Multnomah Days
festival and parade
photo essay
– Page 8
Three sports
show great
potential at
Wilson High
School this year
– Page 7
Hillsdale
contract post office
closes after 25
years
– Page 4
The Southwest Portland Post
Volume No. 24 Issue No. 11
www.swportlandpost.com
Portland, Oregon
Complimentary
September 2016
City staff and neighbors take walking tour of Southwest Capitol Highway
By Erik Vidstrand
The Southwest Portland Post
In late July, nearly 40 invested
citizens, four babies, two dogs, and this
reporter, took a walking tour along the
mile-long stretch of Southwest Capitol
Highway between Taylors Ferry Road
and Garden Home Road.
C h r i s Ly o n s , M u l t n o m a h
transportation chair, organized the
event after he and his ad hoc Capitol
Highway Committee lobbied the city
for improvements.
The Fixing Our Streets Fund, a
temporary increase in the gas tax passed
by voters in May, will partially finance
the project. Although the total cost is
over $12 million, approximately $9
million will be available.
Portland Bureau of Transportation
project manager Steve Szigethy and
Bureau of Environmental Services
stormwater systems manager Dawn
Uchiyama headed the tour with several
other city staff.
Szigethy and Uchiyama are
coordinating
transportation
and stormwater
improvements on
this stretch of road.
“At this early
stage of design,” said
neighbor Marianne
Fitzgerald, “the city
is working with
citizens to design the
project and identify
potential additional
sources of funding.”
The tour began
at the Barbur
Transit Center then
proceeded to Taylors
Ferry Road across
from Walgreens.
“In order for us
to access the transit
center, we need a Some 40 neighbors and city staff gather at the corner of Alice Street during the Capitol Highway tour.
safe way to cross (Post photo by Erik Vidstrand)
Barbur,” said Betty, a
Boulevard (Highway 99W) in order to
and Capitol Highway].”
longtime resident. “It would also be nice
get state transportation funding from
Lyons noted the Capitol Highway
if the traffic signals were synchronized
project needs to extend to Barbur
at this intersection [Barbur Boulevard
(Continued on Page 3)
Controversy continues over planned ‘gathering space’ in Spring Garden Park
MULTNOMAH NOTEBOOK
Kennedy-Wong and project manager
Travis Ruybal were invited to go over
the development process. Unresolved
By Erik Vidstrand
issues at the July neighborhood meeting
The Southwest Portland Post
sparked the request.
Staff reiterated that the entire process
At last month’s meeting of the
had been vetted over the past year.
Multnomah Neighborhood Association,
Staff canvassed the neighborhood with
the debate about the “gathering space”
flyers, put signs up at the park, and
slated for Spring Garden Park lasted
posted social media.
nearly an hour. Over 45 people attended
But the controversy lies with a cement
the August 9 meeting.
pad, or amphitheater, as the neighbors
Park community liaison Elizabeth
have called it. It does not sit well with
n e a r b y re s i d e n t s
who feel the process
was not transparent
enough.
Neighbors are
also not pleased
with predicted noise
due to a proposed
electrical outlet most
likely opening up
revenue generating
rentals from bands,
parties, and other
events on the pad.
Ruybal shared the
latest rendition of
the park depicting
the approximate 400
square foot concrete
pad, turf, and seating
walls. According to
the park website, he
said, this area will
better accommodate
movies in the park
and provide an
additional gathering
space for learning
Travis Ruybal, Spring Garden Park project manager, reviews and interpretation of
the master plan at the Multnomah Neighborhood Association an adjacent stream
meeting on August 9. (Post photo by Erik Vidstrand)
daylighting project.
“It has a two-foot retaining wall,”
Ruybal pointed out. “We understood
the intent of this area was mostly to
appease to teens who requested an
area for them.”
“It was in response from the PAC
(project advisory committee),”
Kennedy-Wong added. “I’m not sure
where the words ‘amphitheater ’
or ‘amplification’ came from. The
electricity outlet is for plugging in the
projector.”
An audience member said other
parks that have amphitheaters and
electricity have major setbacks away
from homes.
It wasn’t until most recently that the
minutes of a January 29 park advisory
committee meeting suddenly appeared
after questions about its whereabouts
came from The Post.
Those notes state that the project
manager had asked “if there are
other design elements that need to be
changed, this is the time to give your
opinions.”
No other issues were raised by those
present.
Residents most impacted by the
decision were at the association meeting.
Hannah Davidson, Ken Boltz, and Chris
Powers all expressed various concerns
about the city’s process.
“I never agreed to that,” responded
Davidson, “and I was at the January
meeting.”
One woman said if it wasn’t for
the newspaper article in The Post, she
would have never known about the
controversial pad. She said no one at
the city ever reached out to her.
“I was brought here to discuss the
process only,” Kennedy-Wong repeated,
“not other issues.” But it was Ruybal
who had the final word.
“If this goes away,” he said pointing
to the amphitheater pad, “you’d all be
happy?”
A large cheer resounded in the room.
Kennedy-Wong disagreed with her
colleague that this would need to be
decided upon by a committee process.
And with that, the two left 55 minutes
after they had begun.
We e k s l a t e r, H u n Ta i n g , t h e
community engagement coordinator,
(Continued on Page 3)
Don’t forget to renew your subscription. Form on Page 2.
The Southwest Portland Post
4207 SE Woodstock Blvd #509
Portland, OR 97206