EDITORIAL
2 • The Southwest Portland Post
August 2008
City Council votes 5-0 in favor of affordable housing for Sears Armory site
By Don Snedecor
The Southwest Portland Post
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
When I got to the ad-hoc meeting
at the Multnomah Center on July 7,
the room was bulging with neigh-
bors, many of whom were in favor
of a Portland Offi ce of Emergency
Response facility at the Sears Armory-
-an Army Reserve base scheduled to
be closed by 2011—instead of afford-
able housing.
A group of next-door neighbors
had just given newly-elected City
Commissioner Nick Fish a quick tour
of the Sears Armory site (2730 SW
Multnomah Blvd). They explained
at the meeting that there had been an
earnest effort to fi nd an alternative
space in Southwest for affordable
housing.
Fish defended a June 18 joint reso-
lution, co-sponsored by Mayor Tom
Potter, which recommended redevel-
opment of the Sears Armory into a
“mixed-income, rental and ownership
housing development that includes
permanent and supportive housing
for homeless single adults and home-
less families with special needs.”
The resolution designated Commu-
nity Partners for Affordable Housing
as the preferred developer of the
Sears site.
But Commissioner Fish and his
staff listened to neighbors’ concerns.
Among them were: impact of traffi c
and parking n the neighborhood,
lack of bus service on Multnomah
Boulevard, the fact that emergency
services were not directly available
on the West Side.
Stephanie Mohler introduces the new Gabriel Skatepark to skaters while Mayor Tom
Potter and Commissioner Dan Saltzman look on. (Post photo by Don Snedecor)
Traffi c along Multnomah Boulevard
was a concern of immediate neigh-
bors, as was access in and out of the
property.
Other concerns included a need for
some kind of buffer zone, the need to
reuse existing facilities instead of tear-
ing down what is currently available,
as well as the possibility of sharing
affordable housing and emergency
response on the same parcel of land.
“The intent of the base closing was
for housing,” said Fish. “And gener-
ally, a larger site with mixed use is
economically a better choice.” Ap-
parently the City Council agreed with
him as two days later they voted 5-0 in
favor of the Potter-Fish resolution.
At the end of the meeting Fish
pledged to involve immediate neigh-
bors in the planning and development
of the Sears site. “I’ve never seen a
mixed use development not enhanced
from the community being involved,”
said Fish.
Despite the City Council vote for
affordable housing, it was only a rec-
ommendation. The fi nal decision rests
with the Department of Defense, the
property owner.
Gabriel Skatepark grand opening
marked by hot sun and low
turnout
After listening to people gripe about
skateboarders (read:teenagers)—and
the mythological noise, alcohol,
drugs, gang violence, graffiti and
vandalism—it was a pleasure to fi nd
none of the above at the grand open-
(Continued on Page 11)
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Portland, OR 97219
Phone: (503) 244-6933; Fax: (866) 727-5336
general email: news@multnomahpost.com
web address: www.multnomahpost.com
Editor & Publisher: Don Snedecor
Reporters/Writers: Mark Ellis, Polina Olsen,
Lee Perlman, Don Snedecor
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Printing: Oregon Lithoprint
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