eliot news · 2011. 12. 23. · eliot news a publication of eliot neighborhood association volume...
TRANSCRIPT
ELIOT NEWS A Publication of Eliot Neighborhood Association
Volume 20 · Number 4
Fall 2011
D awson Park felt alive
this summer with so
m a n y f a n t a s t i c
events.
In cooperation with Portland
Parks and Recreation, the Daw-
son Park Concert Committee
raised enough money from local
businesses and generous concert
goers to host 4 fabulous concerts
in July and August. Neighbors
and families from all over Port-
land were treated with an eclectic
variety of free music throughout
the summer.
Obo Addy & the Okropong
dancers started the summer off
right on a beautiful sunny July
6th Wednesday by playing their
Ghanaian drums and dancing in a
traditional African-style, in front
of one of the largest Dawson
Concert crowds ever! Over the
following weeks, Dawson hosted
concerts from the Dirty Syncopa-
tors, Lisa Mann and Her Really
Good Band, and Hillstomp. The
bands featured music ranging
from funky, to blues, to bucket &
slide rock. Concert attendees
packed their picnics or purchased
from the food vendors who were
on-sight to enjoy an evening of
music and entertainment.
For 3 Sunday afternoons in
August, the Unscriptables, a Port-
land improvisation theatre com-
pany, visited Dawson Park to per-
form plays, free to the public.
Deemed “Fakespeare in the
Park,” the actors wove sugges-
tions from the audience to create
tales of love, betrayal, intrigue,
A Dawson Park Summer
and mistaken identity in the style
of William Shakespeare. Using
the iconic Dawson Park Dome as
their stage, the results were hilari-
ous and unique short improv
plays. It was truly an enjoyable
way to spend an afternoon. Go
to: www.theunscriptables.com for
more information on the theatre
group and check out what other
events they have coming up.
Loaves & Fishes hosted a
By Tamille Lundmark
“Summer in September Jamba-
laya Festival and BBQ” at Daw-
son Park on September 10th. If
you were anywhere near the park
that day, you heard the great live
music from the Cascade Zydeco
Club. This was Loaves & Fishes
6th annual fundraiser. Tickets
were sold for the event which
featured authentic Creole Jamba-
laya, ribs, live music, dance les-
sons, and games for the children.
It’s been a treat to witness
Dawson Park becoming a hub for
family entertainment throughout
the summer and my hope is it
Obo Addy the Okropong Dancers visit the crowd at a Dawson Park Concer
Summer in September Jambalaya Dinner at Dawson Park
continues to grow in popularity
for these kinds of events. As a
member of the Dawson Park
Summer Concert Committee, I
know we are always looking for
enthusiastic volunteers to help
with fundraising, choosing the
performers, and communicating
out to our neighbors the summer
concert schedule. If you’re inter-
ested in participating, please con-
t a c t m e a t t a m i l l e l u n d -
[email protected]. Our commit-
tee will start working on next
summer’s series this February.
●
Eliot Neighborhood Association Fall General Membership Meeting
October 10 2011 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Emanuel Hospital
Medical Office Building 501 N Graham St Portland OR
Eliot Neighbors, please join us for the Eliot Neighborhood Association Fall General Membership Meeting. Find out
about what’s new in the neighborhood and how you can be involved. All positions on Eliot’s board are open and up for election. If you have a business or live in the neighborhood
you can be elected to the board. For the complete agenda see:
http://eliotneighborhood.org/association/meetings/agenda
2 2
Eliot Neighborhood Association The Eliot Neighborhood Association is a nonprofit corporation whose members are the residents and business owners of the Eliot Neighborhood. Its purpose is to inform Eliot residents about issues affecting the neighborhood through meetings, newsletters and other activities. Members of the neighborhood association must be over 14 years old and live, own property, have a business, or repre-sent a nonprofit within the neighborhood. The Eliot Neighborhood Association was founded in 1969. It is recognized by the City of Portland, is a member of the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, Inc., and has representatives on several other groups and commit-tees.
