June 2012
NEWS
The Southwest Portland Post • 3
Southwest residents consider future of Barbur Boulevard
BARBUR CONCEPT PLAN
By Lee Perlman
The Southwest Portland Post
Southwest residents would like
to see medium – but not high – re-
development on Southwest Barbur
Boulevard.
This was the very shorthand version
of feedback that the Portland Bureau
of Planning and Sustainability’s Bar-
bur Concept Plan team received at a
public workshop last month.
About 60 people attended the ses-
sion at Cedarwood Montessori School.
They came to give input to an exami-
nation of how the boulevard should be
developed, and what it would take to
bring such development about.
As planner Jay Sugnet put it, “What
does Barbur want to be when it grows
up?” Those who came were given
electronic devices and asked to vote
on what sort of redevelopment given
“focus areas” of Barbur should have.
The choices were the sort of low-
rise commercial development that
characterizes much of the street
now, “main street” (a few stories
of residential above ground floor
retail), “mixed use” residential and
retail, or “high-rise” residential.
Those who participated consistently
voted for mixed-use, the second-
highest level of intensity.
Consultant John Fregonese said that
as Oregon 99W, Barbur is part of “one
of the main highways through the
state.” Locally it could “evolve into a
boulevard where the next great thing
happens. How should it evolve? Are
there places you’d like to see improved
or enhanced?”
According to Fregonese, “Barbur
was rural until recently, and created
at a time when it was assumed ev-
eryone would drive. But commercial
buildings wear out faster,” and create
opportunities for redevelopment in a
new direction.
In response to an objection from
the South Portland Neighborhood
Association, the Gibbs Street focus
area has been expanded to cover a
larger territory; the association had
objected that the original boundary
contained historic single-family homes
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where redevelopment should not be
encouraged.
In small-group discussions, those
present differed on the suitability of
the street for housing. Sam Pearson
of South Burlingame said the street is
not suitable for housing “in any way,
shape or form.”
Don Baack of Hillsdale tended to
(Continued on Page 8)
Residents OK but two firefighters injured
in Multnomah Village condo fire
Two firefighters sustained burns in a two-alarm blaze at The Village at
Multnomah condominium complex located at 7939 SW 40th Ave, May 16.
Six condominium units were involved in the fire, which resulted in eight
people being displaced including seven adults and one baby. There were
no injuries to residents. Damage to the $2 million building was estimated
at $970,000. Portland Fire Bureau investigators have determined that the
cause of the fire was improperly discarded smoking materials. (Post photo
by Don Snedecor)