Spring 2024 April/May/June Overlook Spring Cleanup April 13th! It’s time to tidy up the neighborhood with OKNA’s annual Spring Cleanup! Beach Elementary School is the meeting site for this collab with the Beach Community Union. Help with cleaning and gardening on the school grounds or spread out in the neighborhood for some litter picking. This event is sponsored by SOLVE, so we’ll have gloves, vests and litter pickers to loan out. We’ll provide the bags, some snacks and a lot of community goodwill and meeting up with neighbors. Many local businesses will have rewards for your participation! Save the date and pre-register at the SOLVE site; just scan this QR code or visit https://tinyurl.com/Registerwith-SOLVE-here. Celebrate Earth Day with us! Saturday April 13th, 2024 10am-12pm Beach Elementary School In the Parking Lot, near the field 1710 N Humboldt St, Portland, OR 97217 We look forward to seeing you at the next neighborhood meeting! Meet your neighbors & find ways to make Overlook better! - 2nd Monday of the Month - April 8, 2024 6:30-7:30 pm @ Beach Elementary School 1710 N Humboldt St in the center of Overlook Board Meeting follows: 7:30-8:30 pm Delicious coffee is served at our neighborhood association meetings, thanks to Mary and Nathan at The Stacks Coffeehouse. We heart the Overlook community! Porchfest 2023 performance at the Overlook Triangle MEETINGS RECAP Some topics from our last few meetings (remember you can attend online!) A full explanation of the new M Carter Commons apartment building, creating affordable and selfsufficiency housing for elders. Northwest Housing Alternative and the Urban League of Portland will place and support the residents, with the intention of this being a forever home for each of them. It’s Neighbor Season! Exciting Times Ahead With Your Help By Josh Cabot OKNA Co-Chair cure for the time being, we can not be sustainable without other support. AKA Fundraising. Overlook is such a special spot, and it’s been fun to watch it transform because of you all, as we climb out of the myriad challenges of the past few years and into spring. Although the solitude of the pandemic gave Overlook a generally quiet meditative quality, activity in the neighborhood is perking up in heartening ways. It’s showing up in the steady parade of families making the walk to school most mornings, the impromptu front yard conversations, and certainly last year’s Porchfest, which brought out tons of folks to watch a wide array of musicians laying down their best across the neighborhood. In particular, we could use help with funding to pay performing artists more meaningfully for Porchfest 2024. Publishing costs for the Overlook Views (which you’re currently reading!) have gone up by more than 50% in the past two years. We’re shopping around for better deals, but will need to make changes to continue to afford bringing this print newsletter to you. As a neighborhood association, we’re excited to pitch in to make Overlook an ever-better place, but it’s been getting harder. The City’s direct support of neighborhood associations has waned in recent years, perhaps due to budget limitations and unintended apathy, but also because of frustrations that have occurred over the pressures the neighborhoods have been experiencing with the homelessness crisis, public safety concerns, and denser urban development. This means that The Overlook Neighborhood Association (OKNA) is becoming more and more an independent nonprofit organization, with no committed funding from the City - only the chance to apply for limited public grants that are highly competitive. Although OKNA is financially se- Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to OKNA, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. If every home in Overlook donated $5, we’d be in a much better position to organize fun events like Porchfest and keep you connected through the Overlook Views, our website hosting and email list. Please consider scanning this QR code to send a donation to The Overlook Neighborhood Association to help support Porchfest 2024 and future editions of the Overlook Views: Thank you in advance! Of course, whether or not you decide to donate money, we would love your help with some of our events this year. See Page 2 for some specific asks and a form to indicate your general interest. Watch our email bulletins for more opportunities. Get yours at www.overlookneighborhood.org Portland's form of government is changing and it's no surprise that a lot is still up in the air. The changes are affecting neighborhood associations first, since changes take place at the start of the fiscal year, July 1, 2024. As 7 District Offices are consolidated into 4, where to house the offices, the new commissioners and how to fund these important civic institutions. OKNA urges you to start paying attention to the Portland city government transition and your own pet projects or bureaus. A lot is changing, and fast! HEY MAKERS: LET’S MAKE OUTDOOR MARKETS! Autumn and Winter are still months away, but we can’t wait to share — we are organizing some fun outdoor Overlook Markets! The plan is to host a series of monthly themed markets in October, November and December. Markets will be located at the corner lot at N Detroit & N Killingsworth. We will host local vendors, pop ups, entertainment and activities. October’s market will have a Halloween & Fall harvest theme. In November we’ll celebrate and kick off Small Business Saturday and the Holiday shopping season. Look for a shopping stroll for a chance to win goodies from our local businesses. December’s market will include an Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest. These markets offer a way for neighbors to stay connected during the shorter, cooler days of the year. Activities like this and others throughout the year can’t happen without the help from volunteers. If you are interested in joining our market organizing team or are interested in becoming a vendor, please send an email to events@overlookneighborhood.org OVERLOOK’S UPPER LEFT EDGE N GREELEY @ AINSWORTH HAS A LOT TO OFFER By Stacey Nuissl OKNA Events Chair If you haven’t been to the “Upper Left” of Overlook lately, you are missing out. Sometimes mistaken for Arbor Lodge, this bustling area near N Ainsworth and N Greeley is home to a sweet little commercial corner, the kind that makes vintage Portland special. On the West side of N Greeley you’ll find Charm Vintage, Brimstone Ceramics and Madrona Hill Café sharing a building. Charm has an eclectic collection of resale clothing and accessories. Brimstone Ceramics is featured on page 3 of this issue; a multi-artist display place. Madrona Hill Cafe has been a landmark at the corner for years, under new ownership since 2021. In addition to being a cafe and bakery, Madrona displays the work of local artists on their walls. Across to the East side of Greeley are Smooth Roots Dispensary, Bottles and Cans bottle shop and Beer Garden and the ArborLook food carts. Bottles and Cans has a thoroughly amazing collection of beer, wine, cider and seltzer. The food cart pod behind the shop include Walter