Eliot Board Board Officers
Angela Kremer – Chair [email protected] – 503-284-9136 Julie Woelfer – Vice Chair [email protected] – 503-799-6006 Allan Rudwick - Recorder [email protected] - 503-703-3910 Clint Lundmark – Newsletter Editor [email protected] – 503-552-8678 Tamille Lundmark – Treasurer [email protected] –503-552-8678
Board Directors
Alan Sanchez – [email protected] – 503-288-4489 Alex Johnson – [email protected] Barry Joe Stull—[email protected] Jim Hlava – [email protected] – 509-998-3406 Joan Ivan – [email protected] – 503-265-5868 Kirsten Jenkins – [email protected] – 503-515-6633 Kristen Yates - [email protected] - 503-802-0299 Laurie Simpson – [email protected] – 503-280-1005 Mike Doherty - [email protected] – 415-307-2920 Pamela Weatherspoon - [email protected] – 503-413-4630 Pauline Bradford – 503.287.7138 (fax) – 503-281-6635
Land Use and Transportation Committee Mike Warwick – LUTC Chair [email protected] – 503-284-7010 Laurie Simpson – LUTC Vice Chair [email protected] – 503-280-1005 Allan Rudwick - [email protected] - 503-703-3910 Clint Lundmark – [email protected] – 503-552-8678 Jason Franklin – [email protected] Kirsten Jenkins – [email protected] – 503-515-6633
Eliot Monthly Meetings If you live or work in Eliot, you are welcome and encouraged to at-tend the monthly meetings of the Eliot Neighborhood Association, which are held the second Monday of each month at 7 pm at Emanuel Hospital. It’s a great opportunity to meet your neighbors, stay informed about what’s going on in Eliot, help build a stronger community, and have input into decisions that may affect you. Also consider joining a committee or becoming a board member. Emanuel Hospital, Medical Office Building, West Conference Room, 501 N. Graham St.
Eliot News Eliot News is published four times a year by the Eliot Neighborhood Association. It is delivered or mailed free of charge to every address in the neighborhood. It does not have a ISBN.
Editor: Clint Lundmark [email protected] - 503-552-8678 Layout: Clint Lundmark Advertising: Clint Lundmark Delivery: Susan Bailey [email protected] - 503-284-7010
Rights to articles are retained by the author. Opinions of the au-thors do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the Eliot Neighborhood Association.
www.eliotneighborhood.org [email protected]
Baileywick Properties Saving and Improving Housing in Eliot
Neighborhood for 33 Years.
Houses and Apartments for rent.
(503) 806-3502
Upcoming Eliot Neighborhood Association Meetings
General Membership Meeting - Monday October 10th Board Meeting - Monday November 14th Board Meeting - Monday December 12th
Meetings typically held at Emanuel Hospital Medical Office Building, West Conference Room, 501 N Graham, Portland OR. For more information see eliotneighborhood.org.
Eliot Neighborhood Email List Join the Eliot Neighborhood Email List! Get informed on what is happening in the neighborhood via email. The Eliot Neighborhood Email List ―announcement only‖
Google Group is a notification service used to share information from the Eliot Neighborhood Association. To subscribe send an email to: e l iotemai l l i st+subscr [email protected] or v i s i t http://groups.google.com/group/eliotemaillist.
Printed on recycled paper.
Category Size 1x 2x 3x 4x
1/16 Page 4.9” W x 1.8” H $24 $44 $60 $72
1/8 page 4.9” W x 3.8” H $40 $73 $100 $122
1/4 page 4.9” W x 7.8” H $68 $123 $168 $204
1/2 Page 10” W x 7.8” H $114 $207 $283 $343
Full Page 10” W x 15.8” H $191 $348 $475 $576
ELIOT NEWS AD RATES
Eliot News has a per issue circulation of 3,000 and is hand delivered or mailed
to nearly 100% of the homes and businesses in the Eliot neighborhood.
