Overlook Neighborhood Update (May 2) – Overlook Neighborhood Association

1) OKNA Board to meet Tuesday

The Overlook Neighborhood Association Board will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday (May 5) at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. The board will discuss a proposed resolution to support homeless camping in Madrona Park and along N Going Street, whether to print a spring edition of the Overlook Views newsletter and more. Residents may join the meeting to observe but only may participate if recognized by the chair.

View the full agenda for information about the resolution and details about how to attend. Residents may also send comments to info@overlookneighborhood.org.

2) PBOT to install barricades on Concord Greenway

The Portland Bureau of Transportation has announced plans to install signs and barricades at 100 neighborhood greenway intersections throughout the city.

Of the 10 identified sites in all of North Portland, three are in Overlook. One will limit right turns from N Alberta Street onto N Concord Avenue northbound and the other two will limit turns onto Concord from N Killingsworth Street.

View an interactive map of all sites.

From the official announcement:

PBOT is installing temporary barricades to either close certain streets to all but local traffic or to slow traffic where a full closure is not feasible. The bureau will also install signage to alert drivers to the presence and priority of people walking and biking on the greenways.

PBOT has identified a first set of 100 neighborhood greenway sections that we will put treatments next week (starting May 7th, 2020) — these are locations where greenways intersect with busy streets and have historic high traffic volumes.

Note: the dots on the map indicate where a location will be treated with temporary barricades and signage. Additional signage will be placed throughout the neighborhood greenway network.

PBOT has not consulted the neighborhood about these changes and potential impacts on residents. The department told Bike Portland that it has not done any outreach on this initiative but will hold digital meetings in the coming weeks. For now, PBOT is accepting ideas about where “street improvements could support safe physical distancing” at 503-823-SAFE or active.transportation@portlandoregon.gov.

3) Free grocery delivery for seniors and others at high risk

Students at Roosevelt High School have launched a program for free, safe grocery delivery in North Portland. Seniors and anyone who cannot shop because of underlying health conditions are eligible to participate. To place an order, call (503) 360-0058 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week.

Groceries are delivered within 24 to 72 hours of order placement by Roosevelt student volunteers who want to help the local community. Delivery is no-contact by volunteers wearing gloves and masks. This is a personalized service with orders placed by phone, not on a website. The students have Spanish speaking volunteers available.

The delivery program is sponsored by the Roosevelt Key Club and CBET Club.

4) Design Portland’s next bike lane art

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and Multnomah County Library invite students from pre-K to 12th grade to design bike lane art for the 2020 Bike to Books digital design contest, part of May Bike Month. First-place designs are installed on Portland streets by PBOT striping crews.

Bike to Books was launched in 2017 by the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and Multnomah County Library to encourage kids to bike more and read books. Because libraries are currently closed and people have been directed to shelter in place, the contest has gone digital this year.

The contest is open to students pre-K to 12th grade. Entries must be received by May 31. Visit the contest website to learn more, download a design form or request to have the form mailed to you.

5) Share your COVID-19 story

Last month, the OKNA Board postponed printing and distributing a spring issue of the Overlook Views newsletter given the current challenges around social interaction and COVID-19. At this month’s meeting, the board will discuss whether the cancel the spring issue entirely. One idea for a spring edition is to focus on stories of how neighborhood residents are dealing with the pandemic.

We all know our way of life and habits have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic arrived with phrases such as “social distancing” that we never want to hear again. Tough times often result in innovative solutions or just different ways to do things. The board wants to hear how you have learned to cope with all the changes. Interacting with neighbors, staying physically and emotionally fit, closed schools, shopping at businesses, changes in your workplace, etc. We would like to share some of your thoughts in the Overlook Views. Please send them to info@overlookneighborhood.org. If we do push ahead with an issue and would like to follow up on your story, a board member will be in touch.

We look forward to hearing from you.

6) North Portland Sunday Parkway event canceled

The Portland Bureau of Transportation has canceled the first two Sunday Parkways of 2020 in light of the pandemic. That includes the event in North Portland scheduled for June.

For newcomers to Portland, on Sunday Parkways in the summer, PBOT closes down a street loop in a part of the city and limits it to pedestrian and bicycle traffic only. A variety of entertainment and education sites are set up throughout the several-mile course. It’s a fun opportunity to interact with neighbors and see neighborhoods without cars zooming by.

Instead, PBOT is hosting online fitness classes. You can learn more about them on the official website.