2) Overlook during pandemic – Atomic Pizza
3) I-5 tolling equity committee will hold online reception
4) Free children’s activity book
5) Sewer construction on Mississippi Avenue
1) Update on homeless camping
A few weeks ago, the Overlook Neighborhood Association Board adopted a statement on homelessness. We continue to urge the city to pursue the path forward laid out in the statement, which focuses on addressing the needs of both housed and homeless residents in a collaborative manner, and want to update our neighbors on its status.
Among the statement’s recommendations are increasing the number of sanctioned camps and placing them in all parts of the city; delivering additional sanitation and other services to sanctioned camps; and clearing camps in parks and on public paths as well as those where documented illegal activity occurs. All of these elements are important to solving the challenge of homelessness in our community. By providing support and relief to both sides, the city would create opportunities for dialogue and solutions that move the city forward.
Portland recently opened three sanctioned camps to provide shelter to some homeless residents. We urge the city to work with all neighborhoods to identify sites where similar camps could open and even receive support from neighborhoods.
We also learned that the city plans to resume dispersing some problem camps. That would begin to address the other side of the collaborative approach spelled out in the statement: Portland’s public spaces should be safe and accessible to all Portlanders, and camps with illegal activity should not be tolerated.
As the city considers which sites to address, we hope that Madrona Park, Overlook Park and N Going Street are high on the list. Dozens of reports from neighbors have identified dangerous, illegal and damaging activity associated with camps in those areas. The risks associated with these camps, which are all in the designated wildfire hazard zone, will only increase as the summer fire season begins.
OKNA Chair Alexandra Degher and Vice Chair Chris Trejbal had been working with a small group of other North Portland neighborhoods on advocating for this new homelessness strategy. They withdrew this week after that group abandoned key parts of the compromise approach spelled out in the statement.
Leaders from Arbor Lodge, Bridgeton and a couple of other North Portland neighborhoods no longer advocate clearing camps from parks and those with documented illegal activity until those campers can be moved to a new sanctioned site. The issue with this stance is that the timeline for developing new, sanctioned camps is unknown and camps disrupting parks and supporting illegal activity are an issue now. Therefore, Overlook is standing behind the original statement adopted by the North Portland group which supported both our housed and homeless neighbors. Overlook believes this is the only way to move forward in a practical and progressive manner.
2) Overlook during pandemic – Atomic Pizza
Jenna McCracken, co-owner of Atomic Pizza on Killingsworth at Denver, lives in Overlook near the Blandena water tower. She and her husband William tried keeping the restaurant open during “pop-up” hours, but they had to have their 5-year-old with them. It became obvious that that was not safe with so many uncertainties about the coronavirus.
Now they have no income, and have not been able to get unemployment or loans. When applying to banks for help they are told the banks are swamped with applications, so that is a dead end. They have cancelled some things they don’t absolutely need and one of their loans has been forgiven for a short time.
They own both their home and the business building. So, Jenna says that they are property rich, but cash poor. Also, their employees have been laid off. For the McCrackens and their employees, this has been very stressful and frustrating.
Their son told Jenna this has been the best year ever — out of five. She was surprised and asked why. He had three reasons, the last being that they have been home with him so much. Jenna has felt a lot of support from the community and hopes business can resume before long. Running a small restaurant is not very profitable in the best of times. She says they often make less than their employees.
When things reopen, hopefully soon, be sure to support Atomic Pizza, one of Overlook’s landmark eateries.
3) I-5 tolling equity committee will hold online reception
The Oregon Department of Transportation has assembled an Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee to study impacts of tolling on Interstate 5 in North Portland. We are not aware of anyone from the Overlook Neighborhood being selected for the committee despite plans to place the northern start of tolling at the Alberta/Going exit in our neighborhood.
If tolling begins at Alberta/Going, the potential for traffic diversion into Overlook will be high. OKNA therefore has urged ODOT to begin tolling at the Interstate Bridge so that anyone getting on I-5 will already be tolled and have less incentive to divert into North Portland neighborhoods.
Neighborhood impacts are part of the mandate for the advisory committee. If you share concerns about diversion of traffic into Overlook due to tolling, try to attend an online reception with the committee on Wednesday, May 27 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The reception will use Zoom. Telephone options are listed on the committee website.
4) Free children’s activity book
Running out of ideas to keep the kids busy while sheltering in place? The East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District has released a free educational activity book that should entertain them for a while.
In The Great Gorge Adventure, kids can help Rana the frog, Lars the salamander and Max the slug get back to their home at the base of Larch Mountain.
The book is available for download in English, Spanish, Russian and Vietnamese.
5) Sewer construction on Mississippi Avenue
N Mississippi Avenue might not be in Overlook, but it’s a popular commercial street a short walk away. Even with the governor’s ordered shutdown, some restaurants on Mississippi continue to do takeout.
A heads up, then, for Overlook residents who have been supporting those businesses. (We hope they’re supporting Overlook businesses, too!) The Portland Bureau of Environmental Services will launch an urgent sewer capacity project on Mississippi this week. The core work will begin in early June, but work on adjusting some water lines in the area will begin Tuesday, May 26.
The project will replace more than 1,000 linear feet of sewer pipes on Mississippi between N Shaver and N Fremont streets. The current sewer main is about 100 years old and deteriorating due to age. The replacement and addition of new larger pipe will increase sewer capacity, alleviate basement sewer backups, street flooding, and help protect public health and the environment.
The project will disrupt some vehicle access to the area. If you plan pickup food from a Mississippi restaurant, plan ahead to park on a side street.