Eliot News is an 8 page 11” x 17” black and white tabloid newspaper pub-
lished four times a year in January, April, July and October.
Ad deadlines are December 10, March 10, June 10, and September 10.
Ad rates and sizes effective January 1st 2011.
Eliot Neighborhood
3 3
Questions:
Q1: What still in use structure on MLK had a bit part in a 1993 sleeper
hit? What was the building? What was the movie? Bonus: What two
word line (arguably one of the best in the movie) was uttered by an ex-
tra in that scene?
Q2: What used to be at the site of the Nike outlet store? What happened
to it?
Q3: What is the name of the park adjoining Tubman School, and why is
it hyphenated?
(Continued on page 7)
Eliot Neighborhood Trivia By Julie Woelfer
R L I N A O M L H X N R H B N
L E C R L V L A O X U U O K A
P A W E O E O H P R U S R S R
P V P O B N K K E L E O N X U
L U J W B G W I L R E C B U S
T T O B I Y D O V E M L E E T
I N Z N W O R I O C Z G A L A
S H K U G B C O M D H X M P K
K O O W Z E K C L R U T A P B
G A O A B I T B A G K L F A E
V O O E H A W T H O R N F B E
D Q R A I K C A A M R U M A C
E R S S E R P Y C W S I H R H
Y L Y X W E L I N D E N S C L
Z K J Q G H W Q U H I E A S C
AMUR MAACKIA
ASH
BEECH
CRABAPPLE
CYPRESS
DOGWOOD
ELM
GINKO
GLORYBOWER
HAWTHORN
HORNBEAM
IRONWOOD
KATSURA
LINDEN
MAPLE
OAK
SERVICEBERRY
SNOWBELL
TUPELO
ZELKOVA
Tree Varieties
Word Find
In partnership with the City of
Portland's Office of Neighbor-
hood Involvement, the Northeast
Coalition of Neighborhoods is
offering $23,794 in small grant
funds and $6,650 in graffiti
abatement funds to neighbor-
hood, business and community-
based groups. NECN will offer
$1,000-$4,000 per project within
the Neighborhood Small Grant
program and up to $2,500 per
graffiti abatement project.
Past projects funded by NECN
include community orchards,
tours of African American mu-
rals, afterschool programs, com-
munity outreach projects, oral
history projects, murals, graffiti
clean-up and multicultural festi-
vals.
New this year, NECN is fund-
ing community economic devel-
opment projects such as collabo-
rative branding of the neighbor-
hood between neighborhood and
business associations.
The goal of these two grant
programs is to provide opportuni-
ties for building community and
increasing and sustaining in-
volvement in neighborhood asso-
ciations, district coalitions and
the community at-large. Prefer-
ence will be given to proposals
submitted on behalf of or in di-
rect partnership with one or more
of the following:
-Neighborhood associations
-Organizations predominantly led
by people from historically under
engaged communities including
communities of color, immigrants
and refugees, youth, people with
disabilities and lesbian, gay, bi
and trans communities
-Business associations or individ-
ual businesses.
Applications Due: Tuesday,
November 1st, 2011 by 5:00pm
More info:
http://necoalition.org ●
Neighborhood Small Grants
The other day while walking
to work I passed by the triangle
where MLK and Grand come to-
gether at Hancock. I noticed the
sign announcing construction for
the new gateway project to begin
Spring 2011. Then I recalled all
the hubabalu about the project
last May. I was angry that our
neighborhood lost out on a posi-
tive change due to the whining of
a few.
Shortly after the Portland De-
velopment Commission (PDC)
announced the project was mov-
ing forward, the group Active
Right of Way (AROW) decided
to object. After months of plan-
ning, regular stakeholder meet-
ings, neighbor board meetings, at
least 2 public comment meetings,
AROW was “coming to the res-
cue” trying to save the neighbor-
hood. Our own Land Use com-
mittee, along with individuals in
the neighborhood also got into to
the foray appearing in various
media opposing the project.
