2 • The Southwest Portland Post
EDITORIAL
Don Snedecor, The Post, May 2016.
The Southwest Portland Post
4207 SE Woodstock Blvd #509
Portland, OR 97206
Fax: (866) 727-5336
email: editor@multnomahpost.com
Build sidewalks along
arterials but leave quieter
side roads untouched
RE: “From The Editor’s Desk: New
construction should automatically trigger
creation of a local improvement district,” by
There has been a lot of discussion
over the years of the need to try to
maintain the rather unique and original
character of Portland’s Southwest area,
particularly its immediate sense of
greenery, trees, “ruralness” and nature.
As a resident of Multnomah Village,
I share the view with other locals that
it is the actual lack of curbs, sidewalks
and pavement that in many instances
very effectively helps generate that
special natural feeling and distinctive
character.
Their absence also helps to return
and retain water in the soil and reduce
the sense of barrenness and radiated
heat a street can possess when so much
concrete is in put in place.
But yes, there is also a greater need
for pedestrian safety in many instances.
How to reconcile the two?
June 2016
Our proposed solution, when the
city has consulted residents over the
development needs of the Southwest
area, is to deliberately install sidewalks
on the major identified access and
arterial roads that locals most often
use to make relevant pedestrian
connections, but to intentionally leave
all the quieter side roads untouched,
and just as they are.
Blanket or “one size fits all”
approaches, through the setting of
standard requirements for all (and
potentially involving undesirable or
unnecessary compulsory spending
and expense to residents on dubious
“improvements”) are not a good idea.
Particularly if such key aspects to
what keeps the Southwest beautiful and
different are overlooked and ignored.
the Tryon-Stephens Plan is the
first collaboration between the
transportation and environmental
bureaus at the neighborhood scale.
Tr y o n - S t e p h e n s f u r t h e r s t h e
a p p l i c a t i o n o f n e w s t re e t a n d
stormwater designs that are more
flexible and more affordable than the
traditional street and stormwater
designs that were the only option until
a few years ago.
And the plan lays the foundation
for cross-bureau collaboration and
for creative thinking about street and
stormwater infrastructure.
F o r m o re i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t
t h e Tr y o n - S t e p h e n s P l a n v i s i t
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/
transportation/65574.
Bruce Dickson
Multnomah Village
Closure of Sears homeless
shelter insisted upon by
vocal minority
Don Snedecor responds: Thanks for
your letter, Bruce. I understand your
concerns about a “one size fits all”
remedy for local street improvements.
But siphoning money from local
streets to pay for sidewalks, bike lanes
and other necessary improvements
along arterials doesn’t solve the
problem.
The Tryon-Stephens Headwaters
Neighborhood Street Plan recently
passed by the Portland City Council
provides a framework for improvements
that maintain the rural character of
local streets while tackling serious
erosion, flooding and infrastructure
needs.
To paraphrase the introduction,
As a Multnomah resident, I am
saddened to hear that the city of
Portland and Transition Projects
will close down the temporary Sears
homeless shelter, potentially throwing
vulnerable homeless citizens back on
the streets.
Portland Mayor Charlie Hales,
Multnomah County Chair Deborah
Kafoury and their staffs have worked
diligently over the past months to
open hundreds of new permanent
shelter beds across the county. [Hales
and Kafoury] recently came to our
neighborhood in good faith to request
(Continued on Page 3)
well
be
…
and well informed
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6256 SW Capitol Hwy.
503-244-7582
email: pharmacy@hillsdalerx.com
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Celebrating
4207 SE Woodstock Blvd #509, Portland, OR 97206
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Business!
Phone: (503) 244-6933; Fax: (866) 727-5336
general email: news@multnomahpost.com
web address: www.swportlandpost.com
23
Editor & Publisher .........Don Snedecor
Contributors...... ...............KC Cowan, Janet Goetze,
................Jack Rubinger, Erik Vidstrand
Copy Editor ......................Rich Riegel
Advertising Sales ...........Rich Riegel, Don Snedecor
Graphic Design ..............Leslie Baird Design
Printing ............................Oregon Lithoprint
Circulation .......................Rick Hepper
© 2016 by The Southwest Portland Post. All rights reserved. The opinions of the
artists and authors contained herein are not necessarily shared by the publisher.
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Deadline is June 20.