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About Willamette week. (Portland, Or.) 1974-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 11, 2017)
DIALOGUE Last week, WW wrote about a Portland-based real estate development company offering to build up to 500 affordable apartments with no public money. In return, it wants City Hall to grant the rights to build skyscrapers as tall as 40 stories along the downtown waterfront (“Aiming High,” WW, Oct. 4, 2017). Here’s what readers said about one of the city’s most hotly debated issues: Laura Linda Gamari, in response: “Hasn’t our own planet taught us that there’s a limit to expansion? Let’s stay in a happy zone where there’s plenty of people and opportunities but not so much that we start treating each other like common rats.” Aaron Collins, via Facebook: “Unless humans suddenly become a subterranean species, only two choices exist: upward or outward. Weigh the pros and cons and make your choice.” Mayor Ted Wheeler, in an Oct. 6 press con- ference: “I support it, number one, because I believe that as our city continues to grow, as the population continue to grow, we are going to need increased density. And “Portland the best place in this city to create needs to increased density is in the urban core.” fi gure Rebecca Ando, via Facebook: “Let’s not become another cookie-cutter city with high-in-the-sky buildings, let’s keep some character to this city. Unfortunately, many beautiful landmarks have already been demol- ished.” out what it wants.” Dennis Verlo LaPrade, in response: “This would only replace a suburban- style apartment complex in downtown that is nowhere close to being considered historic.” Ken Killam, via Facebook: “As soon as the place gets built and sold (on paper), the afford- able part goes right out the window.” Katie Mann, in response: “Or they consider $2,500 a month affordable.” Nathan Oleson, via Facebook: “Portland needs to fi gure out what it wants. No sprawl. No towers. No four-story apartment buildings. It’s almost like it wants no change at all.” Marie Lefleur, via Facebook: “As someone who has lived in NYC her whole life, I can tell you that it is wise to spread out new develop- ments. Once you get too many peo- ple in an area of land everyone turns into an angry a-hole. I do think Port- land can take some development as I’ve been there and it feels empty to me in most areas, but I’d caution on putting too many buildings in one place. People were not meant to live that close to each other.” Chelsea Bianchi, via Facebook: “This has happened before. In the South Water- front. Except they made the ‘affordable’ units for families studios. Which, of course, weren’t actu- ally affordable at all.” Fitz71, via wweek.com: “What’s considered affordable? Are those 300-square-foot bedsits, or real apartments? Are these owner-occupied or bought and rented for short-timers? We need to ask a lot more questions. I’m for density, but I’m not convinced we’re doing it right.” LETTERS TO THE EDITOR must include the author’s street address and phone number for verifi cation. Letters must be 250 or fewer words. Submit to: 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210. Email: mzusman@wweek.com Dr. Know BY M A RT Y S M I T H During TV coverage of the recent wildfi res, I noticed that the Multnomah County sheriff wears two stars on his uniform. I checked out other Oregon sheriff s, and some wear up to four stars! Is our guy outranked? I am proud of Portland and I want the best! —Andrew Your letter got me thinking—what sheriff has the most stars of all? That distinction belongs to the sheriff of Los Angeles County, who sports no fewer than fi ve stars on his overburdened collar. It’s a bold move, considering that only five men have reached five-star rank in the entire history of the U.S. Army, and three of them of them were Dwight Eisenhower. Still, the LASD is the largest county sheriff’s department in the nation. Perhaps the number of stars corresponds to the size of the department? Not in Oregon. As Andrew notes elsewhere in his letter, the sheriffs of both Jackson and Josephine counties rock three-star insignias. It’s possible that Josephine County’s notoriously tight-fi sted voters gave their sheriff an extra star in lieu of health insurance, but there’s no reason for Jackson County’s sheriff to outrank Multno- mah’s guy. And what about that preening satrap, the sheriff of Lane County? What pie-eating con- test did he win that he should stagger under the weight of no fewer than four stars? “The number of stars is specifi c to each agen- cy and not standardized or regulated,” says Lane County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Car- rie Carver. Basically, the number of stars refl ects nothing except the department’s founders’ fond- ness for bling. Carver went on to note that while she’d never seen her boss in a pie-eating contest, “We think he’s pretty cool and would probably be able to hold his own.” QUESTIONS? Send them to dr.know@wweek.com 4 Willamette Week OCTOBER 11, 2017 wweek.com