French Grilled Cheese, Tehuana Oaxacan Cuisine, Oregon 101, Shawarma Town and El Ñaño Parrilladas. T he food cart area hosts weekly movies and entertainment on a regular basis. The covered seating area is a welcome spot no matter the weather. . Head out and explore all the corners of Overlook; the lively Upper Left is a great place to start! Your Neighborhood Community Center Join us in preserving and enhancing the Historic Overlook House, the beating heart of our community. This Portland Parks-owned venue is your go-to destination for affordable event space for your every need, from weddings and retirement parties to holiday festivities and company picnics. Remember to take advantage of our exclusive neighborhood discount! For those eager to join our volunteer led community, look for the free, public events on our calendar including the recent Easter Egg Hunt and upcoming Ice Cream Social. Do you have event ideas? Contact our coordinator! coordinator@historicoverlookhouse.org www.historicoverlookhouse.org for current event details Veteran Reporters Put Spotlight on North Portland “If local news coverage stops, bad things happen…. Civic engagement declines. Cockeyed government decisions go unchallenged. We become ignorant of what’s happening on our own streets and less capable to fully participate as informed citizens.” ~Mark Kirchmeier Barbara Quinn and Mark Kirchmeier are familiar names and faces in North Portland. The long time residents, who have independently been active in neighborhood affairs in the Peninsula, North and NE Portland, have lately partnered to bring their professional reporting and writing experience to the North Peninsula Review, a community newspaper for Portland’s ‘5th Quadrant’. The North Peninsula Review pledges to investigate problems, celebrate successes. They want to feature hyper-local content, so contact them with your ideas and wants. Barbara Quinn says “We take our mission seriously. Mark and I hope to create a newspaper that reflects various viewpoints and encourages respectful discussion and independent thinking.” North Peninsula Review is distributed across the North Portland peninsula, from the eastern edge of Peninsula Park west to the St. Johns town center, and includes the Overlook, Linnton, and Hayden Island neighborhoods. Subscribe or find yours at: https://northpeninsulareview.com/ Overlook Views Page 2 www.OverlookNeighborhood.org Holiday Gift Giving Brings Joy & Deep Appreciation By Abdul Mohamed Resident Services Coordinator REACH Community Development Kindness comes in many forms, and I want to say that you showered love onto those who needed it by giving them a reason to believe in the goodness of people and the power of community. The 2023 Adopt-aNeighbor Program at Patton Park Apartments was an amazing event and we are truly appreciative of your efforts, kindness, and loving hearts. This past December, community members continued a more than decade-old tradition at Patton Park Apartments, when Overlook neighbors support those in their community in ways unmet by other community resources. This unique program was started by a single Patton Park employee and we are excited to continue this holiday sharing for years to come. Collectively, you made donations to 16 households, 32 people residing at Patton Park Apartments! Every adoption request was once again fulfilled. Some of you brought extra items such as hygiene products and gift cards which were distributed. All donated items went to households or were placed in our on-site emergency pantry, that residents have access to once a month. Please keep us in mind in the event that you’d like to make donations throughout the year. Words can’t express how personally grateful I am for the way you rallied together to bring joy to my residents. From the packages shipped to me, to those of you who made evening drop-offs to the building; I remember every single way in which you made the effort to make this winter a memorable one for the families you adopted. Their smiles and gratitude in the hallways and in my office have lifted the spirit of the community and hopefully reach you! Planning has started for the 2024 season; we’ll start in October this year. To learn more about REACH Community Development, visit www.reachcdc.org. Should we know? Email Michelle with your neighborhood info and Overlook curiosities: views@OverlookNeighborhood.org OKNA NEWS TO NOTE & Ways To Help Your Neighborhood How To Say It? The official name of our organization is The Overlook Neighborhood Association. That’s too long, so we refer to ourselves as OKNA. But how does one say it? Oak-nuh. Just remember the Heritage oak trees in the south section of the neighborhood. Call for Volunteers! • Michelle is looking for someone to do some google research on Overlook businesses & enter the results in a Google Doc. • The OKNA Spring Cleanup with SOLVE has several needs for April 13. We’re looking for help hanging signs, to manage check ins and to staff the snack table • The Picnic at Patton Square Park on August 17th needs some community minded people to make it happen, too. We are seeking a volunteer to help with set up for one hour, another person to run the grill and a 3rd person to help with break down. Scan the QR code to use this form at this link: https://tinyurl.com/I-Want-To-Volunteer and let us know about your interest in these jobs or other yetto-be-named ones. We hear that you want to be involved without making a big commitment! Free, Professional Tax Preparation Help Available in Overlook In-Person Tax Preparation by Appointment. To Qualify For This Service: • Your household income is below $64,000 You don’t have any of the following: • Rental property • Adjustments on education expenses (box 4 or 6 of your 1098-T) • Sale of cryptocurrency • Self employment income with any of the following: - Over $35,000 in expenses - A loss for the year - Employees - Depreciation/amortization - Business use of the home Federal and Oregon tax returns only. We can help you get an ITIN if you don’t have one and are not eligible for a Social Security number. MFS CASH (Creating Assets, Savings and Hope) Oregon is an Economic Empowerment Program of Metropolitan Family Service. CASH Oregon’s Impuestos Comunitarios program is dedicated to supporting the Limited English Proficient, Spanish-speaking community. This welcoming, culturally specific tax site overcomes language barriers by ensuring all communication is in Spanish and is staffed by passionate volunteers who are well versed on the unique needs and tax situations of this community. CASH Oregon is a proud partner of the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program. Bethel Lutheran Church 5658 N Denver Ave, Portland, OR 97217 Wednesdays & Thursdays 10 am - 2 pm Limited Walk-ins To check the schedule or make an appointment: https://cashoregon.org/get-tax-help/in-person-tax- Welcome these businesses, new to overlook! Bar Salut, Cherie Urban Pilates 2726 N Killingsworth St 503-208-2793 www.barsalutcherie.info 1981 N Killingsworth St www.urban-pilates.com A French inspired wine bar, Bar Salut, Cherie opened in October 