By Cyd Manro
The Richmond Neighborhood Association held its monthly meeting on November 9 at Waverly Heights Church at SE 33rd and Woodward St.
The deadline to register for the December 5 Friends of Trees planting has passed, but you can still volunteer to help at the planting event by visiting friendsoftrees.org. Â The Hawthorne Holiday Stroll is Saturday, December 5, with a tree lighting at The Fernie Brae at 40th and Hawthorne.
Portland Bureau of Transportation is doing a test project with diverters, signs, speed humps, and other interventions to try to make Clinton St. a safer street.
RNA donated $500 to Waverly Heights UCC as a token of appreciation for use of their church for their meetings this year. The RNA also purchased three columnar apple trees for the Ivon Community Garden.
Vic Remmers from Everett Homes made a presentation about two developments. At SE 41st and Clinton, he hopes to save fir trees by using a floor plan. “Because of the Urban Growth Boundary, it is inevitable that trees will be cut down for development,” Mr. Remmers said.
A development at SE 31st and Franklin will demolish the house, but will be safe with regards to asbestos mitigation, and the company will recycle at least 60% of the materials. The company will look at how they can incorporate design elements of nearby architecture into their new designs.
Heather Flint Chatto of the Division Design Initiative (DDI) presented the Division Perception Survey results, and the RNA endorsed the top 10 recommendations proposed. RNA asked DDI to draft a letter to the city with its recommendations and findings. All DDI materials can be found at divisiondesigninitiative.org. Heather Flint Chatto was recently honored as a “Woman of Vision 2015” and featured in the Daily Journal of Commerce for her work on the Division Design Initiative.
RNA voted to support a letter to be sent to Portland Public Schools that outlined neighbors’ concerns with safety and social continuity with regards to a proposed school redistricting plan. There was concern about the urgency of the vote and the lack of oppositional representation. Time was of the essence, so the board moved ahead.
The next RNA meeting will be Monday, December 7 at Waverly Heights Congregational Church, 3300 SE Woodward St., from 7 – 9 pm. RNA will take stock of what they have accomplished this year. Meetings are held in the church basement; enter from the east-side door. Â See richmondpdx.org.