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About The Southwest Portland Post. (Portland, Oregon) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2016)
6 • The Southwest Portland Post NEWS January 2016 Comprehensive plan hearings get earful from Multnomah Village activists By Erik Vidstrand The Southwest Portland Post By now, all the hearings for the Comprehensive Plan are complete. C i t i z e n s f ro m t h e M u l t n o m a h Neighborhood Association, however, fear their their comments will not be taken seriously. At a Nov. 19 hearing of the Portland City Council, 10 Multnomah members voiced their concerns about developing their Streetcar Era village into another Southeast Division Street or North Mississippi Avenue. Wearing lemon yellow t-shirts, the group drew the attention of other reporters. It was also quoted by MNA chair Carol McCarthy, that by far their contingency was the largest. The city council remained silent most of the testimony but asked citizens from other neighborhoods for exact addresses and issues. “I thought Jean-Claude Paris’ testimony was amazing,” McCarthy said later to The Post. In his strong, French accent, Paris, a retired international banker, expressed that many villages in France have retained their quaintness while addressing growth. He even brought up Greenwich Village in New York City and the French Quarter in New Orleans. Alan Kirkland, followed and spoke of little towns around Oregon. He said there is growth in places like Coos Bay, Newport, and Astoria, but where the “old town” is retained, tourists flock to it. Jan Mawson’s testimony demonstrated that the Portland Bureau of Planning at one time advocated for preserving Multnomah Village. In a 1978 report prepared by the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission and the Portland Bureau of Planning titled “An inventory of Historic Resources Potential Historic Conservation Districts,” the author Al Staehli notes that Multnomah’s unique history and architecture make it worthy of saving. “Preservation of this nucleus as the community’s center is important as an alternative to regional shopping centers,” wrote Staehli. The draft 2035 Comprehensive Plan also includes a two-pronged strategy to address housing affordability. First, to increase housing supply for all income levels. And second, to increase the supply of permanently affordable housing. Not many people testified on this point as much of the testimony focused on zoning changes. McCarthy, as did others, pleaded that the village retain its corridor and not become a center full of four- five story buildings. A second hearing was held on Dec. 3 at the Mittleman J e w i s h Community C e n t e r . Activists listen to testimony at a City Council hearing in December at With Hales Mittleman Jewish Community Center. (Post photo by Erik Vidstrand) in France and Saltzman missing, the previous one. Commissioner Amanda Fritz led the The yellow-shirted activists continued hearings with additional testimony. their verbal march stating that over 400 Many were the same people that were at (Continued on Page 5) What’s next for the Tryon-Stephens Creek Headwaters Plan? Creek Headwaters Plan to improve local streets and stormwater drainage in the area. The Post has been following the project at different intervals since It’s been a couple of months since the the beginning. Portland City Council approved the The Portland bureaus of environmental resolution to adopt the Tryon-Stephens services and transportation developed a mutual relationship to coordinate improvements bound by Taylors Ferry Road, Barbur Boulevard, and Capitol Highway. Community forums, surveys, outreach, and environmental studies over the last year have come up with recommendations for improvements for traffic, walking, and water runoff. At the Nov. 4 city council meeting, Mayor Hales introduced the project. “The Tryon-Stephens Plan is the product of innovative cross- bureau collaboration, which will plan the future street and Marianne Fitzgerald (in black sweater), of Ashcreek, stormwater system completion. “Ongoing coordination contemplates all the street options at a Tryon- amongst partners and Stephens planning session early last year. (Post photo by Erik Vidstrand) engagement of neighborhood By Erik Vidstrand The Southwest Portland Post stakeholders will need to continue through the implementation of the plan.” The recommendations address the unique challenges and opportunities within the study area by taking a coordinated approach to addressing gaps in both street connectivity and the stormwater system. The transportation bureau is preparing to initiate a planning process, Southwest In Motion, which will identify a five-year active transportation implementation strategy for all of Southwest Portland. It will incorporate several projects identified in plans, including the Transportation System Plan, Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030 and the Barbur Concept Plan. Once adopted, the SWIM strategy will prioritize investments in pedestrian, bicycle, and access to transit projects over the coming years. When citizens were surveyed for what street needed the most attention, Capitol Highway by far received the most votes. 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