2023. In addi(on to a carefully curated selec(on of French and PNW wine, they also have cocktails and beer. Owner Emad Hashad offers expert advice on pairing wine and food. Their menu is filled with many choices from appe(zers to cheese and charcuterie boards, soups and full entrees. On some weekend evenings you will be treated to live music and star(ng last month they are hos(ng a weekly stand up comedy show on Mondays, a Comedy Darlings produc(on. They offer catering and their space is also available for private par(es and mee(ngs. This cozy wine bar is a treasure trove of food, drink and entertainment! Brimstone Ceramics 5933 N Greeley Ave. @brimstoneceramics IG Brimstone Ceramics originally began in K.C.Renée’s garage studio just around the corner from the new shop. Much of her work is Fantasy/SciFi inspired, hence the name! For “through the bramble and past the brimstone” we have to travel to find our treasure. Real Estate Recap Here is a round-up of real estate sales completed In the Overlook neighborhood since 11/2023. Thanks to our Overlook neighbors for sourcing this information for you! Shannon Sansoterra & Charity Chesnek BROKER & PRINCIPAL BROKER Licensed in Oregon Shannon (503)260-9383 Charity (503)997-1372 portlandporch@gmail.com The report now includes zoning designation. Pay attention to this important property information. Here’s where you can learn more about Portland zoning & what each code allows. www.portlandmaps.com/bps/zoning/#/map/ zoning/#/map/ events@OverlookNeighborhood.org Facebook & IG @OKNAinPDX Owner Kim Kay describes her studio as a fully equipped classical Pilates studio. They specialize in 1 on 1 private training, u(lizing all Pilates apparatus. Urban Pilates also offers small group equipment classes and mat classes to beCer support dedica(on to a consistent Pilates prac(ce. Open Wellness 1901 N Killingsworth St www.openwellnesspdx.com Dr. David Chang, ND. LAc has moved his prac(ce to the Overlook neighborhood from Kwan Yin Healing Arts in NW. Dr. Ilana Gurevich and Dr. Chang are both Naturopathic physicians and acupuncturists; combined they have been in prac(ce for 26 years. Their new clinic, Open Wellness, is an inclusive, comfortable integra(ve medical clinic serving the Overlook community and beyond. Dr. Gurevich specializes in complex diges(ve issues, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic infec(ons and food sensi(vi(es. Her passion is helping pa(ents overall health by improving their gut health, and helping them have a good rela(onship with food and diet again. Dr. Chang specializes in sports medicine and chronic pain, with a variety of non-surgical treatments. His goal is to get everyone back to being ac(ve and the best version of themselves. He empowers pa(ents to take charge of their path back to wellness. Meet Dr. Chang and Dr. Gurevich at their Open House for refreshment and snacks and to say welcome on Sunday, April 21, 2024 at 2:00 pm. In addi(on to offering her own crea(ons, Brimstone Ceramics hosts several local ar(sts of various mediums each month. It has been K.C. Renée’s dream to have a brick & mortar shop to display her ceramics and provide an accessible space for other makers. Brimstone has a great selec(on of handmade poCery, jewelry and art. Address 1518 N Webster St 1736 N Willamette Ave 4134 N Castle Ave 5936 N Burrage Ave 5604 N Wilbur Ave 2143 N Skidmore Terrace 4222 N Montana Ave 2905 N Killingsworth Ave 4005 N Concord Ave 5611 N Atlantic Ave 1528 N Willamette Ave 3920 N Montana Ave #102 5316 N Concord Ave 3725 N Longview Ave 5533 N Minnesota Ave 3920 N Montana Ave #202 2050 N Killingsworth St #10 3948 N Overlook Terrace 5233 N Emerson Dr 4019 N Overlook Terrace 3967 N Overlook Blvd What’s happening in your Overlook business? Drop us an email to let us know and share your news on our Facebook page! SF 2132 2153 1561 2351 1110 2861 1914 2640 3478 2263 2141 1198 1674 2380 2694 1198 656 3032 1600 2481 2907 Bed/Bath 4/2 3/1.1 3/2 2/1.1 2/1 4/2 3/2.1 3/2 4/2 3/2 3/2 2/2 2/1 3/3 4/2 2/2 1/1 4/1 3/3 3/2.1 4/2 A clean energy future starts in your neighborhood! The Smart Grid Test Bed Collaboration*, a partnership between Community Energy Projects, Energy Trust of Oregon and Portland General Electric, connects the Overlook and Arbor Lodge neighborhoods to special cash incentives, smart technologies, a no-cost Home Energy Score and reward programs that make it easy to be more energy efficient. We have offers available for residential and business customers. Visit www.portlandgeneral.com/sgtb-collaboration or call us at 503-929-9801. *The study is limited to a specific geographic area, if you live outside the boundary, visit www.energytrust.org/residential/incentives/ Overlook Community Bike Rides Monthly coffee meetups and easy bike rides! Join neighbors every 2nd Sunday of the month, 9:30am at Stacks Coffeehouse on N Killingsworth. Transportation Coffee Meetups and Bike Rides: April 14th, 2024 May 12th, 2024 June 9th, 2024 Family-friendly, easy paced peddles to various Overlook destinations. A great way to get your wheels back under you after a long winter! Welcom t Overloo ! Hello, we’re glad you’re here! The Overlook Neighborhood Association (OKNA) is here to connect you with problemproblem-solving resources, neighbor projects and community building. Find all the ways to connect on page 8. List Price $589,900 $485,000 $600,000 $425,000 $450,000 $700,000 $575,000 $700,000 $699,000 $725,000 $550,000 $400,000 $540,000 $795,000 $599,900 $415,000 $292,000 $695,000 $450,000 $1,050,000 $824,950 Sold Price $615,000 $517,000 $590,000 $445,000 $535,000 $751,000 $565,000 $715,000 $699,000 $699,900 $537,500 $400,000 $530,000 $750,000 $545,125 $415,000 $290,000 $620,000 $447,000 $950,000 $718,000 Days on Market 1 3 3 4 4 5 12 13 16 17 19 36 46 47 55 60 88 99 105 152 153 Zoning CM3 R5 R5 R5 R5 R5 CM3 R5 R5 R5 RM1 RM2 R5 R5 R2.5 RM2 CM2 R5 R5 R5 R5 Overlook Views Page 3 www.OverlookNeighborhood.org You Can Make a Difference: Save the Date for Overlook’s 2024 Yard Sale & Free Share • Citizen-Led Restoration Work Is Thanks to Neighbor Action By Reif Larsen Overlook Neighbor Clear the clutter from your space and live sustainably by keeping useful items in use! • Find pre-owned items at a wonderful price and lower your carbon footprint buy buying things second hand. • Build community and good vibes when you join your Overlook neighbors for one of their favorite events, Sustainable Overlook’s annual Yard Sale & Free Share weekend! Start cleaning out those basements, garages and closets to build your pile of goodies to sell or give away at this year’s event on a new weekend: Yard Sale Day: Saturday, July 13th Free Share Day: Sunday, July 14th This special weekend is extra lively; the Porchfest music festival is on the same weekend! Spend the day in Overlook while you mingle, make new friends and connect with your neighbors — this combined event was a highlight of 2023! Sign up for the OKNA e-bulletins to follow upcoming details and the DIY sign up form for our online map. If you’re ready to commit now, email Josh to get on the map, and direct any questions you’ve got to him at