LUTC Newsletter - Mid-September 2014

A mid-September LUTC newsletter is up... please click this link to access the report.

LUTC Newsletter - September 2014

September's LUTC newsletter is up... please click this link to access the report.

LUTC Newsletter - August 2014

August's LUTC newsletter is up... please click this link to access the report.

Update Report: Portland Comprehensive Plan

SGNA-LUTC has been following the progress of the Portland Comprehensive Plan process for over a year.  We have brought you progress reports generated by the City of Portland and associated with various committees attended by SGNA-LUTC representatives. Presently, Lauren Jones and Carol Gossett are members of the Mixed Use Zone Review Project Committee which is that portion of the Comprehensive Plan process related to zoning review of all commercial-mixed use corridors throughout the city. This committee is an extension of the comprehensive planning effort described in the following sites.  

Please take a look at the sites shown below, understanding that this proposed policy format will ultimately be refined through an upcoming public engagement process. At the time the public meetings become scheduled and published we will announce the times, dates and locations of the meetings for your information.

The City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) released the Proposed Comprehensive Plan on Monday, July 21 2014.  Here is a link to the Comprehensive Plan web page:  http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/65310

Proposed changes to the Comprehensive Plan map are shown on the map app.  This includes the proposed mixed use areas where the zones the Mixed Use Zones Project will develop will be applied:   http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/65337 

In addition, there are a few docs you may want to scan/familiarize yourself with as we move forward on creating implementing mixed use zones.  The list below is probably most relevant to our work:

Introduction/Overview: http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/497294

Urban Design Direction:  http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/497442

Chapter 3, Urban Form: http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/497231

Chapter 4, Design and Development: http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/497232

Chapter 5, Housing: http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/497395

Chapter 6, Economic Development: http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/497437

LUTC Newsletter - July 2014

July's LUTC newsletter is ready to go... please click this link to access the report.

Portland Design Commission to review proposed changes to Grant Park Village, Thursday, Dec. 6

The tentative schedule for the Portland Design Commission meeting of December 6, 2012 contains the following item pertaining to Grant Park Village (Albina Fuel site).

2. LU 12-186554 DZM AD – Grant Park Village Chris Caruso, BDS, 503-823-5747
APPLICANT: Greg Mitchell, LRS Architects ADDRESS: NE Broadway at NE 32nd/NE 33rd Ave

Modifications requested include: 

1. Projecting Sign Size – To allow signs projecting into the right-of-way to be larger than 30 SF each. Two projecting signs at 100 SF each are proposed. 

2. Ground Floor Windows – To reduce the amount of ground floor windows to below the required standards for non-residential development walls facing public and private rights-of-way around the site. 

3. Building Height – To increase portions of the building height in the CS zone from 45 feet to as tall as 60'-8" above grade. 

4. Loading – To allow trucks to enter the loading area off of NE Weidler with rearward motion rather than forward motion.  

Design Commission hearings are held at 1900 SW 4th Ave, Room 2500A.  Live audio of the hearing is available at the time by going to a link contained in the PDF of the Commission agenda (PDF):

http://www.portlandonline.com/bds/index.cfm?c=42442

(sorry unable to provide direct web links)

Transcripts, documents and audio of previous Design Commission hearings on Grant Park Village are available here:

http://efiles.portlandoregon.gov/webdrawer/rec/5016885/

SGNA Land Use & Transportation Committee Agenda for Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012

 

Here's the agenda for SGNA-LUTC Meeting — 7 pm at Holladay Park Plaza, 1300 NE 16th Avenue, 97232

Welcome and Introductions:  Introduction of speakers and/or guests.

