Bring the kids
to see the movie
“Ramona and
Beezus.” Details in
Community Life.
– Page 8
Owner Scott
Edwards (left) is
selling Barbur
Boulevard Rentals
property and related
homes for just $10
million.
– Page 4
Volunteer
Kathy MacDougal
brings bouquets to
Hopewell House
every Monday for
hospice patients.
– Page 5
The Southwest Portland Post
Volume No. 24 Issue No. 6
www.swportlandpost.com
Portland, Oregon
Complimentary
April 2016
Neighbors keep watchful eyes on proposed Multnomah Village apartments
By Erik Vidstrand
The Southwest Portland Post
Stewart Rounds’ house is situated
behind the proposed site of the 72-unit
Multnomah Village apartments to be
located at Southwest Capitol Highway
and 33rd Avenue.
Rounds, a fixture at the monthly
Multnomah Neighborhood Association
meetings, has been one of many critics
of developer Tim O’Brien’s (of Urban
Assets Advisors) complex.
Besides a proposed courtyard
gathering space disappearing
yielding to live-work spaces, the latest
renderings feature a more massive
looking apartment complex. Studios
are expected to start at $1,500 a month.
In 2015, the average rent in Multnomah
was $800 for a one-bedroom apartment.
The latest drawings, by SERA
Architects, have the building pulled
forward towards Capitol Highway. Two
commercial spaces are located on either
end of the property.
Rounds has taken photos of the plans
Photo by neighbor Stewart Round of latest architectural drawings; design by SERA architects, developer is Urban Assets Advisors.
and, along with 20 other neighborhood
residents, painstakingly poured over
the permit details. Jim Peterson,
Multnomah land use committee chair,
has written several letters of concern
to the city of Portland based on the
committee’s findings.
Questions have arisen about how
the maximum height is calculated,
concerns about a distinct ground floor
requirements, and parking.
“We all know that the proposed
40 parking spaces are not sufficient
to handle all of the vehicles that will
likely be owned by the residents of
the building,” said Peterson is a recent
letter. “The extra vehicles will be
parked on the neighborhood streets
using parking areas already used by
residents, employees, and visitors.”
This would leave less room for
pedestrians to walk safely and less room
for large vehicles such as fire emergency
vehicles to travel.
“Neighborhood businesses
(and residents alike),” Peterson
continued, “already complain that the
neighborhood does not have sufficient
parking to accommodate shoppers and
(Continued on Page 3)
Transportation manager presents four new proposals for Capitol Highway
By Erik Vidstrand
The Southwest Portland Post
The Portland Bureau of
Transportation appeared at the
March 8 Multnomah Neighborhood
Association meeting bearing four
potential concepts for improvements
to Southwest Capitol Highway.
According to Dan Layden, the
b u r e a u p r o j e c t m a n a g e r, t h i s
stretch of road has been one of the
most challenging projects due to
topography and stormwater issues.
About five years ago, a city sponsored
concept plan was published proposing
retaining walls, sidewalks and bike
lanes on either side of the highway,
green space with trees, and 24-foot
wide highway. The price tag then was
$17 million.
Unfortunately there wasn’t a cent
to fund it.
Fast forward to 2016. According to
Layden, the Bureau of Environmental
Services will pay for a new study of
stormwater concerns. Layden spoke
in front of 60 local residents, many
who live along or near Southwest
Capitol Highway.
“I can only speak for the
transportation part since [the Bureau
of] Environmental Services works on
Concept 4. (Photo courtesy Portland Bureau of Transportation)
the stormwater issues,” Layden said.
That bureau was not in attendance
at the March meeting.
Gone from the Southwest Capitol
Highway Plan Refinement Report, are
the two sidewalks and bike lanes and
variety of other bells and whistles.
Four scaled-back concepts were
flashed on the screen.
Concept 1, the most expensive of
the four at $13 million, consists of
one sidewalk and two bike lanes and
sewers on both sides. Concept 2 at $12
million has a centralized stormwater
system and still has two bike lanes.
Concept 3, the least expensive at
$10 million, places all transportation
improvements on the west side.
There wouldn’t be any major east
side improvements. There would
also be grade-separated pervious
pavement with limited stormwater
infrastructure.
Pervious pavement allows
percolation of stormwater through
the surface into the soil below where
the water is naturally filtered and
pollutants are removed.
Concept 4, at a cost of $12 million,
includes a multi-use path for both
pedestrians and bike traffic and
protected bike lanes in both directions.
“There really aren’t a whole lot
of details,” Layden responded.
“Engineering is where that comes in.
Now it’s to refine and look for other
sources of income.”
Lots of questions came from the
audience. One was the scope of the
project which would start at Garden
Home Road (in Multnomah Village)
and continue south to Taylors Ferry
Road.
C h r i s Ly o n s , M u l t n o m a h
transportation chair, said he hopes the
project extends to Barbur Boulevard.
Connecting Capitol Highway and
Barbur Boulevard (Oregon 99W) could
be a way to access state funds since the
boulevard is a state highway.
Layden asked what concept the
crowd preferred and there were mixed
answers. Instead, it included road
safety, water runoff, and that pervious
pavement doesn’t percolate due to the
clay nature of this area.
“There have been six accidents in
five months,” Lyons reported.
“Several intersections have issues
and water goes into my basement,”
said Grier Ingebretsen who lives near
40th Avenue.
A few want to preserve the goat
path, others want speed restrictions,
and even more want crosswalks
installed especially at bus stops.
Some shrubs and tall hedges in
public right-of-way would probably
have to go, but to retain privacy
replanting of trees is in the plan the
project manager assured.
“Remember all of this is very
preliminary.”
Time was up. Layden wiped his
brow and was thanked.
“Finalizing the design is a big step
forward toward getting this project
underway,” Lyons wrapped up.
“Funding still needs to be identified
before the shovels break ground.”
For more information or to become
involved, attend the Multnomah
Neighborhood Association which
meets every second Tuesday at 7 p.m.
at the Multnomah Arts Center, Room
30, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy. You may
also contact Chris Lyons directly at
chrislyons7@yahoo.com.