Author: Mindy Brooks, City Planner, City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability

Ezones Map Correction Project

Natural resources like streams, wetlands, plants, trees, and flood areas help move water off private property, store water during flood events, hold hillsides in place, cool the air and provide habitat for wildlife. Protecting these natural resources protects houses, businesses and roads by reducing the risk of flooding and landslides. On some properties, natural resource protections could limit or restrict where new houses or structures may be built. To find out more about how the City is updating these rules and to see if your property is affected, visit https://www.portland.gov/bps/ezones.

City staff will brief the Planning and Sustainability Commission about the project on January 26, 2021. You can watch the briefing on YouTube and learn more about the PSC briefing. To talk directly with staff, email us at [email protected] or call 503-823-4225. Interpretation is available.

Friends of Trees Planting Announcement

Friends of Trees is once again planning a neighborhood tree planting event in Sunnyside. On January 30, 2021, we will join with our neighbors in the Kerns, North Tabor and Laurelhurst neighborhoods to plant street and yard trees. Our goal is to improve and diversify our urban canopy.

Continue reading “Friends of Trees Planting Announcement”

Land Use and Transportation in Sunnyside and Beyond!

4738 SE Belmont St. Update. Following their presentation at the October 8th SNA meeting, the architect of the proposed multi-family development at 4738 SE Belmont provide notes with responses to the attendees’ questions.  A selection of comments and the Architect’s responses follows:

 The fence along the perimeter of the site appears a bit industrial in design. We will take a closer look at designs to make this fence more residential in nature and to provide plantings at the fence along 48th. These plantings will also assist in screening the rear of the building from the street.

There is concern about the height relationship and visual screening between this structure and the single-family home to the south. We have offered to work with the resident of this home to design the landscaping buffer to best suite them.

How will the existing building be disposed during demolition? There are currently no plans to take special actions to divert from landfills. All demolition and disposal of building materials will be in accordance with state, federal and local codes.

Will an elevator be provided? An elevator is not proposed for this development.

There is concern about bike security on the site given bicycle theft is an issue in the area. All bike parking will be located within locked gates or within the building in a bicycle parking room. Since this discussion, we have also added a video monitoring system that will cover all parked bicycles.

Incorporating two- and three-bedroom units would be welcome in the project, particularly to promote tenant retention in the neighborhood as families grow and require more space. This is an excellent point; however, the unit mix will remain as studios and one-bedrooms for this project.

Land Use and Transportation in Sunnyside and Beyond!

In the Neighborhood

4738 SE Belmont St. A new three-story, mixed-use structure is proposed on the .13-acre site at the southwest corner of SE Belmont and SE 48th. The proposed building includes 19 apartments—15 studios and 4 one-bedrooms. Three of the units will be priced to be affordable for those at 50% of median family income. The ground floor will host 1,150 sq. ft. of commercial lease space along Belmont St. A dry well on the south end of the site will dispose of all on-site stormwater. The architect anticipates a minimum of six months before he receives an approved building permit.

Hawthorne Pave and Paint.

For on-going updates on this project visit: https://www.portland.gov/transportation/planning/se-hawthorne-pave-and-paint

In the Region

The NW Broadway Bus/Bike Lane Improvements project creates a signature northbound bike facility on NW/SW Broadway from the Broadway Bridge to SW Oak Street. Construction began on Oct. 3rd and is expected to last eight weeks. For more information on the project components, likely traffic impacts and contractor contact information, visit the project website at https://www.portland.gov/nw-broadway