Team Leader Discussion List and General Comments, Updates from Members:

A.    Lauren - Albina Fuel Site, Project Update, Design Review Schedule and New Seasons Progress

B.    Britt - Recommendation to seek public comment and review of the 1987 SGNA Neighborhood Plan by creating a Sub-committee within the SGNA-LUTC

C.    Nancy  – Building Contacts for Infrastructure Financing

D.    Ken and Carol – NECN Grant – Neighborhood Charette

E.     Andy – Broadway Revitalization Update

F.     Carol – Discussion about Multnomah Street improvements

G.    Melissa – Planning for Aging America

H.    Carol – 28^th Street Bike Trail Interview

I.       Grant Park Update/Information Exchange

J.     Adjourn

Reminder: Important SGNA Meeting this Tues. Nov. 13

The Fall SGNA General Meeting will be discussing some important topics about the future development patterns in the Gulch and surrounding neighborhoods.  It's important to attend so that you're aware of what's on the horizon and so that your perspective and ideas are heard in the discussion.

The main event is a wide-ranging panel discussion with city planners and a representative from Grant Park development on the east end of Sullivan's Gulch neighborhood (old Albina Fuel site).   The discussion will include next steps of implementing the vision developed in the recently adopted N/NE Quadrant Plan into the City's Comprehensive Plan.  The "Comp Plan" is an important tool guiding rezoning efforts over the next 20+ years.  Useful background material about the process can be found on the city's web page about the Comp Plan here.  You can sign up for direct notification of future updates on the webpage. 

Additional information about land use issues is from the NECN Land Use Committee, especially minutes from Sept. and October meetings.

The General Meeting will be held at Grace Memorial Episcopal Church, NE 16-17th and Weidler starting at 7 pm.  Hope to see you there.

City Releases Study of Impact of New Residential Developments with Zero Parking; Public Hearing Scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 13.

Recently there has been controversy from several neighborhoods about changes in the city code that allow new multifamily developers along designated "Transit Streets" to build units without any on-site parking.  At the present no such units have been proposed for Sullivan's Gulch but given that they have appeared in many other neighborhoods and that they offer some lower rents, it is certainly possible they may be proposed for the Gulch.

As a result of the concern from several neighborhood associations and the advocacy group The Citywide Land Use Group expressed, the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability has been working on a study of new apartment buildings with no off-street parking in preparation for a November 13th community forum. The results of the study have just been published here and you may find them interesting.  The website includes the report, maps and a background memo.

The Public Forum on New Apartments and Parking will be held on Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. downtown at 1900 SW 4th Avenue, Room 2500A.

The advocacy group, The Citywide Land Use Group is currently circulating an online survey to gauge peoples' interest and concerns about the issue of zero parking developments.  You can take the survey here.  They've also produced an interesting FAQ about zero parking developments as well, here.

Here are the areas around Sullivan's Gulch Neighborhood where installing parking is allowed but not required by zoning code from this map. Red is Commercial zone; Yellow is Single Family Residential and Blue is Multifamily.

Below are selected excerpts from the  November 2012 report: PARKING IMPACTS FOR NEW TOD [Transit Oriented Development] ALONG PORTLAND INNER CORRIDORS — PARKING STUDY, by David Evans and Associates, Portland for the City of Portland.  (Editor's Note: I have included information one example zero-parking apartment located in Irvington since it is situated in an area not unlike the area of Sullivan's Gulch west of 21st.)

HOW MUCH PARKING DO TENANTS NEED?

In general, the survey results do not suggest a relationship between on-site parking and vehicle ownership. Survey responses indicate that residents at both types of buildings (those with on-site parking and those without on-site parking) have similar trends in motorized vehicle ownership. The range of vehicles per unit determined in the statistical analysis varies from a low of 0.2 vehicles to a high of 2.0 vehicles per unit as shown in Table 2.

IRVINGTON GARDEN APARTMENTS

The Irvington Garden Apartments building is located in the Irvington neighborhood in northeast Portland, several blocks north of Broadway. This Project Location is the most utilized of the eight locations in regard to parking. Broadway is a commercial street in the study area that is home to several businesses, with limited off-street parking and time-restricted on-street parking. Off of Broadway, the local streets serve mainly the residential neighborhood, though there is spillover from patrons of the Broadway area. Figure 5 shows a graphical representation of the observed on-street parking utilization during the peak observation period, and a chart of the variation in on-street parking use throughout the observed weekday and weekend day.

