Eliot Neighborhood Association
Land Use Committee
Minutes for December 12th, 2016
DRAFT-not yet approved
- Neighborhood contact from project(s) on N Williams and N Fargo — (Currently People’s Pig, an abandoned house and bluehouse green house)
- The proposed project will be L-shaped, with the long leg fronting North Cook across from the new apartments at 115 Cook and abutting the new Century apartment building. The short leg will extend south along Williams to the Solterra site. The L shape creates an interior courtyard. The building as proposed will be six stories (5-over-1) as are other nearby projects. Retail spaces will be on the ground floor and 70 housing units are planned with 30 underground parking spaces. The top (sixth) floor is planned to have distinctive features so it will appeal as penthouse apartment space. The committee was generally receptive to the proposal while Ken was present. Afterwards concerns were voiced regarding elements of the sixth-floor design and material use.
- Diagonally adjacent to boarded up house on N Fargo. Proposal to turn this abandoned house into a 4-story building with ground floor almost entirely taken up to store 4 cars. Allan mentioned that this seems like a waste of space although other LUTC folks seemed to think that all off-street parking is good regardless of how space-inefficient
- History of the site: The Parker’s are long-time black owners of this property, Ms. Parker is proceeding with development planning. She also owns a house on the block fronting North Fargo and a site on NE Cook, where her new home is being constructed. Her properties on this block are surrounded by other new apartment development proposals and she continues to be pressured by realtors and developers to sell out to white developers. If this development proceeds, it will be the first major development by a black property owner in Eliot. The architect for this project is Ken Moholt-Siebert, who used to live in NE Portland, but moved to California to take over a small family farm. Nevertheless, he continues to work for clients in the area. He is also working with the owner on her new residence and plans for development of her other lot in this block.
- The property is currently zoned Rx; however, Eliot requested it be downzoned to Rh. That, and the fact surrounding properties are being developed to Rx density, spurred this large apartment proposal at this time.
- Discussion about #24 bus continuing to NW Portland and advocacy surrounding early implementation (Sherifa Roach)
- LUTC approved signing on to a letter which hasn’t been finalized yet supporting the extension of the #24 ASAP.
- Comp plan update – possible letter proposing to support Institutional zone plan (Allan)
- people were supportive of writing a letter re:Institutional zoning with the specifics that it would enable Emanual to build on land that they have been neglecting due to the restrictions in the IMP
Adjourned around 8:45pm
Eliot Neighborhood 