Apparently some wanted a
sidewalk along MLK in the
curve. Others objected to the
wall. City and State transporta-
tion departments had already
deemed it too dangerous for the
sidewalk, and the see-through
wall was there to give a feeling of
safety. As it turns out the project
was working within the parame-
ters and objectives given to it.
Having had a committee stake-
holder from Eliot Neighborhood
and having attended planning
meetings as neighborhood chair I
was satisfied with the design.
But then again I had participated
and not complained after the fact.
I decided to call the project
manager, Irene Bowers and find
out what’s going on. She said the
outcry did cause some delays, but
the project is moving forward.
PDC and AROW decided to
“agree to disagree”. It has taken a
little longer than expected to find
and secure a contractor to do the
work. I am happy to report con-
struction should begin this fall. It
may not be perfect, but as Irene
said, “it’s a good design.” Most
importantly, Eliot did not lose
because of vocal minority. ●
Editorial
MLK Gateway Project Status By Clint Lundmark
4 4
Breakfast/Coffee/Cafés
Bridges Café
2716 N.E. MLK Jr. Blvd., 503-288-4169
Eliot E-Mat Café
2808 N.E. MLK Jr. Blvd., 503-280-8889
Goldrush Coffee Bar
2601 N.E. MLK Jr. Blvd., 503-331-5955
Tiny’s Café
2031 N.E. MLK Jr. Blvd., 503-467-4199
Waypost
3120 N. Williams St., 503-367-3182
Bars/Taverns
820
820 N. Russell St., 503-284-5518
Bill Ray’s Dive
2210 N.E. MLK Jr. Blvd.
Gotham Tavern
2240 N. Interstate Ave., 503-517-9911
McMenamin’s White Eagle Café & Saloon
836 N. Russell St., 503-282-6810
Secret Society
116 NE Russell St.,503-493-3600
Sloan’s Tavern
36 N. Russell St., 503-287-2262
Widmer Gasthaus Pub
929 N. Russell St., 503-281-3333
Lunch/Dinner
Afrique Bistro
102 NE Russell St., 503-943-6616
Chuck’s Market, J&S Grocery
2415 N. Williams Ave., 503-281-6269
Dreamers Marketplace
2737 NE MLK Jr. Blvd.
Mint
816 N. Russell St., 503-284-5518
Pizza A Go Go
3240 N. Williams St., 503-335-0300
Popeye’s Famous Fried Chicken
3120 N.E. MLK Jr. Blvd., 503-281-8455
Queen of Sheba
2413 N.E. MLK Jr. Blvd., 503-287-6302
Russell Street Bar-B-Que
325 N.E. Russell St., 503-528-8224
Sparky’s Pizza
2434 N.E. MLK Jr Blvd
Toro Bravo
120 NE Russell St.,503-281-4464
Tropicana Bar Be Cue
3217 N. Williams Ave., 503-281-8696
Under Wonder
128 N.E. Russell St., 503-493-0371
Eliot Eateries
????????
Art Glass to the World From Eliot By Barry Joe Stull
U roboros is a company
named for a symbol
of a dragon eating its
tail - symbolic of alchemy, the
"ancient art" of turning base met-
als into gold. Eliot's Uroboros
combines sand and other ingredi-
ents to produce art glass in 150
sophisticated color combinations
in over a dozen styles and tex-
tures. Uroboros colors stem from
chemicals used in making the
glass. Gold produces pinks and
purples, copper green, red or
aqua blue, cobalt deep blue, and
so on. Textures result from roll-
ers used on the molten glass, and
manipulation, such as pushing the
molten glass to produce ripples.
Uroboros Glass was founded
in 1973 by glass artist Eric Lov-
ell. They relocated from South-
east Portland to Lower Albina in
1984. Company facilities now
occupy 22,000 square feet, where
the company's whimsy is seen in
the colored glass used to repair
broken windows. Uroboros is
serious about environmental im-
pact, and is a City of Portland
certified "Green Business" for
minimizing waste, reusing and
recycling energy, water and ma-
terials, and for its choice of envi-
ronmentally-friendly packaging
whenever possible.
