Have you heard about the new Play Streets program from PBOT? It aims to transform neighborhood streets into recurring pop-up community hubs for socializing, play and physical activity. Events might include games, cultural performances, kids demonstrations and so much more. The best part is that the city can provide up to $5000 in funding, training and access to city amenities like the mobile library truck. Learn more at PBOT Play Streets. If you and some neighbors are interested, the SNA can help! We, through our relationship with SE Uplift, can act as your non-profit fiscal sponsor and help with coordination and outreach. Please contact us ASAP at [email protected]. Applications are due January 31st, so don’t wait!
Category: What’s Happening in Sunnyside?
No Board Meeting on June 8th
The SNA will be taking the month of June off and will resume at our Board meeting on July 13th. Our next general meeting will be in September—on Sept. 14th. Stay tuned for more details!
Artist Unknown: an art show + fundraiser
September 2 + 3 @ 5 – 9pm
An art show + fundraiser featuring the creations and discoveries of outsiders: those who find themselves caught living outside. Donations will go toward fixing the windows at the Sunnyside Methodist Church, as well as compensating the homeless artists for their work.
The resident Sunnyside Shower Project puts on the show at the church, under the course reflection of these broken windows like unfinished puzzles, in an effort to repair what others might have otherwise left broken.
RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/artist-unknown-tickets-394437612517
You’re Invited! Painting a street mural on Washington Street
You’re invited to join Sunnyside neighbors for a party and street mural painting on Saturday, August 13th!
More details can be found online here.
What: We’re painting the street at SE 42nd and Washington St. to create community, pay homage to the stream that once ran down Washington Street, and to create community!
Why: Street murals are proven to slow down cars and help prevent crime. And they are fun. So, win-win-win.
Details: We’ll have music, some might dance, everyone can help paint, and there will be light snacks.
And at the end of the day, we’ll have a beautiful street mural to enjoy : )
And if we don’t finish the painting on August 13th, we might paint on August 14th (Sunday) too.
All ages.
Where: SE 42nd & Washington Street, Portland
SNA LUTC Proposed Comprehensive Plan Resolutions: A Primer
If you’re new to discussions about the Comprehensive Plan and you have read over the SNA’s proposed comments, you might have some questions. Feel free to ask them, of course, but here we will break them down a bit for you and answer what we think will be some common questions. Let’s start with the first three:
- To accompany new residences along the corridors, the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association (SNA) Board urges the City to develop community design guidelines for southeast Portland, direct corridor development applications through the Portland Design Commission or southeast Portland community design guidelines, and provide neighborhood notification.
- To accompany new residences along the corridors, the SNA Board urges the City to increase inner southeast open spaces areas, including pocket parks and a community center.
- To accompany new residences along the corridors, the SNA Board urges the City to increase pedestrian crossing improvements across Belmont and Hawthorne, and along Cesar Chavez Boulevard.
It’s expected that the Belmont, Hawthorne, and Division areas will grow another 800-2000 households combined over the next 20 years. These three resolutions ask that the city help develop design guidelines and plans to grow these inner southeast corridors in a well planned fashion and with neighborhood input. We want the city to create more open spaces for our residents to recreate and relax, and we want the city to make it safer to get across our busy streets on foot. Now for the next two:
- To accompany new residences along the corridors, the SNA Board urges the City to immediately update the Historic Resource Inventory and apply historic preservation tools to the commercial section of Belmont between SE 33rd and 35th.
- To accompany new residences along the corridors, the SNA Board urges the City to immediately update the Historic Resource Inventory and apply historic preservation tools to the residential section of Belmont between SE 35th and 37th.
We love “downtown Belmont Street” and we know many of our neighbors do too. We are asking the city to protect the character and potentially historic buildings along this core of Belmont. Buildings added to the Historic Resource Inventory gain some protections from demolition and redevelopment. The city may also provide incentives to landowners to protect structures or maintain historic elements during redevelopment. The next two:
- To accompany new residences along the corridors, the SNA Board urges the City to only allow building height bonuses if developers provide the community benefit of below market-rate housing units.
- To accompany new residences along the corridors, the SNA Board urges the City to develop tools to encourage the building of family friendly units
In the new mixed-use zoning being proposed along our corridors, developers could build three stories by right, but to build an additional one or two stories they would need to provide community benefits. Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability staff is exploring whether community benefits would be affordable housing, historic preservation, green building features, open and public spaces, etc. We are concerned about the reduction in affordable housing as redevelopment occurs and would like to see the city push for below market-rate units with more vigor. We also see value in a mix of housing types, multi-room units for families should be incentivized. And now onto the technical details:
- The SNA Board urges the City to apply a Comprehensive Plan mixed-use designation along Belmont and the north side of Hawthorne between SE 28th & 49th to support local businesses thereby increasing employment and the dollars to remain in our neighborhood.
There are gaps in the commercial fabric along Belmont St. and on the western edge of Hawthorne Blvd. within our neighborhood. Changing the multi-family residential zoning to mixed use commercial zoning makes it more likely that we will develop vibrant commercial corridors. Since the new mixed-use zone requires a residential component, we would still be adding housing along with more jobs and room for businesses.
- The SNA Board urges the City to apply a Comprehensive Plan mixed-use designation along the north side of Hawthorne between SE 28th & 49th with implementing zone maximum height of 5-stories and fourth and fifth floors recessed so as not to create more than a 3-story wall along the street.
The city has proposed two types of mixed-use zones to implement their proposed Comprehensive Plan mixed-use designation along Belmont St. and Hawthorne Blvd. The type 1 mixed use zone is being proposed to allow for smaller developments, 2 stories with the potential for a 3rd story bonus. The type 2 mixed use zone is being proposed to allow 3 stories with, potentially, a 4th or 5th story bonus. Under the proposed mixed use zoning for these two corridors, buildings will be required to have a setback on the 4th and 5th floors, giving them the primary appearance of a 3 story building from both sidewalk level and the rear of building. We see value in new development along Hawthorne Blvd. being 3 stories, with the potential for a setback 4th or 5th story bonus, to activate this “main street” of southeast Portland with additional housing and room for businesses.
- The SNA Board urges the City to apply a Comprehensive Plan mixed-use designation along Belmont between SE 28th & 33rd with implementing zone maximum height of 4-stories and the fourth floor recessed so as not to create more than a 3-story wall along the street.
- The SNA Board urges the City to apply a Comprehensive Plan mixed-use designation along Belmont between SE 37th & 42nd with implementing zone maximum height of 4-stories and the fourth floor recessed so as not to create more than a 3-story wall along the street.
- The SNA Board urges the City to apply a Comprehensive Plan mixed-use designation along Belmont between SE 42nd & 49th with implementing zone maximum height of 4-stories and the fourth floor recessed so as not to create more than a 3-story wall along the street.
Belmont St. is more narrow than Hawthorne Blvd. and designated a neighborhood corridor rather than a civic corridor. In light of this, the SNA is proposing the Mixed Use Zoning workgroup consider limiting Belmont St. to 3 stories by right and up to 4 stories with a bonus, eliminating the 5th story bonus.