HBBA Patrol
Hawthorne business district is home to a variety of shops, designer clothing stores, distinctive restaurants, nightlife, and neighborhood services. Due to the quality of the stores and restaurants Hawthorne is a safe shopping environment.
This summer, businesses have become concerned about the influx of people sitting around all day, littering, disturbing pedestrians, and sleeping in doorways. There have been problems with street people harassing pedestrians and making messes.
Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association (HBBA) is taking actions to see that the situation is under control. For much of the summer, meetings have been taking place to address these safety and security issues.
Portland has advocated for community policing for many years. It is helpful to get to know the types of people on Hawthorne including the homeless, the kids and others that frequent the area. This helps develop relationships before incidents occur.
Last year and in previous years, Portland Police Bureau was able to provide a walking patrol. This year with a shortage of police officers, the patrol was discontinued. Efforts are being made to renew this relationship and see to it that Hawthorne gets the attention it needs.
There is talk of forming a Business Improvement District that might include a walking patrol, regular street and sidewalk cleaning, marketing, and more. This might be similar to the Clean and Safe program in place in downtown Portland.
HBBA has been working for the betterment of the community and the businesses along the boulevard for the past 32 years. It is one of Portland’s attractive business areas that provides for the needs of the area residents as well as those from around the city.
Many Hawthorne businesses will have Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Giving Tuesday events. The GG will be out in Dec. in The Southeast Examiner issue and available in printed form on Nov 30th. The tree-lighting event will be on Dec 3rd starting at 5:30 at The Fernie Brae on 41st and Hawthorne. DM
Mt. Tabor Reservoir
From sewer dredging to the boom in building, some kind of construction is underway virtually everywhere in SE Portland.
In and around Mt. Tabor Park, fall’s tranquility will be broken as construction to decommission the reservoirs gears back up. A citizens group had persuaded the water bureau to avoid major disruption to the park and community garden until after the growing season.
Installation of a sizable 42-inch pipe will begin in SE Lincoln St. early this month. Pipe installation is scheduled to take six-weeks, pushing well into December. Permanent paving will depend on dry weather.
Excavation down Lincoln will mean traffic closures during construction hours.
A pedestrian and bike traffic pathway will be set-up around the construction zone. Off-Leash Dog Park access will be on the gravel path off SE 64th between Lincoln and Grant or off of Harrison at 68th St.
Efforts are being made to minimize construction impacts but residents on SE Lincoln St. will likely experience noise, dust and traffic delays.
Water main installation involves cutting the road surface the length and width of the pipe trench, excavating a trench, installing new pipe, filling the trench and resurfacing/restoring the road surface that was removed. MP
Peacock Lane
Peacock Lane recently joined the ranks of neighborhoods considering designations on the National Historic Register. The move is a response to developer encroachment on the internationally-renowned street that draws thousands to its elaborate, annual holiday displays.
The designation is essentially the only way to protect houses, or neighborhoods, from demolition and speculative development incompatible with the neighborhood’s character.
In Laurelhurst, after an evening of questions and answers on pros and cons, some 200 neighbors were largely receptive to the idea of National Historic Designation – often an arduous, multi-year process.
Staci Monroe, senior planner with the City’s Historic Resources team, addressed concerns about property restrictions. She explained that review of alterations to National Historic District homes impact exteriors only. Interior remodels are unaffected and changes that are in keeping with a conforming home’s historic style are generally approved.
In Portland, she explained, Historic Districts (HDs) write their individual guidelines for what is acceptable in their neighborhood.
A panel featuring residents of Historic Ladds Addition and the Irvington HD spoke of the benefits of designation such as preservation of trees, gardens and historic culture. They credited historic designation for fostering a strong sense of community.
John McCulloch, the contractor who saved the Markham House, asked for a show of support for preservation. Up went a majority of hands in support of exploring designation.
On the panel, contractor Joe Petrina was the lone dissenter. He came around a bit saying he would support the decision of the majority of neighbors providing the caveat that Laurelhurst control its own alteration guidelines.
The Laurelhurst NA will begin the process by setting up an exploratory committee and taking a broad pulse of the neighborhood sentiment about becoming a National Historic District.
In Eastmoreland, in contrast to Laurelhurst’s civility, a contentious exchange erupted at a neighborhood association meeting earlier this fall over NA expenditures and polling in connection with exploring HD designation.
Tom Brown opposed to HDs said it impinged on his freedoms. He then claimed first amendment rights for his house as an artistic expression of himself. MP