Uroboros glass products are
purchased world-wide for use in
projects and processes which
continue of evolve. Sheets of
glass may ultimately end up in a
leaded "stained glass" window,
lamp, ceiling or dome. Artists
cut out glass portions selected
from type and color then assem-
ble complex works. The variety
of colors, mixed color combina-
tions and textures may represent
leaves, flowers, or colorful sun-
sets or whatever an abstract or
g e o m e t r i c p a t t e r n c a l l s
for. Uroboros innovates proc-
esses resulting in new products
available to feed the muse of art-
ists thrilled with new options for
creative expression.
Artists can chose, cut, and
melt Uroboros glass to fuse vari-
ous pieces together. Since these
fused pieces rely on glass that's
capable of melting together,
Uroboros ensures "compatible"
glass is available. In addition to
sheet glass, Uroboros produces
glass rods. Since Uroboros has
innovated products and proc-
esses, and only time will tell
what's next.
Uroboros offers 20 minute
factory tours Monday through
Friday 9AM - 4PM at 2139 N.
Kerby. For more information call
503-284-4900 or visit their web
site at uroboros.com. ●
5 5
The
Crime Blotter
I t seems we got the good
weather just as school is
starting again. I would
like to take this opportunity to
remind everyone to look out for
kids on their way to/from school,
and to drive safely in neighbor-
hoods and school zones. With
everyone’s schedule filling up
again with back to school activi-
ties and running around to events,
remember not to leave valuables
in your cars.
Areas of Recent Concern:
- Dawson Park: The summer
brought with it an increase in nui-
sance issues in the Park, such as
drinking in public. While an in-
crease like this is generally ex-
pected over the summer, this year
was a little higher. I have been
working with the district officers
to increase patrols in the park
during the afternoon and evening
hours, and have spent some time
out there myself.
- Car Prowls: Car prowls con-
tinue to be on the rise. Unfortu-
nately there does not seem to be a
specific trend that I have been
able to spot, as the incidents are
distributed pretty evenly. The
primary factors I can link to this
are an increase in the transient
population in the area, and the
continued downswing in the
economy. Now, more than ever,
it is important to secure your be-
longings.
Recent/Upcoming Events
- September 11th: The 10th
Anniversary of the 9-11 Terrorist
Attacks has come and gone, and
thankfully it passed without any
further incident. Please take a
moment to reflect on how these
events have changed all of our
lives.
- Emanuel Children’s Hospi-
tal: The opening of the new Chil-
dren’s Hospital should be coming
up in a few months. In the mean
time, traffic in and around the
Emanuel Campus has been af-
fected. Remember to take care
when driving around construction
sites as there are many hazards
unique to this type of work.
OFC Peter Helzer, NRT
503-823-5818
Angela Wagnon, ONI
503-823-4094 ●
By Ofc Peter Helzer & Angela Wagnon N othing tastes better
than a fresh home-
made traditional tor-
tilla stuffed with shades of green
avocado, ripe tomato, Tillamook
Cheddar Cheese and scrambled
eggs covered in a generous top-
ping of green chile crema. I
mean nothing. This is what I eat,
not on Monday, because the Pep-
per Box, a food cart at Dreamer’s
Marketplace, is closed on Mon-
day but as soon as I can I walk
down there every Tuesday around
10 am. After about three hours of
food prep the Pepper Box Owner
and chef Jim Wilson will swing
open his window ready for busi-
ness at 9am. I make it about an
hour at work and then find myself
automatically moving towards
the door, no matter how piled
high my desk is. He stuffs other
things in these tortillas too. Like
pastrami with pickled peppers
and onions or turkey, bacon, avo-
cados and Tillamook Pepper Jack
Cheese always with a smoky/
spicy crema holding it together.
Go there. I mean right now.
Take a little cash, like seven dol-
lars, and find yourself sitting out-
side in the patio area Jim has set
up so you enjoy that first twinge
of fall in the air as you watch in-
teresting things roll past you on
MLK.
