1) Beach School spring plant sale
2) Annual Overlook Neighborhood cleanup
3) Adidas expansion update
4) City of Portland budget hearing
5) Bike to books coloring contest returns
6) TriMet listening sessions
7) Don’t forget to vote
1) Beach School spring plant sale
Resilience Design’s spring plant sale will benefit the garden program at Overlook’s Beach Elementary School. Come see the renovated garden and pollinator meadow and shop for local and organic native plants, fruit trees and berries, herbs, seeds, tomatoes, and more.
The sale will take place at Beach School on Friday, May 11, 3-6 p.m. and Saturday May 12, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
2) Annual Overlook Neighborhood cleanup
Join us on Saturday, May 19, 10-noon at the parking lot of Bethel Lutheran Church (5658 N. Denver) for Overlook’s annual neighborhood sprucing up. As we did last year, we’ll focus our energies along Denver, Greeley, Killingsworth and Interstate.
We know other activities compete for your attention on a Saturday, so if you volunteer, we’ll show our gratitude in the following ways:
You will get a beautiful organic plant grown by neighbor Mulysa Melco of Resilience Design and will be entered into a raffle to win gift cards and other items donated by adidas .
You can throw into our dumpster free of charge your bulky waste too big for your home garbage can, not recyclable and not reusable (one load limit).
Allowed materials: Broken weird stuff stored in basements, attics and garages that are not on the list of prohibited materials below; electronics — anything with a cord except for appliances (New this year!); and block Styrofoam (no peanuts).
Prohibited materials: Yard debris, dirt and tree stumps; treated or painted wood; hazardous materials, including light bulbs, batteries and paint; household garbage; construction, demolition and remodeling debris; roofing materials; insulation; anything containing asbestos or lead paint.
Neighbors who don’t volunteer may pay a fee to drop off bulky waste: a load brought by bike, walk-up or car ($5); a load brought by pickup truck ($10); television ($5 each); CRT monitor ($5 each).
We reserve the right to refuse materials if prohibited or dumpster is full.
We thank our sponsors: Metro, the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS), the Overlook Neighborhood Association and City Recycle LLC.
Please write us at info@overlookneighborhood.org with questions.
3) Adidas expansion update
Representatives of adidas presented their expansion plans to the city Design Commission on April 26. Several Overlook neighbors testified at the public hearing about concerns they have with the project. OKNA Chair Chris Trejbal also attended to answer questions from the commission. After public testimony, adidas unveiled that it is revising its design plans to incorporate building step-backs and other elements to reduce the visual massing of the new buildings.
The Design Commission provided recommendations for the project in a memorandum. The executive summary notes:
- Commission highlighted this is both an incredible Design Team and an incredible neighborhood. Please continue to work closely with Staff, the Overlook Neighborhood Association & adjacent neighbors on N Sumner and Delaware.
- The location and massing all three buildings are working well. Continue to refine their architecture, particularly at the north building with additional articulation of the massing.
- The pedestrian walkway frontages along the new buildings shows much improvement from the existing conditions, particularly with active programming along the pedestrian easements and public spaces.
Adidas will return for a second design advice request hearing May 24, 1:30 p.m. at 1900 SW Fourth Ave., Room 2500A. That hearing will focus on architecture and landscaping. The public is welcome at attend and comment.
Adidas representatives also will present updates to the project and preview their design advice presentation at the May 15 OKNA General Meeting at 6:30 p.m.
And be sure to read OKNA’s weekly update for news about the project. Adidas will continue to ensure that all neighbors know what’s happening through our neighborhood communication channels.
4) City of Portland budget hearing
The City of Portland will hold a public meeting about the annual budget on Thursday, 6-8 p.m. at City Hall. The purpose of this meeting is for the Mayor and City Council to receive testimony from Portland residents regarding the citywide budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
Testimony tickets will be available an hour and a half prior to start time. They will be drawn at random throughout the course of the event. Each speaker will have two minutes to address the council.
Please see these links for details about the budget process and for other ways to make your voice heard:
5) Bike to books coloring contest returns
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and Multnomah County Library, with support from Metro, are celebrating Bike Month with “Bike to Books,” a program to encourage residents to ride their bicycle to their local library.
As part of the program, PBOT and Multnomah County Library are bringing back Portland’s “Bike to Books” Bike Month coloring contest. Students living in Multnomah County from Pre-Kindergarten to 12th Grade are invited to design bike lane art for installation in one of the City’s bike lanes. In 2017, in the first year of our Bike to Books program, PBOT crews installed four winning Bike to Books bike lane art designs near each winning artist’s neighborhood library branch.
Coloring pages can be picked up at all Multnomah County Library branches (click here for locations) or downloaded online. Contestants must drop-off their entry at a library branch in person, to be entered into the contest. Full contest rules are available online.
In addition to the coloring contest, every person who bikes to a Multnomah County Library branch will receive a free bike light provided by Metro (while supplies last). Special Bike Storytimes for young readers are also being offered at numerous library branches across the county.
6) TriMet listening sessions
TriMet, the regional public transit provider, has a new general manager who wants to hear from residents about services. Doug Kelsey will host a series of town hall listening sessions to hear ideas and concerns, and to answer questions about TriMet. Attendees at the sessions will find snacks and a free Hop card valued at $5 (supplies limited).
You can find a complete list of the sessions and RSVP online. Closest to Overlook will be the May 17 session, noon-1 p.m. at the White Stag Building downtown and May 31 session at Legacy Emanuel Hospital, 5-6 p.m. in the Lorenzen Conference Center.
7) Don’t forget to vote
Ballots for the May 15 primary election are out. Don’t forget to mail yours or drop it off at an official drop off site, such as the North Portland Library. Several important items are on the ballot this year, including Independent, Democratic and Republican primaries as well as races for Portland City Council, Multnomah County Commission and judges.