Hillsdale NA

Hillsdale Neighborhood Association

Meeting Minutes
4 Oct 2006  

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 by Don Baack

Welcome
Number present Approximately 17

1. Approvals:
   • Agenda: Add #7 – Ruth – Local Option
   • Minutes: July and August were approved.
2. Neighborhood grant applications. Priority of our grant requests. City has allocated $200,000 for neighborhood grants. SWNI has about $24000. A review committee will review applications for criteria including involving more people in the community. A suggestion has been made that any work on the farmers’ market will receive $1000.00. Farmers’ Market will commit $500.00. Another grant that has been proposed: Get a grant to help with the planning of the Wilson High School development. (Another proposal was to ask for a grant from City Council to help the “Watershed” extend the under grounding of wires. Also, it was suggested adding an extension to the pedestrian signs for crossing Beaverton Hillsdale at Bertha court)
3. Presentation by Susan Jewell of proposed monument style sign for Rieke school. Rieke is trying to seek neighborhood input regarding signage. Rieke has never had a sign, and PPS is not supplying funds for signage. It will be built with donated materials and a parent work party. It is a neighborhood school sign. There will be place for announcements regarding the school and there might be options for the farmers’ market to have access to usage of the board at times. The sign will have LED solar lighting across the top. Another option being considered is a flood light. The farmers’ market is encouraged to contribute ideas for signage that would also serve their needs. A flag will also be incorporated to the design as a decoration. A flag could also indicated farmers’ market weekends. The intention is that there will be a permanent sign incorporated into the school expansion, and that the sign discussed tonight will be temporary.
   • A proposal was made to put a post in the ground so that effects on visibility from the parking lot would be seen.
   • It was suggested that a sign permit would be required. The opinion of the committee in charge of this project is that the sign does fit city codes. Location will be important for the permit. Information about the flag will be important, as well.
   • It was asked about a time frame. The goal was to get the sign done by fall. The principal is supportive.
   • It was suggested that there be a timer on the lights so that they would not be on all night. However, the idea of having lights was to avoid vandalism.
   • As more information and designs for the sign are available, all will be posted on the web-site.
   • Hopefully, there will be a bigger community effort over time, and coordination with the eventual monument signage of Wilson.
4. Status of the Reinvent Rieke efforts – Garth Nisbet.
   • The proposal for ‘growing’ Rieke is now almost done. The attempt was to make a model for other schools to use as well. The hope is to reverse the recent decreases in enrollment in Portland Public Schools. There is money available from the city to help with increasing school enrollment, and this committee may be eligible. So far, the reactions to the report from the district seem positive. The vision is that the Reike campus would be multi-use by having a pre-school, being connected to the plaza, and being incorporated into a holistic vision for the community.
   • Local Option 26-84 for schools. The option is a property tax levy for five years. It is to replace the one that expired, and the Itax. It will allow the district to keep teachers in the classroom, and for the purchase of teaching and classroom materials. Funds cannot be spent on administration. There is no organized opposition to the option. Sheets are available to acquire lawn signs or more information.
5. Status on “The Watershed” project – Bill Wilson.
   • Craig Kelly: The brown field work has started and will be finished by the end of October. DEQ will then do a two month diligence report. In December financing will be fixed to start construction after the first of the year.
   • M. Soloway: We are close to having a buyer for the storefront condominium area. More details will hopefully be available next month.
   • Questions:
     • Time frame for actual construction: 9 to 10 months.
     • How many units will be in the project: 51 apartments, 50 of which will be for low income seniors. 40 apartments will have project base section 8 residents. 10 of the units will be affordable to people at 50% of the area median income. Over 30 people are already on the wait list. Check the website cpahinc.org for more details. It will be a green building for materials, sustainability, pollution, etc.