Pepper Box is located at
D r e a m e r s M a r k e t p l a c e ,
2737 NE Martin Luther King Jr. .
Portland, Oregon 97217 and is
open Tuesday - Saturday 9am -
3pm. www.pepperboxpdx.com ●
Pepper Box - A food cart in Eliot By Kristin Yates
Tierra Educational Center in
in Eliot Neighborhood is offering
a unique full-immersion trip to
Pátzcuaro, Mexico this December
10-18th. The center opened in
2009, with a mission to offer
small group Spanish and ESL
services to help bridge communi-
cation and cultural barriers be-
tween the growing immigrant
population and the community at
large. In honor of that mission,
this immersion trip has been spe-
cially designed to integrate its
participants with a Mexican and
indigenous community in this
small colonial pueblo in the state
of Michoacán. Participants will
study Spanish and regional his-
tory in 20 hours of classes, learn
about local traditions by attend-
ing medicinal plant and artisan
workshops, explore ancient pyra-
mids and ruins, visit one of the
largest Monarch butterfly over-
wintering areas in the world, and
much more! The trip includes
eight nights lodging in an 18th
century hacienda-style hotel, tra-
ditional Mexican meals, and pre-
departure and in-country trip as-
sistance provided by a representa-
tive of Tierra along with the Cen-
ter for Languages and Ecotours
of Pátzcuaro (CELEP).
In order to retain the authen-
ticity of the town and the empha-
sis on small group interaction,
this trip allows a maximum of
only 8 participants, so register
soon! If traveling abroad is un-
available to you, be sure to check
out the plethora of local Spanish
Explore Mexico with Eliot Language School classes for children and adults
available at Tierra Educational
Center.
Pepper Box owner Jim Wilson
Pátzcuaro, Mexico
Visit www.tierracenter.com/
or call 503-213-3677 for more
information. ●
Active Listings bed bath sq ft price
3004 N Williams 4 2.1 1806 $289,900 435 NE Cook 2 2.1 1611 $285,000 609 NE Graham 3 1.1 1652 $290,000 626 NE San Rafael 3 2 2361 $299,900 2821 NE Rodney 5 5 2880 $334,000
Pending Listings bed bath sq ft price
426 NE Fargo 3 2 2480 $225,000 532 NE Tillamook 3 1 1506 $239,900 51 NE Graham 3 2 2466 $249,000 2919 NE Rodney 2 1 2274 $265,000 76 NE San Rafael 3 2 2646 $315,000 200 NE Thompson 3 2 1928 $349,000 Sold Listings bed bath sq ft price
60 NE Ivy 3 2 1636 $291,000 523 NE Knott 3 1 2831 $307,000 509 NE Fargo 3 1.1 2805 $321,000
6 6
T h e r e c e s s i o n h a s
slowed development
activities in Eliot so
the major land use action in-
volves City plans for the NE
Quadrant as part of the Central
City Plan update. The Central
City Plan covers the downtown
area east of the West Hills as well
as our area of NE (Lower Albina,
Lloyd District, Rose Quarter, and
points in-between). The NE
Quadrant plan is the first to be
developed of the four quadrants
in the Central City. The plan is a
partnership between the City and
the State because the Department
of Transportation wants to im-
prove freeway capacity on I-5
between I-84 and I-405 and needs
to replace ramps and overpasses
to do so. That will require
changes to surface streets so it
makes sense to plan for that
within the Central City Plan up-
date. The proposed freeway
changes are expected to be
“temporary,” which means suffi-
cient for the next 20 to 30 years
only. The freeway element has
dictated that the Plan process pro-
ceed on two tracks, one for free-
way improvements and one for
land use.
