Page 4 *
Letters:
Continued from Page 2
area is unavoidable, but protecting
its uniqueness is not. Every citizen
can make a difference in the way a
community develops. It is through
careful planning that St. Johns will
come to full bloom; this area holds
much of Portland’s rich beginning as
a city and it is a vital and charming
neighborhood that is important to
preserve.
The ST. JOHNS REVIEW * #2-Jan. 29, 2016 * Email: reviewnewspaper@gmail.com * M
The Desired Characteristics and Tra-
ditions of the St. Johns/ Lombard
Plans also states:
“The early housing styles and small-
town scale of the residential St.
Johns area provide the context for
new projects. As such, new develop-
ment should refl ect and acknowledge
this context by ensuring that main
entrances are prominent, pedestrian
connections are strong, landscaping
is prominent and integrated appro-
priately, and parking areas do not
dominate the streetscape.”
Building and site design elements
that contribute to the residential St.
Johns character should be carried out
in new projects. New development
should:
• incorporate architectural and site
development features of early twen-
tieth century era houses, including
eave length, siding materials and ap-
pearance, window and door trim, and
roof pitch;
• continue existing front setback pat-
terns;
• use landscaping to buffer and soft-
en edges;
• provide strong visual connections
between the public sidewalk and
main entrances; and
• locate parking and vehicle areas
toward the rear of residential dwell-
ings.
The area north of Lombard Street
includes several civic and institu-
tional buildings (such as James John
Elementary School, St. Johns branch
library, St. Johns Community Cen-
ter, and Pioneer Methodist Church)
These buildings provide essential
services to local residents and defi ne
the characteristics of the adjacent
residential area. New development
must recognize and preserve the cen-
tral roles of these buildings in the
small-town character of St. Johns.
New development should:
• include landscaping that comple-
ments existing landscaping of these
buildings;
• maintain adequate setbacks and
spacing from these buildings;
• be of a scale, proportion, and mass
that ensures these buildings continue
as the clear focus of the adjacent res-
idential area; and
• incorporate architectural and site
development features that refl ect the
quality of these buildings.
The small-town atmosphere of
downtown St. Johns resonates with
many people. The Lombard Street
main street is the center of this area,
a remnant of the area’s origins as an
independent city, characterized pre-
dominantly by streetcar-era devel-
opment. A unique block and street
pattern has roots in the boundaries
of land claims of the mid-1800s.
The so-called slip lane is a part of
that history and original street pat-
tern. It was slightly altered during
the St Johns Improvement Project,
circa 1975 thru 1980. Before that
the slip lane was a two way street
into St. Johns. So what’s become
known as “Ivy Island” was created
to be a” Gateway” into St. Johns
and to strengthen the identity of the
St Johns Business district. It also
served to ease the traffi c conges-
tion that was on the Lombard Main
Street at that time by creating a by
pass onto Ivanhoe.
Lombard Street is probably the
largest and most diverse main street
in North Portland.
It is a historical Main street that runs
through a neighborhood business
district that is well served by tran-
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sit, and has good pedestrian access.
Lombard also functions as a regional
transportation arterial to other parts
of the city. Main streets help give
a neighborhood its unique identity,
and are one of the ways we defi ne
the area in which we live.
The St. Johns/ Lombard Plan calls
for Respect to the unique character-
istics of the St. Johns town center
and Lombard main street, and em-
phasize human scale in new devel-
opment. Additionally, it calls for
providing for a broad range of hous-
ing choices for residents of all ages,
income levels, and abilities. Much of
the new housing development in the
St Johns area does not take this into
consideration, and ”The Union At St.
Johns” does not support this either.
So where’s the affordable housing.
This proposed development needs
to go back to the drawing board and
really fulfi ll what’s in the St. Johns
Lombard Plan NOT just the part that
supports this proposed development.
Do not cherry pick the plan and short
change St. Johns in the process!
Gary Boehm
-----------------------------------------
In Response
Dear Editor,
In response to the letter: “About
the St. Johns Lombard Plan, “sub-
mitted by Joe Adamski, and “St.
Johns Main Street Beginnings: A
Grassroots Endeavor.” by Barbara
Quinn. I would ask that we look into
“hierarchical involvement” as jux-
taposed with the actual defi nition of
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