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The ST. JOHNS REVIEW * #3 Feb. 12, 2016 * Email: reviewnewspaper@gmail.com * M
Letters: Continued from Page 2
of, or against, giving the Gateway
Island to a developer. Regretfully,
due to time constraints, I was not
able to read all the questions and
concerns of the attendees. I was,
however, able to call on all the
hands that were raised to allow
viewpoints of the current question/
concern being discussed. There
were a couple moments were the
debate got “hot”, but I think it was
“mostly civil”. In summary, nei-
ther side was able to convince the
other of “their” perspective, but ar-
guments were made on both sides.
In my opinion, redevelopment of
the Gateway should have commu-
nity involvement, multiple voices
should be heard. To quote the St.
Johns/Lombard Plan in regards
to the Gateway redevelopment,
“Specific design details still need
to be developed through a design
engineering process with public
involvement” (P.86). How much
of the Public been involved?
Tony Darco
========================
Dear Editor,
By the time your readers have
picked up this paper, Portland
City Council will have heard Ivy
Island testimony, for and against.
What happens now? Now the City
Council will consider testimony
and make their decision on Feb-
ruary 17, 2016. I encourage your
readers, no matter what side you
are on, to call the City Council
and make your wishes known con-
cerning Ivy Island and the Bolouri
Development, or the Union at St.
Johns as it’s called. They’re still
thinking about it and trying to de-
cide. Let them know what you
want them to do.
A Recap of the Positions
The Union at St. Johns is com-
ing to St Johns in SOME form or
another. Mr. Bolouri has said that
there will be a four-story, 106 unit
complex with mixed retail space,
with or without Ivy Island. And
that is what is at issue: Ivy Island
and the Lombard Slip Lane. The
two opposing sides have different
ideas as to what the City Council
should do.
The Pro-Vacation, DON’T save
Ivy Island side, would like the slip
lane removed for a safety issue
at Charleston. This requires that
Public Land be made Private. The
removal, along with the accom-
panying new right turn into St.
Johns will slow traffic and make
the Charleston corner safer. They
also believe that the plazas that
will be created have value; that the
Union at St. Johns will create an
enhanced Gateway into St Johns,
and that the ensuing four-story
building is an appropriate structure
for St. Johns.
The Save Ivy Island side believes
that the configuration that we cur-
rently have, with the mature trees
and the marquee sign is an icon-
ic, historic and effective Gateway
into our business district. We be-
lieve that the slip lane prevents
traffic congestion, and that there
are other, more traditional ways of
calming traffic at the slip lane and
making the Charleston corner saf-
er. We also believe that the Union
at St. Johns ruins this intersection
as a Gateway, that the proposed
plaza has little value, and that it is
vitally important that Public Land
remains Public.
I believe that it’s unfortunate
that PBOT, Portland Planning, or
City Hall did not ask our commu-
nity about this project by holding
hearings, having Town Halls, etc.
Something that changes the face of
St. Johns so radically, so irrevers-
ibly, needed more discussion and
consensus. For the two opposing
sides it’s been a street fight with-
out a referee.
St. Johns has a reputation in City
Hall for being an unpredictable,
contentious and raucous commu-
nity, so let’s not disappoint. I say
both sides should go out swing-
ing. They didn’t ask our opinion,
but let’s give it to them anyways.
What you do now will make a
difference. NO MATTER WHAT
SIDE YOU ARE ON, CALL TO-
DAY. City Hall is deciding our
future for our community. It’s our
last chance for all of us, no matter
what your position is, to let them
know what you think.
These are the five people voting
on this issue. Calling them is easy,
just say you want to leave a mes-
sage, they’ll switch you over. You
won’t have to talk to anybody! You
can call anytime, even after hours
and go to voicemail. Easy peasy.
Mayor Charlie Hales-
503.823.4120
Commissioner Amanda
Fritz-503.823.3008
Commissioner Steve Novick
-503.823.4682
Commissioner Nick Fish-
503.823.3589
Commissioner Dan Saltzman
503.823.4151
Thank-you,
John Teply, Director for Save Ivy
Island
========================
Let’s Make Our St. Johns
Gateway Better
Dear Editor,
St. Johnsians, you thought it was
over? That you wouldn’t see an-
other letter about Ivy Island? Not
yet. On Feb. 17 the final vote will
be taken. The Portland City Coun-
cil will decide on that date. You
can still call each person on the
City Council and tell them what
you want.
My final thoughts: Our neighbors
in favor of the vacation of Ivy Is-
land and the Lombard Slip Lane
often use the St Johns Lombard
Plan (SJLP) as justification for
supporting the vacation, but I take
issue over WHAT the Developer
intends to build in this location if
we give him our public land. The
SJLP NOWHERE suggests that
we fill up the space left emptied by
Ivy Island with a large, four-story
structure. In fact, on page 36 of
the SJLP, there is a drawing that il-
lustrates the recommended chang-
es to Ivy Island and the Lombard
Slip Lane, namely, a PARK, trees
and greenery at the entryway to
the “new and improved” gateway
to St Johns. With the Union At St
Johns, tall trees are missing, the
greenspace is missing and so is the
pedestrian walkway.
The SJLP has several recommendations fo
the “new” gateway to downtown St Johns: 1
It should be clear that this is THE GATEWA
to the business core, 2) Visibility into th
downtown center should be increased, an
3) There should be greenspace and a protec
ed pedestrian corridor. The original idea wa
that the Lombard Slip lane would be close
off and Ivy Island would be shifted north t
accommodate the traffic improvements at N
Richmond and Jersey. What remained of Iv
Island, along with the now closed-off Sli
Lane, would essentially become a park an
pedestrian walk way.
With our current configuration, we alread
have a Gateway into the downtown distric
It is clear, with the Lombard Slip and Ivy Is
land as they stand, that this is the entrance t
our downtown. The problem we have wit
the Slip Lane, where vehicles enter the down
town too fast, is an easier problem to fix tha
the opposite, where no vehicles enter at al
I am concerned about this. I worry that th
only people who will come downtown will b
the people who already know the downtow
is there. Instead of a Gateway, I fear that th
new development will function like a wal
closing off our current access to our down
town. There will no longer be an obvious an
unique gateway into St Johns. What we’
have is “just” a corner, a corner that look
like all the other newly minted corners on N
Williams or Mississippi. And we’ll JUST b
North Portland.
Furthermore, with an underground parkin
garage, like the one slated to be built unde
the current Ivy Island, trees won’t grow as ta
as the 40 foot tall trees that currently stan
on Ivy Island. We want our children to enjo
the trees, just as we want ALL the residen
and visitors to St Johns to be able to enjoy th
view of the St Johns Bridge as they approac
our downtown, not just the well-to-do peopl
lucky enough to live on the top floors of th
Union at St Johns.
My neighbors in favor of the vacation wi
say, “But Shae, what about that dangerou
blind curve? You heartless woman! Don
you care about the safety of our children?” O
course I care, as do all of us fighting to sav
Ivy Island. How about a speed bump and
flashing red light and a sign that says, “En
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