sustainable@overlookneighborhood.org. Committee Forming to Improve & Maintain Going Pedestrian Bridge and Stanich Park Interest is stirring, spring is here and patience has run out… Several neighbors have been in touch with OKNA recently about making improvements on the south side of the Going Street Pedestrian Crossing, which connects Overlook along N Concord Ave. OKNA Co Chair Michelle Thompson has some experience with intersection repair and community projects. She is one of the many neighbors who have been maintaining the property under the bridge (we’re only not naming them here for their privacy, not a lack of attention!). Michelle is coordinating a convening of neighbors to form a committee to take more organized responsibility for this unusual property. We have been unable to find someone at the city to take responsibility for maintaining the property. The bridge itself belongs to Oregon Dept of Transportation. It’s time to bring a bigger group to this project! Please email Michelle at Chair@OverlookNeighborhood.org to join an email list for the bridge and let’s get something going this season! Celebrate Your Overlook Views Delivery Heroes! Overlook neighbors are fantastic volunteers! Our neighborhood newsletter is a great example of their service. Not only is it full of neighborcreated contributions, keeping us informed of their many, many neighborhood projects and efforts, it is hand-delivered to every door in the neighborhood that can be reached by our terrific team of Delivery Heroes. Delivery people are always welcome to join in. Life changes mean some past deliverers no longer reside in the neighborhood or are no longer able to assist with the newsletter. You can deliver one time with no further obligation, take a route for 3 or 4 deliveries per year or fill in as a substitute as many times as you’d like. If this sounds like the way you’d like to contribute, email ViewsDelivery@OverlookNeighborhood.org Delivery coordinators Alan Cranna and Carol Cushman, and the entire OKNA Board of Directors send out a special thank you to the following folks who give their time to bring the neighborhood news to you. OKNA couldn’t get along without you, Delivery Heroes! Amy Altenberger Patty Arjun Steve Birch Molly Brady Barb Brooks Maggie Byrkit Valeria Campbell Nicolas Cota Phoebe Crozier Caroline Edwards Juliet Ferruzza Dan Haneckow Jane Finch-Howell Jen Hansen Stephanie Hertzog Deborah Kalapsa Laura Komlos Steve Lanigan Bob Lasich Kate Lesniak Jerry Lindsay Jessamyn Long Kelsey Nowacki Courtney & Kelly Olive Debbie Omey Martha Pelster Teresa Perrin Poepdx Kari Powers Brigid Roberts Kyle Smith George Spaulding Jessica Star Jenny Welnick Benjamin White Charlotte Williams Do You Live in an Apartment Building? Help Us By Hosting the Overlook Views! Help your neighbors and your community! Be the designated newsletter receiver for your building and leave a stack in the lobby or deliver door to door. We are always looking for new contacts to help us distribute our print newsletter to build community and keep everyone informed. If you live in a multi-family building and can commit to receiving and distributing newsletters for your building, please write attn: Carol to Views@OverlookNeighborhood.org Overlook Views Page 4 www.OverlookNeighborhood.org Madrona Park includes a forested area along the bluff on the west side of Greeley Ave that has been a conserved nature patch since 1921. The nature patch is home to a variety of beautiful, mature trees, including Pacific Madrones, Garry Oaks and Red Maples. However, last spring, the site faced environmental impacts from work done after the clearing of an encampment. The use of mechanical equipment in the forest caused severe root damage and erosion, threatening the health of the trees. In response, several members of the Overlook neighborhood community joined forces to raise awareness of the impacts, working with OKNA to contact local officials and advocate for restoration of the site. Following the community members' persistent efforts, Portland Parks and Recreation initiated a restoration planting event on February 17th, 2024. About two dozen volunteers got together on site to plant over 150 native trees and shrubs, including Pacific Madrones and Nootka Roses. This event marked the beginning of ongoing efforts by the Parks bureau to rejuvenate the site. Their plan includes maintaining the saplings, clearing invasives and installing more native plants to fortify the park's ecosystem and preserve its natural beauty for generations to come. The collaborative endeavor underscores the community's commitment to environmental stewardship and the enduring legacy of Madrona Park. Many thanks to Anne Marie Santos and Tonia Williamson at Portland Parks and Recreation for coordinating the event and to all the volunteers who attended the event. Your Faithful Editor Speaking: Reif Larsen demonstrated the sort of attention, persistence and passion required to make things happen in Portland. Thank you, Reif, for all your efforts and encouragements and congratulations on the success of this project! ~Michelle VOLUNTEER AT THE OVERLOOK NATURE PATCH Meet one of your city's expert horticulture staff for a fun-filled gardening event at the Overlook Park Nature Patch. Pulling weeds is very satisfying; work alone or chat with neighbors. Discover guerrilla plantings! Install thousands of plants and watch them thrive. Overlook is not on the published schedule yet, but you can find more information at this link, and sign up for the email notification list while you’re there: https://www.portland.gov/parks/naturepatches Open House At Patton Square Park Summer Hangout for OKNA’s August Social Meeting Saturday, August 17th Save the date! We’re going old school to the neighborhood association roots and hosting a Community Picnic gathering on August 17, 2024. Smack dab in the middle of Overlook, Patton Square Park is an ideal location for OKNA to host an Open House/Picnic/Meet Your Neighbors event. We’ll have a pop up tent, maybe some amusements, snacks and drinks to share and several other excellent ideas still waiting to come forward. In Related News... Overlook was not selected by Portland Parks and Recreation’s “Movie in the Park” program for the 2024 summer season. While this was unfortunate news, we also view it as an opportunity to try something new! Please email John Carter at parks@overlookneighborhood.org to offer your input. photo: u/EarnYourAdventures Would you like to help plan the party? Get in touch with Stacey at events@OverlookNeighborhood.org or stop by a meeting and chat with us soon. In the meantime, mark your calendars for the neighborhoodiest get together we’ve had in years! Saturday, August 17, 2024 Overlook Development Updates By Josh Cabot Land Use Chair Development is starting to warm up in the neighborhood, just like the Spring weather. Starting at the north end of Overlook, construction continues at the 8 story 72-unit Minnesota Places apartment building, standing tall above I-5. Construction is nearing completion at the Kōz apartments at N Killingsworth & Interstate, and the exterior