WEEKDAY DATA

The weekday data for this Project Location indicates that on-street parking supply is adequate if the utilization for the two-block walkable area is averaged, but it is insufficient on many of the blocks emanating from Broadway. All of the data collection time periods observed an average utilization below the 85 percent effective capacity—utilization ranged from 61 to 66 percent. The majority of the blocks that reached capacity had less than eight available spaces to begin with, and several had only three. As a resident of Irvington Garden Apartments, one rarely, if ever, must circle the block to find a parking space within a one-block walking distance of the apartments, even if the streets directly bordering it are at capacity. It becomes much more difficult if you want to park nearer to Broadway.

During the week, most of the blocks surveyed had very little turnover, especially north of Hancock Street, where there are no time restrictions. Most of the observed parking spaces had only one or two vehicles parked in a spot over the course of the day. Because of the presence of time restrictions along Broadway and the adjacent side streets, turnover was more frequent in those areas. However, some vehicles were observed to be parked in the same spot for the entirety of the data collection period (at least 12 hours). What this tells us is that between Broadway and Hancock Street, residents and/or employees are competing for the same parking.

WEEKEND DATA

The weekend day is worse for parking than the weekday, with average utilization still below the effective 85 percent capacity threshold, but ranging from 67 to 72 percent. Weekend utilization peaked during the 6:30 p.m. collection period, which was also the overall peak utilization period at the Irvington Garden Apartments Project Location. Similar to the weekday, many block faces reached capacity (and the 85 percent effective capacity).

Planning for the Future of Sullivan's Gulch — the main event at our Fall General Meeting - Tues. Nov. 13

How do current City wide planning efforts, as represented by the City of Portland's Central City 2035 Concept Plan and the recent N/NE Quadrant Project, affect our neighborhood and work in conjunction with the economy of the neighborhood and the city?  That's the topic of a panel discussion at the SGNA Fall General Meeting that we hope you'll attend.

SGNA Fall General Meeting will be held Tuesday, November 13th, starting at 7:00 PM at Grace Episcopal Church 1535 Northeast 17th Avenue Portland, OR 97232.  We hope to see everyone there.

Here's the agenda for the meeting:

1. Welcome, Introductions, Announcements 

2. Welcome to our new neighborhood liaison Police Officer - Joshua Buller - and comments from him.

3. City of Portland Leaf Sweeping, Friday, December 14th - The SGNA Board has arranged off street parking starting in the evening of the Nov. 13 at Grace Episcopal Church and Fred Meyer for neighbors who need a place to put their cars for the day.  For parking at Fred Meyer, a liability waiver will have to be signed by each neighbor parking.  Cars must be moved off these lots after the clean up is complete.  The hours of availability will be strictly enforced.

4. Committee Reports 
    Communications
    Lifestyles
    Safety, Livability and Emergency Preparedness
    Treasurer's Report

5. Election and Re-election of Board Members
    Do you like Sullivan's Gulch as much as we do?  If so, consider joining one of the SGNA
    committees or the SGNA Board itself.  There's plenty to do to make it more livable and special.

6. NE Coalition of Neighborhoods - announcements and notices.

7. Planning for the Future of the Gulch — A Moderated Panel Discussion
How do current City wide planning efforts as represented by the Central City 2035 Concept Plan and the recent N/NE Quadrant Project relate to our neighborhood and work in conjunction with the economy of the neighborhood and the city.  Current and proposed efforts of the Land Use and Transportation Committee, and with a particular project in our neighborhood, Grant Park Village, Capstone Partners LLC's proposed mixed-use retail/apartment complex at NE Broadway and NE 33rd Avenues.  Panel members include:

• Mr. Steve Iwata, Planner, Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability 
• Mr. Tyler Bump, Economist, Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability 
• Ms. Carol Gossett, SGNA Board member and Chair of the Land Use Committee 
• Ms. Lauren Golden Jones, neighbor, and Project Manager with Capstone Partners, LLC 
• Moderator Britt Brewer, SGNA Board Vice Chair

8. Next Steps - brief comments on the "The Sullivan's Gulch Neighborhood Action Plan, Adopted by the City Council, July 16, 1987, Ordinance No. 159897 and a call for neighbor's review and opinions.

