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About The Southwest Portland Post. (Portland, Oregon) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2017)
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall star in the film noir classic, “The Big Sleep” – Page 7 New Food Front grocery store director shares insights – Page 5 Jeff Strang of Multnomah County gives talk on aging in place – Page 8 The Southwest Portland Post Volume No. 26 Issue No. 1 www.swportlandpost.com Portland, Oregon Complimentary November 2017 Residents spread gravel along goat path; Capitol Highway planning continues By Erik Vidstrand The Southwest Portland Post On Oct. 28, Southwest Trails PDX and the Portland Bureau of Trans- portation, dumped gravel along four sections of Capitol Highway. Community members brought wheelbarrows and transported it onto the uneven dirt trail which runs parallel to the highway. This route has been the only way for pedestrians and strollers to travel safely between neighbors, bus stops, or to local grocery stores and shops. Don Baack of Southwest Trails helped facilitate the project with the transportation bureau. There were concerns from a few residents at the September meeting of the Multnomah Neighborhood Association that grav- el wasn’t the best material for indi- viduals with disabilities or visual impairments. “The route in its current condition is even more dangerous for everyone,” Baack said at the time. “Remember, this is just a short-term fix until the highway construction is completed.” Subcommittee gets sneak peek at 30 percent design Over the summer, the Portland Bu- reau of Transportation and the Bureau of Environmental Services have been busy getting designs ready for im- proving Southwest Capitol Highway. A variety of events for the community have been scheduled in November. “I’m pleased to report that our sub- committee will get a sneak peek of the 30 percent design at our next meeting coming up on Tuesday, Nov. 21,” said Chris Lyons, Capitol Highway sub- committee chair of the Multnomah Neighborhood Association. “The meeting will be held from 6:30–8:30 p.m. in Room 7 at the Multnomah Arts Center.” The subcommittee will receive up- dates from the two bureaus who are working together on the project. They will also present on a couple other topics of interest to the group. Transportation project manager Steve Szigethy will show off project designs, share cost estimates, and discuss available funding sources. Szigethy will also review highway right-of-way and frontage impacts to the residents along the route. He will discuss outreach efforts and be avail- able to answer questions. Stormwater updates and designs will be presented by Becky Tillson, project manager for the Bureau of Environmental Services. There have been multiple issues with stormwater runoff and floods from side streets along Capitol Highway. The total project cost has been re- duced to approximately $11 million for the one-mile segment between Taylors Ferry Road and Garden Home Road. According to Lyons, the 2011 esti- mate was around $19 million. “Because of the latest design work,” Lyons said, “it’s helped to bring the cost down considerably since they won’t be tearing up the whole road to put pipes underneath it. The [cur- rent] estimate is more like $10 – 12 million.” Stormwater Stars Open House slated for Nov. 4 Lyons also announced a Storm- water Stars Open House and Yard Computer app to report potholes, graffiti and clogged storm drains At the September meeting of the Multnomah Neighborhood Associa- tion, chair Martie Sucec explained a new computer app to report prob- lems in neighborhoods like potholes, graffiti, and clogged storm drains. Sucec stressed that the more peo- ple who report problems, the better. The app, PDX Reporter, forwards an individual’s report as a dot on the map, so the more individuals who report a particular problem, the more dots will accrue to that site. “We’re hoping it just might get the attention of the appropriate bureau,” Sucec said. “A neighbor reported that she and her neighbors got a pothole filled on Southwest 26th [Avenue] through their reports.” The “New Report” screen is used to document problem reports con- cerning various City of Portland infrastructures. A complete report consists of a photograph of the problem, a brief description of the issue, report loca- tion, and other details. “At minimum, the report must include a report type and location,” said Sucec. “After filling the form out, hit submit and it sends the report to the city.” The report also addresses aban- doned automobiles, debris in the roadways, illegal parking, sidewalk trip hazards, work zone concerns, and even vegetation grown over sidewalks. One can access the PDX Reporter from any smart phone, tablet, lap- top, or desktop computer at www. pdxreporter.org. – Erik Vidstrand Gravel was delivered by the Portland Bureau of Transportation for the "goat path" along Southwest Capitol Highway on Oct. 28. Volunteers Josh Byler, Donna Jean Paterson, and Chris Houghton use wheelbarrows to spread out the gravel and then tamp it down. Don Baack of SW Trails organized the event. Nearly two dozen neighbors helped out on the brilliant autumn day. (Post photo by Erik Vidstrand) Tour to be held on Saturday, Nov. 4, from 1–3 p.m. at the Hillsdale Library (Southwest Sunset Boulevard and Dewitt Street). The open house begins at the library with refreshments. Participants will learn about best practices for reduc- ing stormwater runoff, conserving soil, installing native plants, and mitigating damage from stormwater. Attendees will then tour two near- by yards that are past sites of “Storm- water Stars” projects and hear from neighbors who have implemented stormwater management practices. “The event is free and hosted by the Southwest Watershed Resource Center,” said Hillary Hunt, center manager. “Rain or shine, we will meet and hold the tour.” Children are welcome and activity books will be available. Contact Hunt with questions at watershed@swni. org or call her at 503-823-2862. “Potential attendees should RSVP at http://www.swni.org/watershed. The Portland transportation and en- vironmental service bureaus will hold a Southwest Capitol Highway Project open house on Wednesday, Nov. 29 from 6–8 p.m. in the Multnomah Arts Center auditorium, 7688 SW Capitol Highway. A presentation on the project design will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. Subscribe to The Post and help us keep the presses rolling! Form on Page 2. The Southwest Portland Post 4207 SE Woodstock Blvd #509 Portland, OR 97206