cladding is starting at the Paceline apartments across the street at 1341 N Killingsworth. Just down the way, the Dr. Darrell Millner affordable housing apartment building is also close to completion at 5050 N Interstate between N Alberta and N Webster. The 7-story Palms apartment development is still working its way through permitting with the City. The demolition permit, once approved, will be the first to clear and will signal the first phase of onsite construction. Just across Overlook Blvd., the M. Carter Commons senior affordable housing project is in for its initial land use review, with the building permit application to follow. On Swan Island, the Port of Portland is proposing two new deep water berths capable of hosting Bob Hope Class Cargo Ships (which are the same types of ships currently moored on the west side of the river, directly across from Swan Island at the Port’s Terminal 2). While OKNA supports the vitality of our Port and of Swan Island, we did submit a letter to the City Bureau of Development Services noting three concerns: 1) We hope that ships will not be moored there indefinitely, like they have been at Terminal 2. 2) That the work in the riverbed necessary to construct these moorings will not irresponsibly disturb the known contaminated riverbed soil along Swan Island. 3) Given this development’s relatively modest encroachment into the broader greenway zone, we believe additional trees should be planted along the greenway as a mitigating measure. It is also important to note that on January 31st, the City Council passed a series of Housing Regulatory Relief zoning code changes. In total, there are 16 amendments that alter our city’s development requirements when it comes to housing. Some are considered to be temporary (acting as a 5 year moratorium), while others are permanent changes. Changes include reduced requirements for bike parking, lifting of the requirement for active uses (i.e. retail) at ground floors, reduced facade articulation requirements, and allowing solar panels in lieu of green roofs. Of greatest consequence to all neighborhoods outside of the Central City, including Overlook, is that all housing projects will no longer trigger design reviews and neighborhoods will no longer have the ability to freely appeal City decisions. Although we at OKNA recognize the need for more transit-oriented housing to help with affordability and housing security in the region, these changes to deregulate spell some concern when it comes to being able to meaningfully engage with future development teams that seek to build in Overlook. It’s also likely that what is deemed as acceptable design quality could suffer further. To learn more, visit https://www.portland.gov/bps/planning/housing-regulatoryrelief/news/2024/2/12/city-council-approves-housing-regulatory If you're interested to learn more about Land Use in Overlook, or if you'd like to get more involved, please reach out to Josh at landuse@overlookneighborhood.org. Tool Lending Library Makes Yard Work and Fix It Chores Free-er NPLUG+T A LAND USE & TRANSPORTATION MEETINGS INFORM MANY We do not all need to own a full set of tools. Especially for one-time jobs or infrequent use! North Portland Land Use Group + Transportation.…… A sustainable solution is the North Portland Tool library. It is open to any North Portland Resident and Membership is FREE. That’s right, borrowing tools is FREE. To join, go to nptl.myturn.com/ library and create an account. Fill out your information online in myturn, come to the tool library after 12pm on a Saturday with a piece of Government ID and a current utility bill with your North Portland address. (ID includes Government issued ID like drivers license, State ID or passport; type of bill to bring includes PGE, Water or Gas.) • Borrow up to 8 tools for one week. Return your tools clean and in good condition. • Late fines of $1-$10 per tool will be added if tools are not returned on time. • You can renew tools depending on requests from other members. Monthly meetings are focused on how the development process works in Portland, how density calculations are made and how individuals can influence Portland’s future. The meeting generally occurs on the 4th Wednesday of the month and all community members are welcome. Join the email list for meeting notifications and online access: Mary.Kelley@PortlandOregon.gov Gardens and Lawns That Are Good For The Neighborhood Make sure your yard is safe for people, pets and wildlife by avoiding pesticide use. Join over 300 Overlook residents in quitting or reducing garden chemicals by taking Metro’s Healthy Lawn and Garden Pledge at https://www.oregonmetro.gov/toolsliving/yard-and-garden/garden-pledge and receive a free ladybug yard sign! Pesticide-free Overlook is within our reach! Brilliant, right?! North Portland Tool Library 2209 N Schofield Street in the Historic Kenton Firehouse Open Saturdays 10am-2pm A great place to donate your used tools! Overlook Views Page 5 www.OverlookNeighborhood.org Leafing Legacy: Portland Parks & Recreation Plants 215 Trees in Overlook! By Angie DiSalvo Portland Parks & Recreation Overlook’s future is cooler, thanks to an exciting tree planting initiative by Portland Parks & Recreation Urban Forestry group. This winter, 215 new trees have taken root and are flourishing throughout the neighborhood. The majority of these trees are part of Urban Forestry’s Free Street Tree program. Professional contractors plant 180 trees in the public right-of-way (also called the ‘planting strip’) between the curb and sidewalk. Trees and sites are selected to avoid utility conflicts and bring maximum growth and appeal. Dozens of species including Oregon white oak, European beech, incense cedar, zelkova, and Persian ironwood have joined the neighborhood. In March, 35 trees were planted at Beach School with the help of enthusiastic students and volunteers. This hands-on experi- ence is part of Urban Forestry's Learning Landscapes program. Imagine the joy on students' faces as they dig, plant, and green their school ground. And there’s more good news! Urban Forestry contractors are not just planting and leaving; they're here to nurture these trees into majestic providers of shade and habitat. For three summers post-planting, they'll water, weed, and maintain all the trees. It's a commitment to ensuring that trees survive their difficult first years. Urban Forestry also offers free yard trees every fall to residents through the Yard Tree Giveaway program. Learn more about these tree programs online: https://www.portland.gov/trees https://www.portland.gov/trees/tree-planting/ free-trees https://www.portland.gov/trees/get-involved/ Beach School Auction April 8—20 Annual Fundraiser For Student Enrichment and Support for Beach Families Full Steam Ahead: The Beach Bike Train is up and rolling! The Beach Bike Train is up and rolling full steam every Friday! Student riders meet at N Killingsworth and N Concord every Friday at 8:20 AM and leave for the school at 8:30 AM. Showing up to school with music, friends, and smiles makes the rest of the school day go by that much better, rain