9. Concluding remarks

Agenda for SGNA Land Use & Transportation Committee Meeting, Wednesday, November 7, 2012

SGNA-Land Use & Transportation Committee Meeting, Nov. 7 @ 7 pm,  Holladay Park Plaza, 1300 NE 16th Avenue, 97232

Welcome and Introductions:  We extend a warm welcome to Kenneth Peterson, Grant Park Neighborhood Association Land Use and Transportation Chairperson.  Kenneth will be attending upcoming SGNA-LUTC meetings as our two neighborhoods continue to share information and expertise related to planning and development opportunities within our borders.

Guest Speaker:

Kurt Kueger, Portland Bureau of Transportation will discuss traffic management issues and signalization

Team Leader Discussion List and General Comments, Updates From Members:

A.  Lauren - Albina Fuel Site, Project Update, Design Review Schedule and New Seasons Progress

B.  Britt - Discuss date and time of November SGNA General Meeting and program planning

C. Recommendation to seek public comment and review of the 1987 SGNA Neighborhood Plan by creating a Sub-committee within the SGNA-LUTC

D.  Nancy  – Results of October 3^rd meeting with the Parks and Recreation Bureau

E.  Ken and Carol – NECN Application – Neighborhood Charrette

F.  Andy – Broadway revitalization update

G.  Carol – Update on Equity meeting October 10th

H.  Melissa – 28^h Avenue Crosswalk Update

I.  Carol – N/NE Quadrant Plan approved by unanimous vote of City Council October 25^th

J  Carol –  West Quadrant Stakeholder Advisory Committee Recruitment - https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/417060

K.   Adjourn

Information Sharing:   New apartments and parking by BPS (parking behavior study, cost analysis, and a Trimet service review) When the fact finding is completed, the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) will host a public forum with the Planning and Sustainability Commission to present results of the studies. It is scheduled for Nov. 13, 2012, at 1:45  p.m., at 1900 SW 4th Avenue, Room 2500A. This forum will provide an opportunity for the public to relay comments and ask questions about the issue.  Submitted by Carol Gossett

Vancouver-based Holland Residential has sold its prized Axcess 15 apartments complex Holland sold the 202-unit Lloyd District complex, 1500 N.E. 15th Ave., to Chicago-based Waterton Associates LLC. for $48.62 million or $240,717 per unit. The property is 95 percent occupied.  The deal included $33.5 million in financing arranged by Jim Rice and Nick Santangelo of CBRE Capital Markets. Kirk Taylor of CBRE brokered the sale. Axcess includes three courtyards, a fitness center, lounge and parking garage, and occupies 1.88 acres. The property has 171,830 square feet of rentable space. The average unit size is 851 square feet.  Submitted by Britt Brewer

N/NE Quadrant Plan Presents Vision for Future Development

By Carol Gossett, SGNA Land Use & Transportation Committee Chair

The N/NE Quadrant Plan is one part of the Central City 2035 project, a planning effort to update the 1988 Central City Plan.  The Central City Plan will include new guiding policies, updated land use and urban design plans, and more detailed plans for specific districts.  The Central City Plan will be included in the City's updated Comprehensive Plan and will implement the Portland Plan, the city's strategic plan.  The plan was adopted by Portland City Council on October 25, 2012.

The N/NE Quadrant Plan was the first of the more detailed district plans and stakeholders addressed land use issues, urban design, transportation, public infrastructure and development entitlements in the Lloyd District (including a portion of Sullivan's Gulch) and Lower Albina sub districts.  The N/NE Quadrant Plan contains significant facilities and functions of state-wide and regional importance including the industrial waterfront in Lower Albina and major event, office and etail facilities in the Lloyd District.

