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.”
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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
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Willamette Week OCTOBER 11, 2017 wweek.com