2 • The Southwest Portland Post
The Southwest Portland Post
4207 SE Woodstock Blvd #509
Portland, OR 97206
Fax: (866) 727-5336
email: editor@multnomahpost.com
Neighbor objects to proposed
four-story apartment building in
Multnomah Village
I have lived in Multnomah for the
past 20 years, and raised three kids
here. This is my home. I just came from
a neighborhood meeting [May 20] that
was very discouraging. Essentially, the
Village as we know it is going to go
away, and is never coming back.
A developer met with the
neighborhood tonight. He will be
replacing both properties next to
Starbucks on the corner of Southwest
33rd and Capitol Highway with a four-
story mixed use apartment building.
Seventy-one studio apartments, with
parking provided for only 60 percent of
the units. Imagine a massive structure
taller and wider than the Lucky Lab, as
tall as all the light posts.
There will be expensive commercial
spaces in the bottom that I can only
imagine chain stores will be able to
afford, much like the ones already
gradually taking over - Bishop’s, Zoom
Care, Umpqua Bank, etc.
If this trend continues, we can say
goodbye to little family businesses in
the Village. We can also most certainly
say goodbye to the free parking that
makes shopping in the area so attractive.
A Neighborhood House
representative was also there and
announced the possibility of doing
the same. A friend of the developer
commented that the buildings in the
Village are mostly old and ugly anyway
and that you can’t fight progress.
We do not have the infrastructure to
support the traffic, pedestrian safety
issues, and parking problems this
growth will bring to the side streets
EDITORIAL
that are not supported by the city, not
to mention the precedents this will set
for more development.
I think urban density is a good
idea if done thoughtfully, but if you
look at what has happened to the
Fremont neighborhood, or Mississippi,
or Northwest 23rd, you know those
neighborhoods will never again have
the charm they once had.
According to the land use guy
mediating the meeting, I believe he
said that over 150 homes in the Village
have been demolished so far.
I was essentially told by another
supporter of the developer—in the
kindest possible tones—that if I object
to the inevitability of this, I always have
the option of moving.
If you love the Village as I do, please
come to the [Multnomah Neighborhood
Association] meeting on June 9 at the
Multnomah Center to voice your
concerns. We can push back if we all
work together.
Steve Novick had a staffer there, but
Amanda Fritz was not in attendance.
Sadly, Fritz was only sending out
automatic responses when contacted
about this issue.
She advised us to contact staff
members instead. When my husband
Michael Banks tried that, no response
has been forthcoming as of yet.
Editor’s Note: Novick and Fritz are
Portland city commissioners. They need
to hear from us. Thanks for reading.
Brynn Baron
Multnomah
Multnomah School alumni
appreciate service at Fat City Café
A special thank you to Tom at Fat
City Café. My friend and I came to
Multnomah [last month] to celebrate
our birthdays. We were students of
Multnomah Grade School in the 1950’s
– Fat City is still the place to be.
Tom was wonderful, remembering
our names and singing “Happy
Birthday.” Thank you so much. You
made our day.
June 2015
It’s obvious from a brief stroll that River View
Natural Area is a very special place
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
By Don Snedecor
The Southwest Portland Post
If you take a look online at the draft
plan for River View Natural Area
restoration, you will notice that officials
aren’t going to allow dogs, on leash or
off, and until there is a citywide master
plan for mountain biking, bicycles
won’t be allowed either.
After visiting the park for the first
time last month, I get it. This is a very
special place.
So just where is River View Natural
Area? It’s located next to River View
Cemetery, roughly 150 acres between
Macadam Avenue and Terwilliger
Boulevard.
When folks from Portland Parks and
Recreation gave me the nickel tour on
May 18, we accessed the park from
Palatine Hill Road and Brugger Street,
not far from Lewis and Clark College.
Kendra Petterson-Morgan, a natural
resource ecologist with the park bureau,
led the walking tour. Emily Roth
with Parks was there as well. Cathy
Bushman and Shannah Anderson of
the Bureau of Environmental Services
tagged along.
And just for fun, I invited Steve
Manton, a neighbor who has lived
next to the park for 29 years to join us.
Manton mentioned that at one time
Lewis & Clark College wanted to build
soccer fields here!
So the six of us headed down the trail,
in a loop around the west (upper) part
of the park.
Petterson-Morgan explained that
significant amount of restoration has
already been done. English ivy that
was infesting the forest and killing
the fir trees was tackled, carefully, by
professionals with small tools and
chainsaws.
An herbicide used in Roundup
has been used by the park bureau,
sparingly, to deal with certain invasive,
non-native species.
The east side is very steep, and six
unnamed creeks flow downhill toward
the Willamette River. It was very
peaceful and I had a sense that I was
out in the wilderness somewhere, not
in the city of Portland.
Every now and then we ran into
folks along the trail, the way you
would if you were going on a hike from
Multnomah Falls to Larch Mountain.
Bushman pointed out a unique wetland
that is under development.
Wildlife to watch for include deer,
coyotes, chipmunks, and mountain
beaver. Birds include winter wrens,
evening grosbecks, black cap
chickadees, and wild turkeys.
According to Manton the forested
property had been surplus land owned
by River View Cemetery from the 1880s
until recently when it was acquired by
the park bureau.
And while mountain bikers are
upset, so far, folks in the adjacent
Collins View neighborhood have liked
the plan.
You can weigh in yourself, by taking
the park bureau’s survey.
well
be
…
and well informed
Bowman’s Hillsdale
Pharmacy
Trudi Raz (Frengle)
Karen Sears (Lowrie)
6256 SW Capitol Hwy.
503-244-7582 • email: hdrx@pcez.com
•Walk-In Adult Immunizations
•Flu Shots Available
Celebrating
22
Years in
Business!
•Experienced Compounding
Pharmacists
4207 SE Woodstock Blvd #509, Portland, OR 97206
Phone: (503) 244-6933; Fax: (866) 727-5336
general email: news@multnomahpost.com
web address: www.swportlandpost.com
Editor & Publisher .........Don Snedecor
Reporters/Writers ...........Lee Braymen-Cleary,
KC Cowan, Erik Vidstrand
Copy Editor ......................Rich Riegel
Advertising Sales ...........Don Snedecor, Harry Blythe
Graphic Design ..............Leslie Baird Design
Printing ............................Oregon Lithoprint
Circulation .......................Ambling Bear
© 2015 by The Southwest Portland Post. All rights reserved. The opinions of the
artists and authors contained herein are not necessarily shared by the publisher.
Deadline for news and advertising is generally the 20th of the month prior to
publication. Please call for current deadline information. Advertising rates are available
upon request.
The Post has a circulation of 7,000 in Multnomah Village and the surrounding
neighborhood business districts including Burlingame, Capitol Hill, Garden Home,
Glen Cullen, Hillsdale, South Portland, Raleigh Hills, West Portland and Vermont
Hills. The Post is published on or about the 1st of every month. Subscriptions are $24
per year. Back issues are $2.50 each when available. All major credit cards accepted.
www.mygnp.com
Give your dad a subscription to The Post
for Father’s Day
We Deliver! Mail subscriptions are available at
at the following rates:
One year (12 monthly issues) ...................$24
Two years (24 monthly issues) .................$34
Three years (36 monthly issues) ..............$44
q This is a NEW subscription
q This is an ADDRESS change
Please send check or money order to:
Southwest Portland Post, 4207 SE Woodstock Blvd #509, Portland, OR 97206
Name
Address
The Post is printed on recycled
newsprint using soy-based inks.
q This is a RENEWAL
q This is a GIFT subscription
City/State/Zip