Quote:
Originally Posted by maccoinnich
4-1 vote to deny the appeal against the Modera Main and uphold the decision by the Design Commission. Hardesty was the lone no vote.
A lot of unease from Council about the high amount of parking in the project, but the majority concluded that it was allowed under current code.
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Link to the hearing and vote:
https://youtu.be/CyvpuFyItMA
I'm personally torn on this proposal. I believe the MAC is clearly using loopholes to shore up parking for their club, and thus increasing car traffic and emissions. If I lived in Goose Hollow, especially near the site, I would absolutely be opposed to this project, as it appears to be serving the MAC first, with the cherry on top being the housing. That said, within the zoning laws currently established, they can get away with this and rightfully so, because they are following the requirements of the code (1.2 parking spaces max to units). They (the MAC) have been trying to get this parking in place since 1981, and their patience is paying off at this point, and the timing works since Portland is in dire need of housing. It's unfortunate the project proposes a parking need first, but I'm not mad about the housing that comes with it, which makes me feel mixed. I hope for future projects that we are not catering to advancing more parking for older and new buildings, with the emphasis on housing rather than parking first. The elevator run on the building appears to go from ground floor to 17 stories as a straight wall, a shame for the pedestrian experience. As a result of this project, I hope GH doesn't suffer from additional traffic congestion, especially given the MAX and Bus lines so close by. I'm glad we're acquiring 337 units, but I hope its not to cost of those who live around it. That would be a shame.