ENA LUTC Meeting Minutes: November 14, 2022

Fremont Bridgehead Project Presentation – Allan Rudwick

Link to Recording: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHMcFXqs7H-qtIZm2BmbDqJJxGnrf3OZ8PYRKGzf5WKas6rQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

• History & context of neighborhood
  • Displacement of homes for bridgehead and highway
  • Decreased census numbers
  • Removal of families
  • Proposed Prescott Freeway – never built
    • On ramps and off-ramps to this proposed freeway
  • Before and after images – dense single family homes; now parking lots and long ramp
• Proposing removal of three quarters of ramp, essentially everything northeast of Mississippi Ave.
• Question of ambulance access – new proposal would make for more direct access to ED for ambulances coming off the Fremont Bridge.
• 8 acres would be reclaimed
• Surrounded by City maintenance and shop yards
• 6 acres on one side; 9 on other
• Land valuation – high based on comparable land—$1 billion in land value and significant tax revenue
• Keeping traffic down in adjacent neighborhoods is important
• Pedestrian, bike and Tri-Met corridors could be constructed and cut off significant amounts of time and distance
• Benefits:
  • ODOT: Less maintenance burden, opportunity to remedy bad design, positive public relations
  • City: Profit from land sale, tax revenue
    • Community: Compensation to displaced families, fill gap in urban fabric, rebuilt Tubman Middle School site
  • Legacy: Improved ED access
• Next steps: City, community and state will all need to work together
  • Grant(s)
  • Stakeholder committee
  • Divide land, sell at auction
• Q&A:
  • Carbon offset. Portland Clean Energy Fund.
  • New PPS school at Red Cross site?
    • Present to PPS
  • Reconnecting Communities grants for exactly these types of projects – part of federal infrastructure bill recently passed
  • Interest in keeping some public land for public use, for example a public pool or something similar to ease pressure on already existing public amenities in neighborhood
  • Include County leaders
• Call to action – need to connect with organizations, etc. More voices.  Time to move past planning stages

Permits

• Streimer rezoning
  • IG to EX. Layman’s terms: More industrial to slightly less industrial and flexible.
    • We will send letter that is supporting; mention that movement to EX across neighborhood is favored by ENA LUTC
      • Mike to write
    • Albina Library
      • Letter re support; push for activation on street front and less surface parking. Wonder Ballroom parking after hours, or other public parking use after hours
        • Jason to write
      • Vancouver & Russell apartment building
        • Unflattering design, no street front activation
        • Rezone push, generally supportive
        • Potential of LUTC signing on to higher height in exchange for better use of street front
        • Mike will write letter

Eliot Parking Committee

• Allan is on committee

Freeway Lawsuit

• Utilizing our network to fundraise

Updating ENA Design Guidelines

• Current version does not address commercial or multi-family

Action Item:

• Find old minutes and post online

Attendees:

• Allan Rudwick
• Mike Warwick
• Andrew Champion
• Jason Cohen
• Michelle DePass
• Doug Klotz
• John Russell
• Seth Anderson
• John Pugsley
• Paul Buchanan
• Joseph Cortright
• Alan Kessler
• Jeremiah Via
• Eric Wilhelm
• Sherifa
• Victoria
• BNF