or shine! It’s also an exemplary way to show students how we can make sustainable choices as well as decrease the number of cars rolling into the notorious drop off line. This ride is very leisurely and we pedal at a comfortable pace for all ages and abilities, including folks on mobility devices, scooters, trikes, and whatever else has wheels! Dedicated volunteers manage traffic and make sure the ride remains safe for everyone attending. If you will help out or support the ride in some way, let us know by emailing transportation@overlookneighborhood.org. Hope to see you there; the more Beach bike riders on the Beach Bike Train, the merrier! Organizers Katrina de Boer + Nic Cota The Beach Community Union invites you to support our annual school auction! Tickets available now! Support your local school while sipping a beverage, enjoying good food, and hanging out with delightful people. Beach School is our neighborhood K–5 public school, offering two outstanding programs: a traditional English instruction program and a Spanish immersion program. Beach is a proud and diverse community with incredible teachers, an amazing student population and committed parent volunteers. At Beach we depend on the support of our community to help us achieve and succeed. BCU spends every dollar raised on critical programs such as robust after school enrichment opportunities, grants to classrooms, field trips, and the Beach family fund, which helps families bridge the gap. We’re still seeking sponsorships and donations to make the event our most successful yet! Sponsorships include a variety of perks, but any and all sponsorships and donations are tax deductible! https://beachpta.membershiptoolkit.com/ fundraising-annual-events Questions? Email bcufundraising@gmail.com Thank you for helping make Beach even better! Know Your Neighbors—The Foundations of a Strong Place By Emma Durand-Wood Reprinted with permission Here’s something I don’t want to get lost amidst my love letter to neighbors. You don’t have to be besties with all your neighbors; it’s not realistic to think that you’ll connect with everyone and want to spend time together. But knowing who they are—even just their names— is powerful stuff. It’s the first step in being able to eventually grow a relationship, one that may be as simple as lending ladders or exchanging Christmas cards, or as cherished as becoming life-long friends you could call on for anything. Some neighbor relationships are bound to be what sociologists call “weak ties”: not your nearest and dearest friends and family, but also not simply people you recognize on your street but never speak to—and that’s a good thing. They’re sort of like the missing middle of relationships. It’s not that weak ties are incomplete or that they’ve failed to fully develop. Rather, they’re an asset in and of themselves. Image Source: The Art of Neighboring Overlook Views Page 6 www.OverlookNeighborhood.org As Gracen Johnson so eloquently put it, “To me, the call and response of the city is the volley of weak ties. We may not know each other, but our gestures act to validate strangers and create a feeling of safety and home.” And when the time comes (because it will come!) that you see something that needs to change in your neighborhood, it’ll be so much easier to get the ball rolling if you know people. Say there’s a dangerous intersection, an alarming rate of tree loss, insufficient back lane lighting, a playground that needs some love, or any other problem in need of addressing. You need to know who your neighbors are if you’re going to take action. I’ll leave you with an incredibly simple tool that I’ve seen work in my community. Years ago, at our neighborhood association annual general meeting, we invited a local pastor to speak about the neighbor-building efforts her church had been working on as a part of a greater multidenominational neighboring movement. She shared with us this simple three-by-three grid and encouraged us to see if we could fill it out with the names (and better yet, contact info) of the eight households nearest to us. She encouraged us to post it on our fridge and update it as we met more people. While we had cookies and coffee after the meeting, the grid was a perfect discussion topic, with folks excited to see how full their grid was, or gently admonishing themselves for having blank spaces. I love this tool because it gives you the visual satisfaction of filling in squares, Continued on Page 7 Interstate Bridge Replacement News By Nic Cota Transportation Chair By now, most folks have heard of the Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR): the bi-state effort to replace the aging I-5 Interstate Bridge over the Columbia River. The project will replace the aging bridge with a modern, earthquake resilient, multimodal structure. As the only continuous north-south freeway between Canada and Mexico, the Interstate Bridge is part of a critical trade route for regional, national, and international commerce and is a high priority for Oregon and Washington. Currently Happening: The project team incorporated community input over the last few years and put together a Locally Preferred Alternate (LPA). This LPA includes: • • • • • • A new bridge built west of the existing bridge. Improvements to seven interchanges, north and south of the Columbia River, as well as related enhancements to the local street network. Extension of light rail from the Expo Center in Portland to Evergreen Boulevard in Vancouver, along with associated transit improvements such as transit stations. One auxiliary lane in each direction and safety shoulders on the bridge. A variety of improvements for people who walk, bike and roll throughout the program area. Variable rate tolling for motorists using the river crossing as a demand management and financing tool. There are also several design options the program is studying: • • • • • Bridge configurations A second auxiliary lane Alignment of I-5 in downtown Vancouver Freeway interchanges Park and rides at transit locations With the above in mind, the project team is currently putting together a draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) that will be released later this year. After this release, the public will have a 60day public comment period to provide feedback to better align the project with the community’s vision. In the meanwhile, there are several monthly meetings open to the public to learn more about what’s currently happening as well as ‘ office hours’ for folks to learn directly from those working on the project. To learn more and find out how to get involved, visit the pro- Know Your Neighbors continued from Page 6 like surrounding your home with familiarity and support. And spaces that are blank are sort of a subtle challenge, nudging you to try to fill them in. Of course, your own map may look a little different depending on the layout of your street, if you live in an apartment block, etc. But the principle stands! It’s been a few years since that presentation, and I’m thinking it would be good to share the grid in our neighborhood newsletter again, as an