Category: Board of Directors

SNA To Comment on City Proposed 2035 Comprehensive Plan

NOTE: There is an updated draft of the resolutions as of 1/6/2015.  Click here to review the latest proposal.  The updated document primarily combines similar resolutions, adds a request for a planning process, extends the request for historical review to Hawthorne and one more block of Belmont, and adds an additional section on affordable housing strategies.

After many months of work, the SNA Land Use and Transportation Committee (LUTC) made a presentation to the board on December 18th of the city’s most recent proposed 2035 Comprehensive Plan draft, specifically commenting on the proposed Comprehensive Plan map changes.

The scope of the proposed Comprehensive Plan is massive and there are many ways for individuals to get involved before it is adopted by city council.   In particular we urge neighbors to review the proposed draft and make comments directly to the city through their online map application.

With the limited time available as volunteers and the complexity of the questions posed by this process, the SNA LUTC has focused its proposal on Comprehensive Plan map designations along Belmont St. and Hawthorne Blvd.  The city’s Comprehensive Plan map designations are focused on these two corridors and not the single family residential on either side of them.  Among the most noticeable of the City’s proposed changes is the creation of new Mixed Use Comprehensive Plan map designations to be implemented by new Mixed Use Zones that will replace much of the commercial zoning that currently exists on our corridors.

The impetus behind the City’s proposed Comprehensive Plan map update is a desire to accommodate Portland’s projected population growth in the coming decades and to provide a variety of housing options in areas with plentiful housing, commercial uses, public facilities, transit, and other services close-in to downtown.  Encouraging development in these areas is felt to be critical in meeting the goals of Portland’s Climate Action Plan.

The SNA LUTC felt that the city proposal was largely appropriate, but also decided on a series of suggestions which have been referred to the board.  These resolutions advocate for additional City actions, services and resources to accompany the expected increase in households.  The resolutions ask the city to take care in protecting the historic character of a core segment of Belmont St.  The resolutions aim to produce a consistent commercial corridor along Belmont St. and Hawthorne Blvd. with new residences above that accommodate a mix of incomes and household sizes.

Here is a PDF document containing these proposed resolutions.  (See above for an updated document)  It may be helpful to review these proposals with a map of the neighborhood handy. The SNA LUTC has published a companion article you may find informative, Comprehensive Plan Resolutions: A Primer.

The SNA LUTC will present these resolutions at the General meeting, January 8th from 7-8PM at Southeast Uplift ( 3534 Southeast Main Street) in the Fireside Room.  There will be time for public comments on the proposal at this time.  Immediately following the General Meeting, the SNA Board will meet from 8-9PM in the same location to deliberate and vote on these resolutions.  The public is welcome to attend both meetings.

Comments can be sent prior to the meeting to [email protected].

Neighborhood Elections – Thursday May 8th

What are your favorite things about our neighborhood?

Maybe you’re thinking of the Sunnyside Piazza street art, the neighborhood cleanup, all that bike parking on Belmont, the hundreds of freshly planted street trees, or the awesome Belmont Street Fair.  Your Sunnyside Neighborhood Association plays a part, sometimes big and sometimes small, in all of these things and many more.

This week we’ll celebrate another year of working to maintain a thriving, safe, and truly amazing neighborhood.  Join your neighbors, share a beverage, and talk about your ideas for Sunnyside, find out what we’ve been working on, and learn how we can work together in the coming year.

Help us as a neighbor* by joining us on May 8th at 7:00 p.m. and  voting in our new leadership. Even if you haven’t been to a meeting before we feel that it is important to involve as many neighbors as possible in the selection of our board members.  Not only will you play an important role in our elections, you’ll also be privy to insider information; getting the scoop on what’s happening in the neighborhood and across the city.

If you’re the hands on type, consider making a commitment to get involved in one of our many committees.  From helping with the newsletter to advising the city on land use decisions to keeping an eye on the (thankfully) small amount of crime in Sunnyside, there is a place (of varying time commitments) for everyone.

If you have ever spent time volunteering, you know that it takes all kinds of hard working and dedicated people to make things happen. Projects don’t complete themselves, issues don’t advocate for themselves, art doesn’t magically appear—people are the driving force. The same is true for our neighborhood,  only in this case neighbors must be the driving force!

*Neighboring isn’t just for residents; if you work or own property in Sunnyside we consider you a neighbor, too!

New Sunnyside Board Member – Elena Heller

By Elena Heller

A dental hygienist by trade and lover of great neighborhoods, my name is Elena Heller and I have lived in Sunnyside since July 2013. Recent imports from Fayetteville, Arkansas, my husband and I took a huge journey to move to the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I am green to the area but believe that I understand what is necessary in creating and maintaining an uplifting and inspiring neighborhood.

On the weekends you will often find me out hiking a trail or exploring our city by bicycle. Most likely I will be seen cycling or walking to work in order to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle. Walking and cycling also help me to see the quirky, fun, and unique characteristics that Sunnyside has to offer, including items we might improve upon. As part of my tenure with the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association, I hope to support efforts that contribute to community health and wellness.

A neighborhood is cohesive when you take time to get to know your neighbors. We can unite and speak as a group to alleviate problems, help prevent crimes with our eyes on the street, and become a strong community that everyone enjoys and in which everyone feels safe. Sunnyside is a hub for many amiable gatherings with the vibrant homes, unique businesses, and beautiful intersections that we have to offer. I look forward to meeting and learning more from each of you so that we may continuously progress as a community and be one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Portland.

Come Mingle, Eat and Elect New Board Members

Elections for the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association will be held Thursday, May 12, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., during the regularly scheduled monthly meeting. The event is a potluck and a chance to get to know your neighbors and board.

Four board members will be chosen. Board members Jane Pullman, Chuck Lawrence and Michele Gila will not be seeking another term. Tim Brooks, a longtime board member who is co-chair of this year’s Belmont Street Fair, will be seeking re-election. Other known candidates include Josh Palmer, a neighborhood volunteer and enthusiast and Karen Hery, also a neighborhood volunteer and founder of the Sunnyside SwapShop and Playspace and The Roost.

Join us on Thursday to learn more about the candidates and to thank the outgoing members for their years of service.  Bring a dish to share. Those in the neighborhood who would like to vote will need:

— a current driver’s license or Department of Motor Vehicle ID card

— current voter registration card

— a bill or official correspondence addressed to the individual residing in or owning a business within the SNA boundaries.

Hope to see you there!