4 • The Southwest Portland Post
By Maria Cahill
Hillsdale Terrace update from
Home Forward (formerly Housing
Authority of Portland)
Home Forward is trying to help
people find housing and stabilize their
lives. Background on the project was
presented. The proposed new name for
the re-development is “Stephens Creek
Crossing.”
They are still looking for Section 8
landlords to help families with kids in
school and others stay in this neighbor-
hood. The California Street neighbors
are working with Home Forward to
determine pedestrian connections pass-
ing through the site and to what extent
California Street should be developed.
Most agree that Texas Street was
somewhat overbuilt. The current pro-
posal for California Street is 20’ right-of-
way with curbs and sidewalks. Home
Forward is proposing a “woonerf.”
[Note: woonerfs are the Dutch term
what we might call a “shared street” or
“universal street.]
Only five houses are using Califor-
nia Street and a comment from Rachel
Dvorsky, one of those neighbors, was
that the road is currently in such poor
shape that the five neighbors use an-
other route to get to their houses now
anyway and would continue to do
so. She also said that a narrower road
would be better.
Home Forward invited Kay Durtschi,
Multnomah’s transportation chair, to
the next citizen advisory committee
meeting because right now Hillsdale’s
voice is dominating the conversation.
A discussion ensued regarding who
should be commenting on what and
why. For information: California Street
is in the Multnomah neighborhood,
but Hillsdale Terrace/Stephens Creek
Crossing is in Hillsdale.
Fire Station #18 Update
Fire Station #18, located at 8720 SW
30th Ave, is undergoing a seismic
upgrade. The station is temporarily
located at 9155 SW Barbur Blvd. A dis-
cussion of buying additional property
ensued. There will be multiple contrac-
tors on site, working early and some
on the weekends. Electricity and water
upgrades are in progress and expansion
at the current site is occurring. Project
completion is expected in January and
there will be an open house.
A motion of support was made that
the Multnomah Neighborhood Associa-
tion stand behind the adjoining neigh-
bors’ direction of a narrow street width
or pedestrian friendly solution for the
California Street development. Motion
seconded. Discussion ensued. 19 in fa-
vor, none against, one abstention.
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MULTNOMAH NOTEBOOK
FEATURES
December 2011
Capitol Highway/Sidewalk Infill
Randy Bonella reported that the Capi-
tol Highway Project (between Taylors
Ferry Road and Multnomah Boulevard)
has been shelved. The $5.6 million is be-
ing reallocated. Open house attendees
advocated using it for sidewalk infill.
Rob Gardner reported that he agrees
with Randy’s characterization. The
Southwest Neighborhoods, Inc. coali-
tion is considering 5 different projects
for reallocation.
PBOT (Portland Bureau of Trans-
portation) is compiling a list of ac-
tual, physically “improvable” projects
and looking at ways to reduce the
City’s liability redeveloping them with
Southwest topographical appropriate
standards.
The impression from a meeting of
members and SWNI President Mari-
anne Fitzgerald and the mayor was that
the Bureau of Environmental Services
may or may not follow suit in trying
to help with redevelopment standards
appropriate to our neighborhood.
Garden Home Traffic Calming
Traffic calming (currently speed
tables as indicated by the word BUMP
painted on the road along this stretch
of Garden Home) from Capitol High-
way to 45th Avenue is proposed. This
crosses neighborhood associations.
MNA was invited to join the Ash
Creek working group discussions,
Be our guests for
Christmas Eve
Saturday
December 24, 2011 - 7:00 pm
“The Signs Of Christmas”
Join us for our fun, festive and heartwarming
way to celebrate this wonderful holiday.
You are also invited to be our guest any Sunday:
Sunday school for all ages at 9:00 am
Upbeat relevant worship at 10:30 am
Child Care provided all morning
Vermont Hills United Methodist Church
Corner of SW 55th Drive and SW Iowa Street
(next to Pendleton Park and Hayhurst Elementary School)
503-246-1213
6053 SW 55th Drive Portland, OR 97221
A Congregation of Reconciliation Where
Our Hearts, Minds, and Doors Are Truly Open to All
even though decisions on what the City
should do would be up to individual
neighborhoods.
Randy talked to all the homeowners
along there. He hasn’t talked to apart-
ment dwellers and still needs to get
clarification on whether we need to
talk to homeowners or renters. There’s
a 12-unit condo building and another
complex with 23 additional units or so.
Randy visited 14 homes. Six said
yes, they were in favor of moving the
discussion forward. Three were on
the fence but didn’t seem to care; one
said no, and four he hasn’t been able
to talk to.
A neighbor who lives on the curve on
Garden Home and has witnessed many
accidents made an argument that we
need traffic calming along this stretch
of road in our neighborhood; caution
chevrons at beginning of curve seem to
have reduced accidents, but additional
traffic calming is needed.
Speed bumps need to be spaced care-
fully; a flashing speed limit sign might
be good, too. Randy said average speed
was 38 mph, peak speed was 55 mph.
Becca Jones commented that she lives
and walks on that stretch of Garden
Home and it feels dangerous everyday.
A motion was made that the MNA
request the City do a study for traffic
calming on our segment of Garden
Home Road. Motion seconded. 11 in
favor, four against, three abstentions.
Motion passed.
Discussion ensued. We’re not tak-
ing a position on the means of traffic
calming such as speed tables, flashing
signlights, etc. Speed tables in other
parts of the neighborhood have been
used a launching pads for young driv-
ers and causing damage to neighbor’s
yards and endangering people.
Sarah White reminded us that in a
previous meeting we presented that
the MNA would have the opportunity
to respond to PBOT’s proposed solu-
tion if we initiate the study process
and contact with the people along that
stretch of road.
An opposing view was presented
that considering budget cuts this year
and next for PBOT, we need to be a
careful what we advocate money to be
spent on.
Money was allocated out of HB 2001
funds, identified specifically for traffic
calming, but certainly, as evidenced
by the $5.6M that was just reallocated
to Capitol Highway; the money could
possibly be reallocated for other proj-
ects.
Moses Ross will relay to the Ash
Creek NA that he has heard some con-
cerns that speed tables have drawbacks
and that some people would like to
explore other options.
Maria Cahill is secretary of the
Multnomah Neighborhood Association.
OPEN FORUM
Occupy Movement
(Continued from Page 2)
for equality.
We have an oligarchy because our
elected officials’ campaigns are spon-
sored by the very industries they are
supposed to regulate.
Economists were the ones who told
former President Richard Nixon not
to sign the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights; they said: the right to
a job would hurt the economy; we can
change this back to a government for
the people.
Wim Laven is an adjunct professor in
Conflict Resolution at Portland State
University.