At the April 13th General Membership meeting the Eliot Neighborhood Association voted to oppose the current plan for development of a minor league baseball stadium in the Rose Quarter and to work on a Good Neighbor Agreement. Though the Rose Quarter is not in Eliot, it borders the neighborhood and has an impact on neighbors.
After a presentation and question-answer session with J. Isaac, VP of Business Affairs for the Portland Trailblazers a motion was made regarding the Rose Quarter. Neighbors Angela Kremer and Jason Franklin read a prepared statement.
Whereas: Eliot is a diverse and creative neighborhood with a desire to see new residential and commercial development within and adjacent to its boundaries
Whereas: Eliot has suffered many negative impacts from poor City development decisions in the past and continues to suffer negative impacts today
Whereas: The planning and development for a new minor league baseball stadium in the Rose Quarter has not included any neighborhood involvement
Whereas: The Eliot Neighborhood Association participated and supported the outcome of the previous Rose Quarter planning effort that recommended reestablishing the neighborhood in the Rose Quarter and precluded the development of a baseball stadium
Whereas: The Eliot Neighborhood Association wants to work with the City and other stakeholders to create a plan that builds on the previous Rose Quarter plan and that is appropriate for this important site
Whereas: Current impacts from events at the Rose Quarter negatively impact the Eliot Neighborhood and have not been adequately addressed by the city
Whereas: The Goose Hollow Neighborhood has a good neighbor agreement with the City that governs the use of PGE Park, including the number and types of events and this agreement is a good example for an agreement between the Eliot Neighborhood Association and the City
Be it resolved:
The Eliot Neighborhood Association opposes the current plan for development of a minor or major league baseball stadium in the Rose Quarter or anywhere adjacent or within the neighborhood association boundaries. Furthermore the neighborhood association requests that a Good Neighbor agreement be established between the Eliot Neighborhood Association, the City, the Trail Blazers and any other development interest within the Rose Quarter for any new entertainment uses as a condition of development.
The last paragraph was the motion that carried nearly unanimously.