The freeway improvement op-
tions are constrained by an ex-
pected budget limit (no more than
$300 Million is the best guess)
and study area boundaries that
don’t extend beyond I-84 and I-
405. Proposals by Eliot and oth-
ers to relocate the current ramps
aw a y f r o m B r o a d w a y a n d
Weidler outside the study area
have so far been rejected as too
expensive or, “outside the study
area.” Staff from the City and
State has otherwise been fairly
open to suggestions from the NE
Quadrant Advisory Committee
and members of the public who
attend the meetings. Neverthe-
less, they are maintaining a focus
on f reeway improvements /
overpass replacement. Eliot has
led a charge against overpass re-
placement because it will inter-
rupt streetcar operations on the
soon-to-open Loop Streetcar and
create too much uncertainty for
development at the Rose Quarter
and the area around the Blanch-
ard Block (the school district
headquarters building). Planning
for freeway changes will take at
least 5 years according to State
staff and financing and construc-
tion several more. The prospect
of having the local transportation
infrastructure demolished and
reconstructed within ten years is
expected to discourage invest-
ment in the area. Waiting ten
years to redevelop the Rose
Quarter and the Blanchard area is
unacceptable to area neighbor-
hood associations as well as the
Blazers and other stakeholders
Central City Plan—NE Quadrant By Mike Warwick
who have been awaiting the arri-
val of the Loop Streetcar to revi-
talize the Lloyd District.
Minor changes could be made
in freeway ramps that would not
require changes to the overpasses
that could improve traffic safety
on I-5. Eliot neighbors have pro-
posed a number of these that we
believe will improve freeway ac-
cess, traffic flow along Broad-
way/Weidler, and safety for bikes
and pedestrians. City and State
transportation planners are evalu-
ating these suggestions along
with many others and are ex-
pected to present their leading
options to the project advisory
committee the end of September
and at an Open House in the fall.
At the last committee meeting,
State staff indicated many of their
options required a new vehicle
overpass at Hancock. That possi-
bility was the subject of this col-
umn last issue. Although Eliot
and other neighborhood represen-
tatives attempted to stop further
consideration of that option, we
were not successful. For a vari-
ety of reasons, Eliot remains op-
posed to a Hancock overpass that
allows for motor vehicle traffic.
The hot topic on the land use
track is future uses in Lower Al-
bina and in Central Lloyd. City
staff developed some specific
questions for the advisors to con-
sider for these area. In general,
Eliot supports the City’s sugges-
tion that the area around the
Blanchard Block be developed
primarily as an employment
zone, but with housing allowed.
We do not believe housing alone
will attract investor interest and
office or light industry alone
can’t justify the redevelopment
costs. It is expected that the Rose
Quarter Plan will complement
this kind of development, al-
though it isn’t clear what kind of
development will emerge from
that plan.
The rest of the Lower Albina
area was divided into subareas by
City staff to evaluate other devel-
opment possibilities. The State
has dictated that industrial land in
Portland remains zoned for indus-
trial use, so radical changes in
zoning and use is not expected.
However, there is some flexibil-
ity within the industrial, “I” and
“E,” zone. Eliot supports retain-
ing current zoning for the indus-
trial land west of Interstate. It
recommends more flexible zon-
ing for the area east of Interstate
south of Russell. Both Eliot and
the City want to retain the indus-
trial/employment focus and ex-
clude housing uses for the pre-
sent, but allow for commercial
and professional uses in the area
and “software foundries” instead
of the steel foundries expected in
the “I” zone. Some of the proper-
ties along Russell are in a more
flexible zone now; one that al-
lows residential use. Eliot has
recommended extending this “E”
zone to the rest of Russell and the
property north up to the freeway.
That area already has multi -
family and a scattering of single
family structures in it as well as
many vacant land parcels. It is an
area difficult to access by heavy
trucks and lacks rail access, so it
isn’t well suited for true indus-
trial uses. More flexible zoning
is more likely to stimulate rede-
velopment.
The City identified a roughly
triangular area under the freeway
ramps that connects Lower Al-
bina to the Mississippi District.
This area is mostly City or State
rights-of-way so it isn’t very at-
tractive to developers, however;
development has been proposed
on parcels on either side of it.
