Portland 2035 Comprehensive Plan

[PDXDENSITY]

Originally Posted by Encolpius

. Economists will continue to advocate LVTs, and politicians will continue to ignore them.']

Let's be clear: it's the landed, monied class controlling the politicians to ignore the economists. Because having land assessed super low majorly benefits the rich and will continue to.

[maccoinnich]

The City Council voted 4-1 this afternoon to adopt the West Quadrant Plan by resolution. The final Central City plan will come back to them later in the year, when they will adopt it by ordinance. Because it's just a resolution it doesn't change any policies yet, but gives the Bureau of Planning & Sustainability the go ahead to make those final policies for the Council to adopt.

The lone no vote was Amanda Fritz, who was vehemently against the proposed height increases on the Waterfront. (Which I should emphasize are only plans at this point - they haven't been adopted by ordinance yet). She tabled amendment to remove the height increases, and when her colleagues didn't vote for her amendments she accused them of corruption, stating that they're in the pockets of developers. (Never mind that the height increases at the Pearl Waterfront are supported by the PDNA). There was no discussion by the council about changes to the heights shown below for the West End, Goose Hollow, Pearl District and the PSU area.

[PDXDENSITY]

I really want to like Amanda Fritz. Really. I am 100% behind a lot of her compassionate politics. But she really needs to 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 lay off developers. They are part of the solution! We can't have affordable housing if left and right we're being downsized by a thousand regulations. That is going to continue our ongoing shortage and worsen homelessness. I am glad it looks like the rest of the commissioners are finally backing away from her and just pointing out her pointless obstinance.

We need density. It makes sense downtown. She comes off as a clueless ideologue by being so staunchly against developers. Are there *ANY* more promising candidates to vote for? I mean... much farther left of Hales, who appears to be a DINO (Dem in name only), and in support of density to preserve ecology and prevent displacement of the poor.

[zilfondel]

Really? I think she's a nutter, and needs to go.

Hell, she just screwed over mountain biking in SW Portland at Riverview, according to Bikeportland and the city parks dept. Wait, she's been against cycling at practically every juncture during her tenure at city hall!

[PDXDENSITY]

I meant her stance on the homeless-- I think they need more services and we need to be working on housing solutions through inclusionary zoning (sliding scale rent control).

I wish people with passion in the right place didn't attack the wrong targets. The stance on biking is absurd, though, you're right. She's acting like bikers are somehow not to be liked?

Anyone better thinking of running??

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by zilfondel

Really? I think she's a nutter, and needs to go.

Hell, she just screwed over mountain biking in SW Portland at Riverview, according to Bikeportland and the city parks dept. Wait, she's been against cycling at practically every juncture during her tenure at city hall!

She has definitely been a real disappointment as a council member, it would be nice to see her get voted out with someone who is better fit to be a council member.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

The City Council voted 4-1 this afternoon to adopt the West Quadrant Plan by resolution. The final Central City plan will come back to them later in the year, when they will adopt it by ordinance. Because it's just an ordinance it doesn't change any policies yet, but gives the Bureau of Planning & Sustainability the go ahead to make those final policies for the Council to adopt.

The lone no vote was Amanda Fritz, who was vehemently against the proposed height increases on the Waterfront. (Which I should emphasize are only plans at this point - they haven't been adopted by ordinance yet). She tabled amendment to remove the height increases, and when her colleagues didn't vote for her amendments she accused them of corruption, stating that they're in the pockets of developers. (Never mind that the height increases at the Pearl Waterfront are supported by the PDNA). There was no discussion by the council about changes to the heights shown below for the West End, Goose Hollow, Pearl District and the PSU area.

It is interesting that the parking lot at Couch and NW 4th is marked for 150ft, yet across the street it is marked for 250ft. You would think that one full block parking lot would be best to be marked for 250ft to encourage development on it.

[maccoinnich]

Commissioner Amanda Fritz 'disgusted' as City Council approves downtown Portland development plan




Portland's skyline could look quite a bit different in 20 years. Planners are suggesting taller buildings be allowed in some areas of town, including specific blocks in historic Old Town. More 40 story buildings could be built, if developers take advantage of density bonuses and other incentives.

By Brad Schmidt | The Oregonian/OregonLive

The Portland City Council approved a sweeping plan Thursday to guide downtown-area development for the next 20 years over the scathing objections of Commissioner Amanda Fritz.

The West Quadrant Plan, adopted 4-1, outlines broad policies that will help shape the city's future skyline, although many key changes won't go into effect until the City Council approves new zoning sometime in the months ahead.

The City Council first considered the plan last month but delayed action. Fritz, a former planning commissioner, proposed 49 of the 72 plan tweaks considered by the City Council during a three-hour hearing Thursday.