A major transportation facility in the N/NE Quadrant Plan is the I-5 Freeway.  Today, the freeway and Broadway/Weidler interchange are congested, with the highest crash rates in Oregon on the freeway and a high number of crashes, particularly  involving pedestrians and bicyclists on the surrounding local streets.  The City of Portland and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) engaged in a joint effort in the N/NE Quadrant Plan to develop an I-5 Broadway/Weidler interchange concurrently with the planning of land use, urban design, and other elements of planning related to the quadrant plan.

Poor quality of the pedestrian experience and limited street-level activity were considered elements of the planning that directly impact the Lloyd Center, Holladay Park and the Sullivan's Gulch Area.  Increasing vitality through redevelopment and new development were defined as important issues.  Solutions explored and agreed to include:

• Improving the facade of Lloyd Center 
• Development of the Lloyd Cinema parking lot to include mixed use development
• Large assembled property sites considered an opportunity for the area
• Public safety at Holladay Park
• Increasing public connectivity and safety
• Pedestrain connectivity and safety including new pedestrian bridge around NE 9th and the Central Eastside around I-84, addition of bike lanes to the 12th Avenue bridge and continuing bike lanes on Multnomah to 21st Avenue

The property at the SW corner of NE Multnomah and NE 21st seen as opportunity sites for development. These properties have split zoning at this time and the planning included ideas for design solutions and development of the sites, including potential access for the future Sullivan's Gulch Trail.  

General quadrant-wide issues included:

• Urban Vibrancy and Vitality - statements encouraging increased development including retail, office and housing
• Economic Prosperity - increased employment and business growth that particularly support expansion of existing businesses and building on exiting major attractions
• Human and Environmental Health - supporting the Lloyd Green pilot EcoDistrict now under development, improving habitat conditions, continuing storm water management, expanding parks and natural areas, etc.
• Balance and Equity - focused on bring new people and businesses to the area
• Connectivity and Access - included maintaining and improving access to and within the quadrant for all modes of transportation, including pedestrian access and safety

A Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) was one of the primary means of ensuring that the public had opportunities to provide meaningful input into the planning process.  The SAC was mode up of 30 voting members, each representing businesses and neighborhood associations, property owners as well as community interest groups.  Carol Gossett represented the Sullivan's Gulch Neighborhood Association in this 19th month planning effort."

You can read the full plan here.  Specific references to the area of Sullivan's Gulch (along Multnomah to 21st Ave.) - referred to in the report as "North Banfield Portal" - included in the report are on pages 63 and 86 of the zoning and height report here.

SGNA Meeting Advisory: Land Use & Transportation Committee to meet Wed. Nov. 7 this month only

Due to the elections, the SGNA Land Use and Transportation Committee meeting has been shifted one day later, to Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 7 pm. The meeting will be held at its normal location: Holladay Park Plaza. We will post a full agenda next week.

Thanks for your understanding. Be sure to vote by November 6!

SGNA Land Use Committee October Meeting - Tuesday, Oct. 2 at 7 pm

SGNA-Land Use & Transportation Committee agenda for Tuesday, October 2, 2012 

Additions, deletions, comments to be sent to Carol Gossett before Friday, October  2^nd , otherwise, see you at the meeting:

SGNA-LUTC Meeting @ Holladay Park Plaza @ 1300 NE 16th Avenue, 97232 @ 7:00 PM

New Business:

Team Leader Discussion List:

A.  Lauren - Albina Fuel Site, Project Update, Design Review Schedule,  New Seasons, and 3^rd Walkabout Event

B.  Dan – Trail Update

C.  Carol – Next steps for Sullivan's Gulch Trail

D.  Britt – Meeting with Joe Weston

E.  Andy – Broadway Revitalization Update – Architects Activities and Schedule

     Carol – Meeting with Debbie regarding development of a contact list for Broadway Presentations

F.  Carol – Meetings with Mr. Rumpakis and City  on 9/10 regarding zoning for his property

     Britt – Meeting with Rumpakis on 9/17 regarding zoning of his property

G.  Melissa – 28^h Avenue Crosswalk Update

H.  Carol – Speaker Series – BPOT to Discuss Multnomah Street

I.   Carol – N/NE Quadrant – Hearing 9/11 to Consider Plan, Final Vote 9/25

J.  Adjourn