encouragement and reminder of a simple thing people can do to become more connected. If you’re thinking, “That’s great, but that sort of thing would never happen in my neighborhood,” I will leave you with this thought: maybe your neighbors are great, too. But you won’t know unless you find out. Emma Durand-Wood likes walkable cities, front porches, street trees, bumping into neighbors, riding her bike, downtowns, and any excuse to check out a new coffee shop, bakery, or shop. A Winnipegger by choice, she lives in Elmwood with her husband and three children. You can connect with her on Twitter @emmaewood. Originally posted to https://www.strongtowns.org/ journal/2023/9/21/in-praise-of-neighbors Ding Dong, North Portland Tolls Are Dead For Now, Anyway Oregon’s long, limping journey toward tolling Portland-area freeways came to a sudden halt in March. Facing backlash from citizens and looming questions about what tolling would look like, Gov. Tina Kotek killed one effort that would have set tolls on Interstates 5 and 205 in order to curb rush hour congestion. She paused another proposal to toll a single bridge on I-205 to pay for seismic upgrades. Those projects, the governor suggested in a letter to the Oregon Transportation Commission, had become a money suck without clear benefits. “Taking this action today will allow the state to focus its limited resources on high priority needs and provide an opportunity for meaningful legislative conversations about alternative revenue sources in the 2025 legislative session,” Kotek wrote. The decision marks a major setback for tolling plans the state has spent seven years and $61 million building. But some of the state’s top transportation officials insisted that the governor’s letter was not the end of the discussion. Tolls will still be on the table next year, when lawmakers are expected to reshape Oregon’s system for funding road maintenance and other transportation projects. Excerpt. Read the entire story: https://www.opb.org/article/2024/03/12/plan-to-add-tolls-portland-oregon -highways-dead-for-now/ Overlook Bus Riders: Changes are Coming to the 72! By Nic Cota OKNA Transportation Chair Trimet bus riders: updates are coming to line 72 Killingsworth! With upcoming construction of 82nd Ave safety upgrades this summer, please be prepared for delays and revised schedules, especially if travelling to/from 82nd Ave destinations further east on Trimet line 72. Longer term changes are also planned for the 82nd Ave corridor to improve transit service and frequency. Some options being considered include adding frequent express (FX) bus service along 82nd Ave, which will impact the line 72 serving North/Northeast Portland into Overlook. Construction could begin as early as 2026, and FX service could start running on 82nd Avenue as early as 2029. Checkout Metro’s webpage here for more information: oregonmetro.gov/82ndtransit Have more questions? Email communityengagement@trimet.org to find out more! Haven’t taken line 72 yet? You should! Overlook residents, especially those near Killingsworth have excellent access to the State of Oregon’s busiest bus line! This bus line runs every 15 minutes or better during daytime hours and takes riders either west to Swan Island (excellent access to riverside fun) or east all the way to destinations along 82nd Ave. In the mood for some shopping/dining/fun on Alberta? You’re also in luck! The bus runs directly through the Alberta Arts District as well and takes less than 15 minutes from Overlook by bus. Payment for the bus is convenient by using tap pay on your device or card at the HOP terminal when you first board the bus. $2.80 for a 2.5 hr pass when you first tap and another $2.80 for a day pass will will be charged if you take multiple trips in one day. Learn how tips, tricks, and how to ride Trimet here: trimet.org/howtoride Resources to Make Your Home & Neighborhood Safer This is not a drill, it’s a real warning. A recent string of home invasion burglaries in North and NE Portland included a home in Overlook. All homes were accessed through unlocked doors while residents were home. In at least one case, a purse and car keys were taken, and thieves returned at night to take the vehicle. Please use this reminder to lock your doors, even when you are home. When You Need Help & Answers WHO YOU GONNA CALL? CALL 311 If you need to ASK about things happening in your neighborhood, parking, parks, permits and waste collection or REPORT graffiti, abandoned vehicles, trash, campsites, hazards in parks or streets or REQUEST street improvements, online police reports & more. CALL 911 For Fire, Ambulance, Police PSAC The North/NE Portland Public Safety Action Committee Meet real people working on the livability problems that vex you. Solutions happen here! Drug house help? Neighborhood nuisance? Camp you can not clear? This meeting is designed to help you get and take action. Online/virtual meetings are on the 3rd Wednesday of each month, 7:00pm - 8:30pm. Emergency and Portland Street Response, Crimes in Progress. Join the email list for monthly notices and meeting minutes: CALL 211 to get help accessing food, em- https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/ landing/a7i4w7 ployment, housing or childcare. Harden Your Home Against Wildfire In partnership with the Parks Bureau, Portland Fire & Rescue provides free wildland-urban interface home assessments to encourage residents to learn about ways to reduce the risk on their own properties by hardening their homes, establishing defensible space, and creating a more resilient community. N E T Overlook Neighborhood Emergency Team Working towards becoming a Firewise Community is a way for everyone to learn not only how to protect themselves and their loved ones, but to protect the natural areas and forests as well. Join the Overlook NET Team email list for training and meeting dates and disaster preparation information. Overlook NET: www.facebook.com/OverlookNET If you want more information about the Firewise Program or are interested in joining the Overlook Firewise Community, please email: overlookfirewise@gmail.com. OverlookPrepares@gmail.com Overlook Views Page 7 www.OverlookNeighborhood.org Overlook Porchfest is happening again - our third annual! The free neighborhood music festival expands into a two-day event: Saturday, July 13th & Sunday, July 14th 2024. What is Overlook Porchfest? Neighbors volunteer to their porches as stages for bands and other performers. We provide a map of locations and a schedule so people can follow where everything is happening with ease. Porchfest again shares the weekend with the Overlook Yard Sale & Free Share, giving you more fun things to do while wandering. Porchfest fills our neighborhood with live music, connection, and vitality, making the organism that is Overlook come alive! We are looking for musicians, neighbors to host porches, local businesses interested in participating, and volunteers! Use this form: https://tinyurl.com/Porchfest-Interest-Form If you’re looking to get involved, please email John Carter at parks@overlookneighborhood.org AN