...continues at the Oregonian.

Amanda Fritz behaved like a petulant child yesterday, and I say that as somebody who gave money to her last campaign. The majority of the amendments to the plan were proposed by her, and most of them passed without any discussion. No one seemed to agree with her amendment relating to Waterfront Park, but two of her colleagues voted for it out of deference to the fact that she's the Commissioner in charge of Parks. It was an olive branch, and she didn't seem to realize it.

Instead, she voted against the whole plan, years in the making, and accused her colleagues of corruption. She should be ashamed of her outburst. She might have had more of a point if there had been huge opposition to the zoning changes along the river. There wasn't. The changes came out of the Stakeholders Advisory Committee, and are supported by the Bureau of Planning & Sustainability. The increased heights at the Waterfront in the Pearl are explicitly supported by the Pearl District Neighborhood Association. At the previous council hearing on the West Quadrant Plan not a single person turned up to speak against the height increases on the waterfront.

She could have compromised on these issues after getting 90% of the amendments she wanted passed. She didn't, and chose a scorched earth strategy instead.

[tall_buildings]

Originally Posted by PDXDENSITY

Anyone better thinking of running??

This is the crux of it. Get someone better into office. Someone who has a clue about policymaking and urban planning.

Amanda can go back to being an activist if she so desires. It would be better than having someone who is clearly mad in a position of power.

[2oh1]

Originally Posted by tall_buildings

This is the crux of it. Get someone better into office. Someone who has a clue about policymaking and urban planning.

Can't get someone better into office until someone better runs for office. Sigh. The question isn't how to get Fritz out. The question is how to get someone better to run against her.

[maccoinnich]

Virtual open house for the SE Quadrant Plan.

[maccoinnich]

The Map App has had an update since I last looked at it, and now shows transportation in four categories: funded; within revenue forecast; beyond revenue forecast; and other agency (i.e. Metro or Multnomah County).

There's depressingly little of the 2030 Bike Plan in there. Even in the unconstrained / beyond revenue forecast scenario we won't be seeing bike lanes on Hawthorne, Division, Alberta or Belmont east of 34th.

There also seems to be nothing from the Streetcar System Concept Plan in there. I guess that's document that got read once and then left on the shelf.

[PDXDENSITY]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

The Map App has had an update since I last looked at it, and now shows transportation in four categories: funded; within revenue forecast; beyond revenue forecast; and other agency (i.e. Metro or Multnomah County).

There's depressingly little of the 2030 Bike Plan in there. Even in the unconstrained / beyond revenue forecast scenario we won't be seeing bike lanes on Hawthorne, Division, Alberta or Belmont east of 34th.

There also seems to be nothing from the Streetcar System Concept Plan in there. I guess that's document that got read once and then left on the shelf.

Is that official? The streetcar plan and adding bikelanes have been taken out of the 2035 plan? 🞵🞵🞵??

[maccoinnich]

Well neither plan ever had any funding attached.

[PDXDENSITY]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Well neither plan ever had any funding attached.

So we're just gonna drop political support at the top? What watered down 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 planning with no foresight.

[hat]

Originally Posted by PDXDENSITY

So we're just gonna drop political support at the top? What watered down 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 planning with no foresight.

The only chance Pland has of developing a bike network is to vote in a mayor or commissioner who actually cares about that stuff. If you examine what's being planned, some of it isn't even a priority to people who bike. (For example, a Mason greenway would be by and large redundant because of the Blandena/Going greenway). A bike path on Skidmore would be tremendously useful, but... Parking (even it's at 1/4 capacity max).

We simply have no leaders who bike regularly or think it's important. Until people who bike commit to holding the mayor to a specific group of bike projects within a specific time frame, and vote en masse in support or against them based on these projects, we will see stagnant bike share numbers and unsafe roads.

[maccoinnich]

Originally Posted by hat

The only chance Pland has of developing a bike network is to vote in a mayor or commissioner who actually cares about that stuff..

Charlie Hales has spent much of his term in office fighting for a way to fund transportation improvements, including a much improved bike network. If we need to direct our anger somewhere, it's at Fish / Saltzman / Fritz.

[2oh1]

Fritz needs to go. If only we could find a better candidate to run against her.

[PDXDENSITY]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Charlie Hales has spent much of his term in office fighting for a way to fund transportation improvements, including a much improved bike network. If we need to direct our anger somewhere, it's at Fish / Saltzman / Fritz.

Could you give a list of things those three are doing wrong, in your opinion?

[maccoinnich]

I was referring specifically to the street fee there. Say what you will about Hales, but he's put himself front and center in the fight for more revenue for PBOT.