DRAFT – NOT YET APPROVED

Eliot Land Use and Transportation Committee

Minutes for May 18, 2012

Submitted by Chair, Mike Warwick

 

6:35 pm call to order

 

Present:  Mike, Clint, Allan, Laurie, Kirsten, Jason and Lee.  Visitors from Emerio Design and WDC Properties.

 

Minutes

Minutes from the March meeting were approved by consensus.

 

Emerio Design

The company purchases a lot at 541 NE Tillamook and intended to develop two homes on the site via a minor lot partition.  The partition requires neighborhood notice.  The lot is 125 deep so the minimum unit size for new construction is 3.  That was not the original plan, but the developer now intends to add an ADU to one of the new lots to comply.  They did not have plans to review, but were encouraged to develop homes that fit into the historic fabric rather than modern boxy in-fill.

 

WDC Properties

The developer has plans for projects at the corners of NE Morris and NE Cook and MLK (on the west side of MLK).  They have had success with a small apartment style development, typically 2-story and under 20 units.  The two projects planned fit that mold.  One, called “Martin” will be 14 units (8, 2-bedroom units and 6, 1-bedroom lofts).  The other, called “King” will be 15 units.  There will be no parking except for bikes.  These will be market rate (non-subsidized) units with rents expected to be in around $1,500 for the 2 bedroom units and $800 for the lofts.  The lofts will be 2-stories high with a “loft.”  They claim to have had good luck finding tenants at these prices.  The preliminary designs were for a modern looking building with tenant amenities in the front between the building and the sidewalk.

 

Eliot’s Position on Freeway Facility Plan Proposed as part of the NE Quadrant Plan process

The NE Quadrant plan process is nearing its end.  It has winnowed about 100 different ideas for how to configure a wider freeway through the NE Quadrant down to a handful of options for “further study,” presumably with one as a “final plan.”  A number of changes to surface streets is included.  Mike is an official “neighborhood” representative to the stakeholder advisory committee, per LUTC Rules.  In his role as an “advisor” he has provided comments and contributed to discussions and decisions leading to this point in the process.  As an “Eliot neighborhood representative” he also has to reflect majority neighborhood opinion, which is more critical in upcoming formal votes.  There are a number of changes proposed that may impact Eliot negatively, especially one to establish what amounts to a bypass of Broadway on Hancock over the freeway.  That has the potential to attract a large volume of cut-through traffic, especially truck traffic.  Mike has consistently opposed allowing cut-through traffic and City staff has adopted language that would implement traffic control measures to prevent it.  However, follow through will require faith that the City will honor this language and that funds will be available.  The City does not have a good track record in that regard as far as Eliot is concerned.  Because the risk is so great, the LUTC advised Mike to oppose the Plan.

 

Meeting was adjourned at approximately 8 PM