1) OKNA General Meeting (Tuesday, April 19)
2) Learn about Interstate Lanes development (Thursday, April 21)
3) City developing middle housing policies
4) Help choose a new Department of Environmental Quality director
5) Tell Metro what sort of housing you want to see
6) Enjoy the arts at Portland Abbey Arts
7) Gypsy Moth spraying
1) OKNA General Meeting (Tuesday, April 19)
Join your neighbors on Tuesday to learn about what’s happening in Overlook. We’ll hear from a legislative candidate, learn about neighborhood watch, hear about the Portland bike share project and more.
OKNA General Meeting (agenda)
Tuesday, April 19, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Kaiser Town Hall Building (3704 N Interstate Ave.)
2) Learn about Interstate Lanes development (Thursday, April 21)
A representative from the development company or the local architecture firm working on redeveloping the Interstate Lanes site will be at next week’s Arbor Lodge Neighborhood Association meeting. Visit the neighborhood next door to learn more about the project.
Arbor Lodge Neighborhood Association
Thursday, April 21, 6:30 p.m.
Kenton Firehouse (8105 N Brandon )
3) City developing middle housing policies
The Residential Infill Project (RIP) is developing regulatory concepts that address the scale of new housing and remodels as well as appropriate types and locations for alternative housing options in single-dwelling zones.
Alternative housing options support middle housing
At their April 5 meeting, the RIP Advisory Committee (SAC) discussed alternative housing options that would promote relatively smaller, less expensive residential units in portions of select single-dwelling zones. This type of housing – typically in the form of duplexes, tri- and fourplexes, garden apartments, and cottage clusters – is referred to as “middle housing”; housing types between single-family homes and multi-family apartments. Middle housing accommodates a greater diversity of household sizes, incomes and ages, and serves the changing needs of households over time.
City Council amendment
The Residential Infill SAC discussion corresponds with a City Council amendment to the Comprehensive Plan Update that encourages the production of more middle housing in Portland. The amendment (#P45 on page 22 of the amendment report) would add the following language to Chapter 5, Housing of the Portland Comprehensive Plan:
Enable and encourage development of middle housing. This includes multi-unit or clustered residential buildings that provide relatively smaller, less expensive units; more units; and a scale transition between the core of the mixed use center and surrounding single family areas. Apply zoning that would allow this within a quarter mile of designated centers, where appropriate, and within the Inner Ring around the Central City.
In the amendment report, staff noted that policy support for middle housing in general is already part of the Recommended Draft Comp Plan forwarded by the Planning and Sustainability Commission to the City Council. However, this additional new policy takes the concept further; it reflects greater understanding from the Comp Plan process about the need for and benefits of middle housing. It also acknowledges that middle housing is particularly valuable for meeting equity and affordability goals, when located in high opportunity areas such as centers.
Staff also noted that implementation of this policy will entail extensive consultation with the public on the form, amount and location of middle housing appropriate to meet Comprehensive Plan goals.
Public hearings on Comp Plan amendments
City Council has scheduled public hearing on April 20 to hear testimony on all their amendments to the Recommended Comprehensive Plan, including this middle housing amendment. Read more about the Comp Plan amendments.
Next steps and public input for Residential Infill Project
Project staff are preparing for public review of the Residential Infill Project’s regulatory concepts this summer. Outreach events have not been finalized, but they will include a series of open houses throughout the city, targeted outreach to stakeholders who were not well represented in our previous public outreach survey, as well as providing information to other interested groups.
If your group/organization is interested in learning more about this project, please contact Julia Gisler (see below) to discuss ways to engage your group. Staff may be available to attend a meeting or share information about the project in other ways.
For more information about the Residential Infill Project visit the project website atwww.portlandoregon.gov/bps/infill or contact Julia Gisler at 503-823-7624 orjulia.gisler@portlandoregon.gov.
4) Help choose a new Department of Environmental Quality director
The Oregon Environmental Quality Commission seeks public comment on proposed requirements and criteria for the recruitment of the permanent DEQ director.
To provide comment, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DEQsurvey2.
The commission will accept comments through this online system until noon on Tuesday, April 19, followed by a special opportunity to accept verbal comments on the draft requirements the evening of April 20. That session is from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Portland. The commission is expected to take action on the recruitment language, and many other agenda items, at its April 20-21, 2016, regular meeting. An agenda for that meeting is available now, with reports and other supporting documents to be posted soon.
5) Tell Metro what sort of housing you want to see
Metro invites you to complete a survey about housing choice in the Portland/Vancouver Metropolitan area. The purpose of the survey is to hear your voice and give you power to let your local governments and service providers know about your concerns and what you would change about the community. Your answers will be part of a regional planning effort for the counties in the Metro area including Clackamas, Washington, and Multnomah Counties. Your response will have an impact on actions of local governments and service providers, such as how and where public funds are spent on housing developments, infrastructure, programs, and more. Please take the time to make your voice heard.
This survey should take about 20-25 minutes to complete. Your time and comments are greatly appreciated.
If you provide your name and address on the last page, it will be placed in a drawing for a $100 grocery store gift certificate of your choice. There will be five winners. Your answers are anonymous, for research purposes, and will not be connected with your name in any way. You do not need to provide your name to us unless you wish to be entered into the drawing.
Participate in the survey by clicking here.
6) Enjoy the arts at Portland Abbey Arts
On Tuesday, after you attend the OKNA general meeting, why not bask in the arts?
Portland Abbey Arts will host an event featuring music, poetry and visual arts. Click on the flyer for more information.
Weather pending, helicopters will fly over North Portland spraying for Gypsy Moths on Saturday. They won’t spray Overlook Neighborhood directly, but residents might see them and depending on winds might have some of the spray drift his way.