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| Infill comes to spacious Argay – almost TIM CURRAN THE MID-COUNTY MEMO
Infill protects the region’s urban growth boundary, a regional boundary, set in the attempt to control urbanization by designating the area inside the boundary for high-density urban development and the area outside the boundary for low-density rural development. At a special land use review meeting of the Argay Neighborhood Association held last month, more than 150 Argay residents and property owners, most first-time ANA meeting attendees, filled the conference room at Portland Fire Bureau Training Station No. 2. They expressed their frustration, angst and anger to Planning Consultant Kevin Partain over a request by Palace Construction, the builder that hired Partain, to divide a single home site at 3201 NE 135th Ave. into two parcels. The first parcel would contain the existing house; the second parcel would be a 10,246 square foot flag lot development. A flag lot is a parcel in the configuration of an extended flag and pole. The pole represents access to the site, which is usually located to the rear of another lot fronting a main street, in this case 135th Avenue. Pending city approval, the builder would purchase the lot from the owners. As Argay residents have seen infill throughout Portland over the years, Partain became the living symbol for what many see as ugly and intrusive. Heated City Council meetings about infill and its impact on older Portland neighborhoods presaged this raucous gathering. Argay Terrace, the spacious neighborhood built in the mid ‘60s with generous home setbacks, in-ground pools, and spectacular views of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens, is located in the middle of Multnomah County between Interstate 84 and Sandy Boulevard, and between 122nd and 148th Avenues, and is known for contemporary, well laid out homes. Argay Terrace, annexed by Portland in the mid ‘80s, changed its name to Argay, and has always enjoyed isolation and distinction from surrounding neighborhoods. The first statement by an Argay resident set the tone for the rest of the meeting. “I don’t think there is anything else to say. I mean, you could talk for twenty minutes, but it all boils down to Darwinism doesn’t it? Dog eat dog, ‘I’ve got what I want, and to heck with you. And I don’t care if I devalue your property even though you’ve paid outrageous taxes for forty years.’ ” When told that the spec home, a house built before it is sold, would be a 2,000 to 2,400 square foot two-story home, obliterating the views for seven adjacent homes, the audience released a collective groan. After Partain was unable to answer a few questions, one resident said, “We got the wrong guy here.” Another said to Partain, “It seems that we might as well end this meeting right now. You don’t have the answers to any of our questions,” which drew applause and laughter. It was asked how many other properties in Argay have the potential for division. No one could say for certain. The general consensus was that this property could be the only one, or one of very few, owing to the character of Argay’s property divisions. ANA Chair Valerie Curry explained the notification process and how it had come to this point. She said that when Partain was finished answering questions, they’d hold a discussion as to what the neighborhood association’s plans were. A few more questions were asked, with Partain doing his best to answer them. During a pause, one neighbor - not realizing it was an open public meeting and no one could be excluded - said, “Get him out of here so we can talk about what we can do to stop this.” As if Partain wanted to stay. Board members of the ANA informed those in attendance that its funding, provided by the city, was limited and did not have the resources to hire an attorney to fight the builder if the flag lot proposal was approved by the city. Immediate neighbors, whose property values would be adversely impacted, would be alone in litigating this matter. >>continued |
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