Strengthening the connection be-
tween Lower Albina and Missis-
sippi will improve the chances
for redevelopment in the area
north of Russell. Accordingly,
Eliot supports zoning changes
that will do so. Area under the
freeway ramps may lend itself to
development of a skatepark or
facilities to support seasonal
farmers’ or craft markets.
The other area of immediate
interest to planners is the Central
Lloyd area. This area is zoned to
allow high rise towers on extra
large “superblocks.” The exist-
ing zoning allows buildings so
large they could accommodate all
of the growth in employment and
residents for the city as a whole.
Obviously, that won’t happen,
but the expectation of property
owners that it will “someday” is
Map of Central City Plan NE Quadrant
preventing them from any devel-
opment. Should they plan any of
these “mega” buildings, they
would compete with potential
tenants for new construction at
the Rose Quarter or Blanchard
area. This creates a Catch-22
situation, where if the City en-
courages (e.g., subsidizes) devel-
opment in Central Lloyd, it will
undermine City efforts to rede-
velop the Blanchard site. As a
result, Eliot recommends that the
City make it clear that it favors
development at the Blanchard site
over new towers in Lloyd.
Irvington wants to see redevel-
opment on the northern edge of
the Lloyd district to revitalize the
Broadway/Weidler corridor. To
do so, they recommend pedes-
trian improvements to the north-
south streets to reinforce the con-
nection between Irvington and
Lloyd Center. They also want
Broadway and Weidler to be con-
verted back into two-way streets.
Their idea is slowing traffic with
two-way streets and pedestrian
crossings every block will stimu-
late drives to stop and shop. It
would also discourage commut-
ing through the area at high
speed. Both Eliot and Sullivan’s
Gulch has joined them in these
recommendations.
It remains to be seen how
m a n y o f E l i o t a n d o t h e r
neighborhood recommendations
will be incorporated into the re-
sulting plan proposal. Whatever
does result will have to be ap-
proved by City Council and sev-
eral of those positions will turn
over in the upcoming election.
This process is a long way from
complete. ●
7 7
Scene from the movie Free Willy at a carwash on MLK
Answers:
A1: The car wash on MLK and Fargo; Free Willy; "Nice Whale" from a
wino walking by. See it for yourself about 1:36 into the movie.
A2: A public storage warehouse. It burnt down in the mid 90's.
A3: Until 1947, this was known as Albina Park, since it is in what was
once the City of Albina. In 1941, some residents requested that the park
be renamed Mike Lillis Park. Michael Edward Lillis was a police offi-
cer on the Albina Park beat who was well-liked in that neighborhood.
He had been a strong advocate for the park and the children in that area.
Other neighbors felt that the park should keep its original name. In
1947, there was a compromise and since then the park has been named
Lillis-Albina Park. ●
(Continued from page 3)
Eliot Neighborhood Trivia Half Night to Benefit Seniors
The Summer in September
Jambalaya Festival and Barbecue
in Dawson Park, a benefit for the
Martin Luther King Jr. Loaves &
Fishes Center, was a big success.
The event raised more than
$20,000 to serve needy seniors in
Northeast Portland making it one
of the most successful in its six-
year history.
Continue the success in Octo-
ber at Half Night.
Visit the Widmer Gasthaus on
Tuesday, October 25, 2011, and
Widmer Brothers will donate half
of all proceeds to Loaves &
Fishes Centers, The Meals-On-
Wheels People!
“Half-Night” hours are from 4
-10 p.m. in the dining room and
from 4-11 p.m. in the pub. Bring
a friend or two and dine! Parties
of five or more are asked to make
reservations. Beat the crowd and
come early!
Feed your appetite! Feed Port-
land area seniors.
www.feedseniors.org
●
8 8
January 9, 2012
Eliot Neighborhood will join Boise, Humbolt and King neighborhoods to plant trees on Saturday February 11th. For more information or to order trees visit friendsoftrees.org or
send an email to [email protected] .