103rd Avenue residents fear new development

Home owners confront Regional Center realities 

Lee Perlman

THE MID-COUNTY MEMO

The residents of Northeast 103rd Avenue above East Burnside Street like their homes and want to stay in them. They fear the city has other plans.

About 20 homeowners spent part of an afternoon last month at the home of Gene and Rayma Pronovost grilling city planner Ellen Ryker about the city’s intentions for the area.

The catalyst was a “concept” plan discovered by activist Joe Rinella for the three blocks between Burnside and Northeast Glisan Street between 102nd and 103rd avenues. It appeared to call for redevelopment of all the land, including the single family homes on the west side of 103rd Ave.

Ryker said she didn’t have enough time to research, and didn’t have sufficient personal knowledge, to answer all questions. She did say that incompatible new development is possible now, with zoning already in place. It would be theoretically possible to build houses 120 feet high along 102nd Ave.

The city recognizes that some new development in the area “ is not high enough quality,” she said, and is looking at new design standards to guide future development. As part of this effort, a lowering of the allowed height is “very reasonable,” she said.

There are also changes on tap for 102nd Ave., including wider sidewalks and possibly bike lanes. “Let’s face it, 102nd Avenue is not a pleasant place to walk along now,” Ryker said. “When you see shops along the ground floor, with housing above, it might be something you might like.”

Further, she said, between the uncertainty created by the proposed plans, and the effects of the recession, “you’re probably not faced with immediate development. There is no market for tall buildings in Gateway right now.”  However, she added, “Whatever I come up with won’t completely satisfy you.”

In a larger context, Gateway and their block of it is slated for change, Ryker conceded. The Metro 2040 Framework Plan has designated Gateway to be one of eight Regional Centers, the only one that is not a municipality in its own right. “You’re right up there with the city of Gresham,” she said. The 1996 Outer Southeast Community Plan rezoned the area and designated this block R2.5 allowing row house development. The Gateway Urban Renewal Plan was intended to implement these long term visions.

Ryker and those present debated whether they had been notified of these changes and had had a chance to have a say in them. Ryker said there had been numerous meetings on all three processes, and that the Hazelwood Neighborhood Association asserts it hand-leafleted the area prior to one. Those present insist they were never notified. Rinella, an ongoing critic of Opportunity Gateway, quoted one Hazelwood leader as saying the group felt the need to “sell out” this area to protect the rest of the neighborhood.

Regardless, Ryker said, it is unlikely these larger decisions will be reversed. “Metro and Tri-Met have poured a lot of money into this area,” she said. “Whether you like it or not, you’re right next to a major public investment.”

In fact, as far as 103rd Ave. goes, she said, “You have the worst of everything, with major development coming on narrow lots next to you. Short of buying you all out, there’s not a lot that anyone can do.

“Your little piece is probably the most affected in the plan area. I can offer apologies on behalf of the city.”

Hazelwood Neighborhood Association president Arlene Kimura, a member of the Opportunity Gateway Program Advisory Committee, (PAC) says that the PAC has indeed developed a concept plan for the 102 - 103rd Ave. blocks, largely out of concern for the 103rd Ave. residents. The 102nd Ave. properties are already relatively shallow in size, she says, and if the city were to require expanded sidewalks, owners would be forced to build to or near the rear property line. Thus the 103rd Ave. residents could expect to have tall buildings looming over them.

“They have every right to be concerned,” Kimura says. As to the notification issue, she says they did in fact receive notice of the Outer Southeast Plan rezonings, “but unless they read their mail thoroughly, it was easy to miss.”