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About The Multnomah Village post. (Portland, Or.) 1992-2007 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2007)
FeaTUReS September 2007 Design Commission (Continued from page 12) The South Portland Neighborhood Association opposed the project; in a letter, chair Jim Davis called it “nothing more than a high-class rest home for the nation’s well-to-do.” He opposed the 325-foot height, long a sore point with the neighborhood, and said it was unnecessary. He also charged that OHSU was transferring density to the project without specifying where it was coming from. City Planner Kara Fioravanti disputed this, saying that of the project’s nine to one floor area ratio (a measure of project density), three to one is transferred from OHSU’s planned riverfront campus. “At this point, it’s one big 19-acre site,” Fioravanti told The Post. At both hearings commission members praised both the project’s content and architecture. “This is an extraordinarily beautiful project,” commission chair Lloyd Lindley said. “The orientation, the massing, the width make it extraordinary.” By comparison, the nearby John Ross tower “looks a little chubby,” he said. The concept of solar water heating “desperately needs an example that works,” he said. Commission member Jeff Stuhr said, “This is an elegant building that will add to the skyline of this district. It will be one of the most slender buildings in Portland.” Former commission chair Mike McCullough said that a guiding principal involved with construction of such tall buildings is that the commission would grant additional height if the development would do something extraordinary for the neighborhood it was in. “There’s a huge missing piece here,” said McCullough. “So far we have no park and the pedestrian bridge is a ways off.” In addition to a lack of parks, McCullouch was frustrated by a lack of ground floor retail. “We have one café to serve this neighborhood,” he said. Come in and save $10.00 on your purchase of $50 or more, with this coupon. Come in and discover one-of-a-kind clothes, jewelry, and art from independent artists. Anne Bocci Boutique & Gallery 7824 SW Capitol Hwy Portland, OR 97219 503.452.3711 Open 11:00-5:30 Tues-Sat http://www.myspace.com/annebocci PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS. THEY MAKE THE POST POSSIBLE! Multnomah Villager (Continued from page 13) than other facilities but then again, I’m a bit larger than your average Maplewood student. We’ve visited the new playground several times since it’s gone up and Jr. V is looking forward to many future recesses on this gear. There are benches for the adults. Rieke Playground A visit to the Hillsdale Farmers’ Market is not complete, in our house, without a lengthy side trip to the playground here at Mary Rieke Elementary School. There’s a good “modern” play structure and some old-school gear including a long slide and one of those Buckminster Fuller- like dome climbing bars. It’s a nice long walk from our house to Rieke, and the playground is a good place for the parents to catch their breath while the kids work out some energy of the structure. Plus, you can always take the “long way” back and hit Baskin-Robbins for a cone afterwards, and the combination of a playground AND ice cream is pretty hard to beat. There’s also some really great play areas around the Village that I refer to as “semi-private” such as the one at St John Fisher right across from Gabriel Park, which we’ve snuck onto before…Sshhh! Jr. V enjoys the excellent playground facilities at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center as well, since he goes to Kid’s Corner there, after school. West Hills Learning Center has excellent facilities, if you go to day care there. The Multnomah Villager is an online web log of one resident’s experience of life in and around our Village. You can find the Multnomah Villager blog at www. multnomahvillager.com. The Multnomah Village Post • 15