6. Status on the Wilson High School reader board/entrance gateway design- Wes Rischer. There are many issues to be dealt with on the campus. No signage for the pool, for Rieke school. The class celebrating its fifty year reunion wants to donate fifty trees. A donor wants to finish the entrance to the pool. But there is no integrated plan for the campus. An effort has been made to get an architect to work with the architecture teacher and his architecture class at Wilson to work on a structured, holistic vision for the campus and these projects. There is an interest by the community in this campus –including Wilson and Rieke. Having students work with the teacher and an architect, if a vision for the campus results, this effort will have been successful. There are further development efforts afoot at Wilson. It is suggested that the fifty year reunion class might fund the development of a campus plan as a part of the rededication of the campus. This plan could result in the spring. The alumni group at Wilson is trying to build a more effective Wilson alumni association.
7. Reports:
   • Hillsdale Plaza Charette & Planning with Rieke School Remodel.
   • The architect has come up with a quote for $1800. The money will come from a grant from SWNI, and from the HBPA and the farmers’ market.
   • Hillsdale Triangle master planning proposal.
   • John Gould and Duane have met with the city and are due to do so again.
   • There are 31 lots in the area. The area has been rezoned R2.5. The committee is trying to come up with options, using city resources, to see what the hurdles are to redefine the living areas. The proposal is to increase the density of the area –using cottages, alleys, pathways. The intent is to come up with a ‘road plan’ for the area. Many of the lots in the area are big, and the land there is under-utilized. Creative housing increases for the area are needed. A focus is to create residences with a lot of street frontage, and garages behind, off of alleyways. The city will provide time with a planner to come up with a proposal for the current property owners. There are opportunities to create a superblock for housing to match the superblock for schools. Then the businesses will adapt and evolve to include pedestrian friendly businesses opening to streets with parking behind. Monday, there is another city meeting, then meetings will be scheduled with land owners.
   • Question: Is there an effort to create alternative pedestrian access to the business center other than Sunset Blvd.? Yes, that is an intent of this project.
   • Other HNA land use issues.
   • HBPA report. There will be another book sale December 3. There will be the opportunity to donate books at the farmers’ market November 5 and November 19. October 22 and 29 are collection days for donations as well All proceeds go to Alliance organizations. .
   • Hillsdale transportation update
   • SWNI report.
   • Update on changes in South Portland area related to the pedestrian bridge. Bill Hoffman has been assigned to manage this program. Gibbs is the location that has been suggested for the pedestrian bridge. It will be a 700 foot long span. It will be in the range of $9,000,000. There needs to be pedestrian crossing of Naito parkway. Bill will set up a citizen advisory committee that will involve people from SWNI. He is thinking about an integral, holistic plan including access approaches to the bridge and its function in the community.
   • Stephen creek Walkway is in the permit stage and going to council for adoption October 26.
8. Public comments, concerns, announcements, and questions.
   • We want to ask that the area north of Watershed be community gardens. It is moved and seconded that the neighborhood association amend the functional plan the use of the flat area at along Bertha Blvd at Stephen’s creek as community gardens not be precluded. The motion was passed.
   • We will be looking at a master planning effort for Southwest to convene people who are interested in bicycling to determine where bike blvds might go. Something may be posted on the website so that people can learn about this without going to meetings.
   • It is suggested that Bertha ct. be renamed for someone important to the community. It is easier to change a name where there is no address on the street, which is currently the case. The name must have historical importance according to the city. This is the time to do this before the Watershed is build and becomes an address on the street. It is moved and seconded that the HNA and HBPA proceed with eliciting new names for Bertha ct. no later than January 2007. The motion passes. Suggestions:
   • Wardene Way –the family that owned the dairy where the road is.
   • Red Electric is another proposal, remembering the old rail service.
   • Raz is another name proposed.
   • Equity group will meet next Wednesday and all are invited.
   • It is moved and seconded that the HNA send a letter to the city council requesting one time funding to continue under grounding the utilities across Bertha Ct. and along the Papa John’s –Capitol Highway right of way. The motion passed.
   • Now, near the Vermont sign at Wilson High, there is now a greater garbage problem. The same is happening at Capitol Hwy. The garbage cans are not being emptied. The cans were topped of last week and stayed full all weekend. This is not good given that there are rats in the area. Trimet garbage cans on Vermont were also not being emptied. They were emptied and have been replaced by banged up cans. Don will send an Email to the principals of Rieke and Wilson introducing Ted Kozbowski who will call to address this problem as a representative of HNA.
9. The meeting was adjourned at 9:00