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About The Southwest Portland Post. (Portland, Oregon) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2011)
December 2011 NEWS BARBUR CONCEPT PLAN (Continued from Page 1) buildings occupied by professional services. The rental rates for this space are lower than the average citywide going rate, but so is the vacancy rate; the re- port found 107,000 square feet of vacant commercial space on the boulevard. North of Terwilliger, Barbur is the main through route to downtown and the Ross Island Bridge; to the south, there is more local circulation. Traffic volumes on the boulevard range from 15,000 vehicle trips per day to just under 40,000. Barbur is a High Crash corridor with 71 reported crashes at the I-5-Capitol Highway intersection between 2006 and 2009, 41 at Terwilliger in the same period, and a significant number at Southwest 53rd Avenue, Bertha Boule- vard, and Taylors Ferry Road. The largest percentage of crashes were rear-ends, while a significant number were from cars turning at in- tersections, often disregarding traffic signals. There is a fairly complete sys- tem of bike lanes, but some significant gaps, especially at overpasses. To no one’s surprise, the report found that most of Barbur has poor pedestrian facilities. Between Hamilton and Ter- williger there are no sidewalks on the west side and, between the Rasmussen Village housing project and Southwest Brier Street, none on the east side either. South of Terwilliger, the report found, “Sidewalks are discontinuous, with long stretches where they do not exist, and not complying with City standards in many cases where they do.” There are only five signalized cross- ings along the road’s 6.18-mile length. Further, multiple commercial drive- ways “present strong challenges for residents to safely walk Barbur.” Likewise, south of Brier, sidewalks on streets connecting Barbur to the surrounding neighborhoods are “spo- radic,” the report found. It mentioned The Southwest Portland Post • 3 that the Southwest Trails network pro- vided an important alternative. There is TriMet bus service along the entire street from Line 12, and for por- tions of it from Lines 1, 38, 44, 53, 55, 56 and 94. However, the report found that the bus stops in many cases are “noth- ing more than a sign mounted on a pole without shelters…and without devel- oped sidewalks at or leading to them.” The residential areas within a quarter mile of Barbur, which contain at least potential clientele for current and future businesses, have a median household income of $65,000, compared to a city- wide average of $54,000. NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS (Continued from Page 1) to Multnomah westbound will be closed. Starting in January the work will continue on Multnomah between Southwest 25th and 31st avenues, and this work will be performed dur- ing the day, Sykes said. Crews will keep at least one lane open in each direction from 7 to 9 a.m. and from 3 to 6 p.m., he said. Between these times, traffic may be restricted to one lane controlled by flaggers. The work is likely to continue into the summer, Sykes said. Love and Pearson tie in vote for SWNI vice president The convoluted intersection of Barbur Boulevard and Capitol Highway includes a bridge and onramp to Interstate 5 south. (Post file photo by Leslie Baird) PoSt ClaSSIfIEdS adS Call Don or Harry - 503-244-6933 Help Wanted Cook/assistant for local B&B. Very part-time now, more towards summer. Mostly mornings, esp. weekends. 503-332-8125. bellaterrainfo@gmail.com. THANKS TO Chris and Dianne Mays, Rep. Mary Nolan, Shawn Paulson, Susan Shayhan, Lee Shaver, and Virginia Swaren. These folks subscribed to The Post this year. Subscriptions to The Post make a great gift! Subcription form is located on Page 2. Healing Touch Massage Lodging Dorothy Cundall, LMT, CNA, MA; LIC #5316 Energyhealing•reiki•therapeuticmassages•reflexology •pranichealing•carefacilities Christmas Special – 3 for $150 Bellaterra B&B make our guest rooms yours! Each is elegant and creatively designed, with private bath. bellaterrabnb.com or 503-332-8125. THANKS TO Allen’s Press Clipping Service, Rep. Margaret Doherty, Rochelle Farkas, Howard Freedman, Florence Hochman, R.W. Jepson, and Lourdes Mathewson. These folks subscribed to The Post this year. Wanna get your name in the paper? Subcription form is located on Page 2. 3836-B SW Hall Blvd 503-740-3670 or 503-629-5187 The post of First Vice President of the Southwest Neighborhoods Inc. board remained vacant as The Post went to press. In October the board voted 14-2, with two abstentions, to remove Jim McLaughlin of West Portland Park from this post, and to bar him from the SWNI office. No official reason was given. McLaughlin later resigned from other affiliations with West Portland Park, citing unspecified “personal reasons.” Last spring, at SWNI’s annual elections, McLaughlin unseated in- cumbent Ken Love of South Portland for the First Vice President position. Last month Love offered himself as a candidate to fill the position, as did Sam Pearson of South Burlingame. A written ballot of board members present produced a tie vote between the two candidates. SWNI’s bylaws do not allow the board president to vote, even Hillsdale activist Don Baack, who attended an advisory committee meet- ing last month, pointed out, “There are some pockets of pretty poor people there, and it’s important that they have transit service.” Storm water runoff is an issue in the area, particularly since the soils have a poor capacity to absorb water quickly, and major new development might require new facilities. At last month’s meeting Baack said of this part of the report, “There are constraints with every category. So of- ten we make plans with no way in hell to get money to make them happen.” to break a tie. After some debate, the board voted to let its executive committee decide the matter in December. Portland Plan feedback opportunities extended In response to requests by com- munity activists and others, the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability has extended the deadline for written response to the draft Portland Plan. Originally con- cluding at the end of November, the new deadline is December 28. Comments can be sent via U.S. Mail to Bureau of Planning and Sus- tainability, Portland Plan, 1900 S.W. Fourth Ave., Suite 7100, Portland, 97201; or via web to psc@portland- oregon.gov, with the subject line “Portland Plan.” The Plan can be downloaded at www.pdxplan.com. The Plan states that in reviewing the city’s needs geographically, “One size does not fit all.” However, SWNI board president Marianne Fitzgerald noted that planners have rejected the 95 neighborhoods defined by residents as basic geographic units. Instead, they have divided the city into five sub-areas, with the south- west and northwest hills dubbed the Western Neighborhoods, and South Portland lumped in with In- ner Neighborhood, most of them on the east side. They have also divided the city into 24 “Commercial hubs.” Southwest contains five of these: Tryon Creek- Riverdale, Hillsdale-Multnomah- Barbur, West Portland, Raleigh Hills, and South Portland-Marquam Hill. The draft Plan analyzes these areas and suggests short and long-term strategies for improvement.
