Back in January, I invited members of city council to take a walk with me. Mayor Wheeler’s and Commissioner Hardesty’s offices declined, but politely thanked me and reinforced their positions for supporting the Residential Infill Project (RIP) proposal. I received no response from Commissioner Eudaly. But Amanda Fritz responded both personally and affably as well as copying her public comments regarding concerns with the proposal. I followed up with Amanda and asked for her support by presenting an amendment to consider abutting properties in determining minimum front setbacks. She was receptive to my suggestion, but admitted the Bureau of Development Services (BDS) and her fellow council members had not supported the earlier amendments she submitted.
Whether you agree with my take on the RIP proposal or not, I’m sharing my experience to spark an interest in civic involvement. Employing an “off the beaten path” approach, here’s my invitation:
Please join me on a little walk.
On days when I don’t exercise with the “7:00 am club” at the Dishman Center, I try to take a minimum 2-mile neighborhood trek. From my home in Beaumont-Wilshire, depending on what compass point I head toward, these walks can take me down into the Hollywood District, or maybe over into Rose City Park, Cully, and Alameda neighborhoods, and even, at times, up to Concordia. Once you move past the stately houses along Alameda Ridge, within a block or two you come into truly eclectic housing styles that may include the odd Portland Four-Square or Storybook English Tudor and even Dutch Colonials, but most prevalent would be what we Portlanders often group into the general bungalow structure. Some of these are the smaller 800- to 900-square-foot, single-story variety, while many are a little larger and can be classified as story-and-a-half. Besides the housing variations, there are unique and varied plantings in front yards and parking strips allowed by mostly 20- to 25-foot setbacks consistent on many blocks. You also would spot many little green plastic figures with flags compelling drivers to slow down, along with a few portable (and fixed) basketball hoops and soccer goals. These streetscapes create wonderful, moving natural scenes as your walk continues and should be valued as gems within the Portland urban area.
These are the areas that are under threat from those who would bulldoze them if given the chance. The checkered past both of exclusive zoning codes and recent market forces driving exclusionary wealth pressures have tainted perspectives about the intrinsic value of these built-out neighborhoods.
I would love to have more fellow residents be able to enjoy the walks I described above. But there’s a real risk of destroying the underlying canvas that aids in creating such a pleasing environment in which to live and raise families. We need to get this right! If you think that the present RIP proposal does enough to protect these blocks from significant, irreparable harm, then I would challenge your appraisal. I invite you to come take a walk with me and see if you hold the same opinion. I’ll make the time…