Crookham, who lives near the bridge, agreed. “I would love to remove the ramps and be able to cross Naito, but I agree with Hillsdale that sending cars north (to get onto the bridge) would equal a failure that no one would go for,” she said. As to the pro time parking, Gardner said that city engineers are likely to rec- ommend this regardless. “I don’t think Energy healing • reiki • therapeutic massages • re exology • pranic healing • care facilities Holiday Specials • Gift Certi cates • Visa & Mastercard Wellness Directory we’d be giving up much,” he argued. “This gets an active opponent out of the picture, and reduces the impulse for the TO ADVERTISE CALL DON OR HARRY AT 503-244-6933 Counseling city to do nothing.” The matter is crucial, Gardner said, because City Commissioner Sam Adams, in charge of the Office of Naturopathic Family Physician Transportation, • Women’s Health has recommended • Natural Menopause Options spending $200,000 on an environmental • Bioidentical Hormones/ Hormone Balancing assessment • for the project. “We’ve been Allergy Testing & Treatment trying for years to get to this fi rst step,” • Fatigue & Insominia he said. “This is a prerequisite for any 1616 S.W. Sunset Blvd., Suite E sort of federal aid.” Portland, Oregon 97239 South Portland land use chair Jim Davis, who lives in Hillsdale, disagrees, and in March he went to Hillsdale’s meeting to debate the matter with Baack. “I’m tired of our neighborhood being a through route to other commu- nities,” he said later. Most South Portland board members, with the notable exception of Davis, seemed to agree with Gardner, but no vote was taken at the April meeting. Massage Baack told The Post that he is waiting for South Portland to take formal action Healing Touch Massage Dorothy Cundall, LMT, CNA, MA; LIC #5316 before taking the matter to his board. Energyhealing•reiki•therapeuticmassages Meanwhile, the project suffered at •reflexology•pranichealing•carefacilities least a temporary setback when Port- HolidaySpecials•GiftCertificates•Visa&Mastercard Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy. land Mayor Tom Potter failed to include 503-297-1360 funds for the environmental assessment in his draft city budget. FAT CITY CAFE Empty Chairs? Fill ‘em up! Call Don or Harry at 503-244-6933 Great Food Great Service Great Ambience Open Daily 6:30 am to 3:00 pm IN THE HEART OF MULTNOMAH VILLAGE 7820 SW Capitol Hwy 503-245-5457 Naturopathic O’CONNORS Restaurant & Bar Since 1934 Breakfast including Eggs O’Connor and other notables. Served Mon - Fri, 7 - 11 a.m. Weekends 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Podiatry Dr. Vicki L. Stone, DPM Podiatrist Traditional and Natural Therapies for Complete Foot Healthcare HOURS: Monday-Friday 7am-2am; Saturday 8am-2am; Sunday 8am-midnight 7850 S.W. Capitol Highway in Multnomah Village 503-244-1690 PORTLAND WELLNESS CENTER 6274 SW Capitol Hwy 503-246-9766