OMSI Development

[AdamUrbanist]

Originally Posted by ThatDarnSacramentan

You make good points. Allow me to add more context for my original thoughts.

I'm about as far from NIMBY/anti-housing as one gets in this city (if it were up to me, whole stretches of Sandy, Interstate, MLK, etc would get major upzonings). I wouldn't have nearly as many qualms about housing on this site if it were market rate, because if people want to pay for the waterfront location in spite of the Marquam Bridge, that's their prerogative. But, what does not feel right to me is putting affordable housing here. Yes, we have a dire need for as much affordable housing as possible in this city, but I think about this holistically about who might live there and what their quality of life would be next to and under a double deck freeway bridge. Not just emissions, but noise and daylighting as well. Part of my view for affordable housing, and this is just my personal philosophy from having done a little work in the area, is helping create good environments for better health outcomes for residents. We know that selected residents for affordable housing are likelier to be lower income for areas, and lower incomes in America generally indicate worse health and more restricted healthcare access.

So, back to the site; housing, sure, if people want to pay for that experience, I'm sure there will be people willing to tolerate the bridge for the location. But, I think that there are probably better sites within the planned OMSI district more suitable for affordable housing so that residents have greater daylighting, cleaner air, and quieter spaces. I'm fully on board with not making the perfect the enemy of the good because that so often leaves us shooting ourselves in the foot and getting nothing done.

I think the 'not making the perfect the enemy of the good' take would be that living in a newly built apartment building next to a freeway is a significant improvement over living on the streets.