HOMAGE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD RAMP Street Furniture is a Treasured Asset By Aaron Gilbreath Overlook Neighbor Our state is filled with world-class skateboard parks. For someone like me, who’s been skating since I was a kid, Oregon is a dream. But as a 40something working father, I don’t always have time to drive from Overlook to Pier Park in St. John’s, or to K’unamokwst Park in Cully. That’s why I’m grateful for the mini ramp near my house. You might’ve seen it. It stands at the corner of two intersecting residential streets south of Killingworth. Maybe you’ve driven by and wondered Do people even ride that thing? People do ride it, and all of us are pleased. The story goes that a person renting a room in the neighboring house built it for himself and friends. When he moved to a nearby apartment, he left the ramp on the street. His friend still rented in that house, and he lived close enough to visit. But eventually both guys left the neighborhood, and the ramp became an orphan, inadvertently gifted to anyone who could ride it, since these two clearly didn’t ride enough to bother lugging it with them. It’s the neighborhood’s ramp now. The couple who bought the house can watch skaters from their windows. I’ve skated it for a few years and only seen two other people use it—not including a squirrel—but I know others do. It’s too well constructed to ignore. The location’s quiet, though you do have to watch for bikes and passing cars. Although none of us built it, those who ride the Overlook Ramp take care of it, because we feel a sense of ownership. That’s how this works. We want it to stay, so we make sure it’s a good neighbor, staying low-key, respectable, and out of the way. After all, it takes up less space than a parked car. A nearby pile of mulch has a much bigger NEW OVERLOOK VIEWS OPTIONS Thanks to a neighbor request, we now have the Overlook Views available in an appropriate text reader .txt format. A link to the file will be added to the webpage when new newsletters are uploaded: https://overlookneighborhood.org/news/ In addition, the published PDF version is now in COLOR and includes live hyperlinks throughout. Keep your suggestions coming! Overlook Views Page 8 www.OverlookNeighborhood.org fingerprint than this little ramp ever will. All year long I clean the ramp. I move the fall leaves that gather at its base. I trim dry vegetation that reaches from the hell strip. I wipe off bird poop and fallen seeds and remove wet plant debris so the wood doesn’t rot. I’ve watched snow fall on its surface, and I’ve skated it right before a summer thunderstorm soaked everything. I skate it whenever I can. The Overlook Ramp brings me joy and instant gratification. I can sneak in 10 minutes of exercise here, 30 there, when my day’s too busy for more. That’s what I love about this thing: accessibility. It also unites people. When I ride it, some people stop to watch, confused that there’s a ramp there, but also fascinated. Others flash a thumbs up as they bike or jog by. In-person moments of connection are a beautiful thing in our digital era, and the ramp provides them, if only a little. A few kids have asked how I ride it, so I tell them. A few adult pedestrians have told me, “I’m so glad to see somebody riding that ramp. I always wondered.” Maybe you wondered, too. Well, now you know. Ideally, every neighborhood would have a small concrete skatepark for people to safely play in. Since they can’t, every neighborhood should have a wooden mini ramp. Overlook is lucky. So take care of the ramp. Be respectful. Don’t steal it. It’s your ramp now, too, you know! And please, please, for the health and happiness of those who use this beautiful gift, please don’t take it away. How many times in life can you say that something this joyful is actually free? Well, this is. Enjoy it. And wear your pads. Bruises are not as cool as doing a 50/50 grind on this narrow coping. OKNA Treasurer Position Changes Hands Great neighbors make your neighborhood association possible. Serving on the Board of Directors is a valued gift to the community. We extend a hearty thank you to Jen Lee, who was elected to two terms as OKNA Treasurer. Life’s events have kept her out of town, so she has stepped down from her position. Taking up the ledger is long-time neighbor and former OKNA Chair Jim Bennett. Welcome back to the board, Jim, and thank you, too! W h a t ’s Happening? Stay Informed, Overlook There are many ways to stay informed and not miss a beat of what’s happening in and around Overlook. Read The Overlook Views: The Views is one of the last print newsletters in the city; it is delivered door to door by neighbor volunteers, ensuring information equity in Overlook. Visit Our Website: overlookneighborhood.org At our website you will find an array of information about Overlook, events, meetings and links to our e-bulletins and digital copies of The Overlook Views. Subscribe to the weekly ee-bulletin: Our weekly e -bulletin includes information for things such as neighborhood events, fundraisers, local government meetings and announcements. To sign up, go to our website overlookneighborhood.org and click on the “Sign Up For Updates” tab. Follow us on Facebook & Instagram @oknainpdx In addition to general information, our Facebook and Instagram accounts have some fun photos and timely neighborhood announcements and also serve as a means to share info from our other North Portland neighborhoods’ social media accounts. Climb our link tree: https://linktr.ee/oknapdx Our link tree is a repository of links that send you in the right direction quickly and efficiently rather than digging through layers of content. Attend Our Monthly Meetings: We meet on the second Monday of the month (except for August and December) at 6:30 pm. The Board meets afterward. These meetings are open to the public at the Beach Elementary School Auditorium, 1710 N Humboldt St. Overlook Neighborhood boundaries: Willamette River to I-5 N Ainsworth St to the Fremont Bridge Stay Connected! To receive The Weekly OKNA Email for more timesensitive items, visit www.OverlookNeighborhood.org & click the Sign Up For Updates tab. To include an item in the bulletin, submit your short news item to info@OverlookNeighborhood.org with ‘Post to List’ in the subject line. All submissions subject to review and edit. Can’t wait? “Like” us on Facebook & Instagram: @OKNAinPDX and share your thoughts immediately. Business neighbors: your commercial postings are welcome. Overlook Neighborhood Association 2209 N. Schofield Street Portland OR 97217 info@OverlookNeighborhood.org Chair@OverlookNeighborhood.org reaches the Board Chair, or you may leave a message at North Portland Neighborhood Services: 503-823-4524 Newsletter: Michelle Thompson views@OverlookNeighborhood.org 2023-2024 OKNA Board Members: George Spaulding, Jim Bennett, John Carter, Josh Cabot, Katrina Wilson, Michelle Thompson, Nic Cota, Stacey Nuissl OVERLOOK VIEWS is published by the Overlook Neighborhood Association (OKNA). This paper is 40% post-consumer waste content; please recycle! Images by pikisuperstar & katemangostar on Freepik was used.