By Midge Pierce More housing is no guarantee of affordability, say critics claiming housing advocates are “drinking the density Kool-aid”. At neighborhood meetings last month, pushback on packing people into …
Infill Doesn’t Promise Affordability Read More
By Rebecca Koffman At one time, Lone Fir Cemetery’s two entrances were each flanked with hand-carved stone columns. The original columns on the cemetery’s west side are still standing. The …
New Columns at Lone Fir Cemetery Entrance Read More
By Midge Pierce As surprise subsides, Metro and Portland transportation officials are getting an earful as they make the rounds soliciting feedback from residents, businesses and neighborhood associations processing the …
Division Preferred for Rapid Transit Read More
By Stephen Quirke The ongoing controversy over Portland’s air quality provides a snapshot of a longer problem stretching back over a century, and into the future for several centuries. It’s …
Brownfields and Toxic Legacies in Portland Read More
By Midge Pierce Traffic calming along the Thorburn curves between SE 60th and Gilham will likely get underway soon thanks to an unusual public-private partnership. Neighbors along the circuitous stretch …
PBOT Prioritizes Public/private Partnership Read More
A new street mural graces the greenway street at SE 69th and Woodward St. thanks to the guidance of City Repair, the organizational abilities of Melissa Curry, Brenda Reddaway, Morgan …
Lively up Your Street Read More
By Nancy Tannler With the projected growth of 250,000 Portland residents, the question of how we will grow is a major topic of conversation for neighbors, city planners, politicians, opportunists …
By Midge Pierce As SE residents process Metro’s options for rapid transit, a wrinkle has emerged from the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), charged with local street maintenance and traffic. …
PBOT Changes Committee Structure Read More
By Midge Pierce Reactions to the Residential Infill Project’s Draft proposals expose density’s underbelly. Will the project be Portland’s saving grace as masses move here? Or would it turn the …
Citizens Reactions to Residential Infill Project Read More
By Don MacGillivray The summer has begun and folks are feeling good and getting out and about, including Portland’s homeless citizens. Arterial streets all over the Eastside have been bothered …
The Springwater Corridor Task Force Read More
By Don MacGillivray At no time in recorded history has there been the level building activity in the Central Eastside Industrial Area as is currently happening. While the industrial and …
Central Eastside District Construction Report Read More
By Midge Pierce A loophole in Portland’s zoning code that can expedite demolition along historic Belmont clouds Sunnyside’s future. The loophole allows property owners to voluntarily remove commercial buildings from …
Development Pressures in Sunnyside Read More
By Don MacGillivray In the mayor’s March state of the city message he announced the intent to develop a Navigation Center for the homeless street people of Portland. The City …
Help is on the Way for the Homeless Read More
by Don MacGillivray At the April “People’s Forum” held at the Multicultural Center of Impact NW clients and advocates met to talk about the crisis that exists for seniors and …
Senior Funding Crisis Read More
By Midge Pierce Middle housing, so-called because it provides transition between neighborhood town centers and residential neighborhoods, is touted by advocates as a way to add density and affordability to Portland. …
Donuts of Development in Portland’s Future Read More
By Karen Hery Montavilla has been a recognized neighborhood of Portland since 1889. The name originated from an abbreviation on a trolley destination sign for Mount Tabor Villa Addition shortened …
Montavilla From Trolley Stop to Vintage Coloring Night Read More
By Midge Pierce Some residents who saved bulk trash for their neighborhood cleanup hit an obstacle last month. Stringent restrictions on asbestos and a higher level of scrutiny caused several …
Neighborhood clean-ups cancelled or postponed Read More
by Don MacGillivray Last fall the City of Portland announced a state of emergency regarding homelessness and a crisis due to the lack of affordable housing. The Mayor rescinded ordinances …
A Place to Sleep for Everyone Read More
Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) shared two draft concepts of Colonel Summers Park’s upcoming improvements at a community meeting on April 7. The gathering of area neighbors at Hinson Baptist …
Splash Pad and Loo for Park Read More
Neighborhood Greenways are streets that prioritize bicycling and are the backbone of Portland’s bicycle network. SE Clinton has been a Neighborhood Greenway for over 20 years. PBOT is testing traffic …
Neighborhood Greenway Enhancement Project Read More
By Midge Pierce Mark your calendars. Do your homework. Organize your neighbors. Testify. April 14 and 20 are the last official opportunities to influence the shape of Portland for years …
Last Chance to Affect Comprehensive Plan Read More
By Don MacGillivray Many believe the housing problem is a function of poor life choices and resulting circumstances of those that can’t afford housing. Forty years ago, this was not …
Portland’s Affordable Housing Challenge Read More
By Shawn Fleek Bus Riders Unite (BRU), Portland’s transit-riders’ union, launched a campaign for a low-income fare on March 18. As rents skyrocket, many people who depend on transit are …
By Stephyn Quirke Since the news of toxic metal pollution first broke in February, a wave of community protest has pressed for change in both polluting industries and the government …
Bullseye Sued, DEQ Director Resigns, Emergency Rule Drafted Read More
By Midge Pierce As SE Portland continues to be split at the seams by development, residents along historic corridors like Belmont are learning the hard way that the City currently …
Citizens Try to Save Belmont Block Read More
By Stephyn Quirke Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality made a public announcement February 3 that they had confirmed high concentrations of cadmium and arsenic in southeast Portland’s air. The source, …
Airborne Heavy Metals Cause Concern, Outrage in SE Portland Read More
By Don MacGillivray Without action in the near future Inner SE will lose an opportunity to add a significant piece of open space to the business center along SE Morrison …
Remember Washington-Monroe Community Center? Read More
By Midge Pierce From Sunnyside to Montavilla, petitions are circulating to save the soul of Portland’s neighborhoods and classic homes. In the middle of Belmont’s archetypal streetscape, Sunnyside faces the …
Petitioners Press for Preservation Read More
By Midge Pierce Reservoir update Work on the Mt. Tabor Reservoir Diversion Pipe Project continues with extended hours from 7 am to 6 pm on Saturdays until the first week of …
By Midge Pierce With change likely years away, Portland’s demolition derby is virtually unstoppable. The update of Portland’s Comprehensive Plan is slowly wending its way through City Hall. Eventually, it …
No Demolition Rules Changes in Sight Read More
By Nancy Tannler The League of Women Voters (LWV) Education Fund and the Citizens Utility Board of Oregon gave a presentation about the Portland Harbor Superfund Site. Four knowledgeable speakers …
Proposed Cleanup Plan for Superfund Site Read More
By Don MacGillivray Anyone crossing Burnside bridge can’t help but notice dramatic changes in the previously vacant blocks of the Burnside Bridgehead, the cornerstone project of the Eastside Urban Renewal …
The Burnside Bridgehead – a Phoenix Rising Read More
By Ann Dudley At the Legislative Housing Emergency Forum in January sixteen state legislators were present to hear testimony from twenty-six people confronting housing issues. These included: evictions, rent increases, …
Legislative Housing Emergency Forum Read More
By Midge Pierce Preliminary results of a city infill survey indicate the majority of the 7000 respondents disapprove of how Portland is adding density. Lot splits, skinny houses, scale and …
Infill Gets Slammed In Survey Read More
By Nancy Tannler Since 2006 The Southeast Examiner has followed the story of the fate of the reservoirs at Mt. Tabor Park. To many people, the rush by the City …
Citizen attempts to set the record straight Read More
By Midge Pierce Green Zebra Green Zebra Grocery is doing its bit to put a jolly, sustainable face on SE 50th and Division’s construction corner with an announcement that it will …
By Stephyn Quirke The state of Oregon has a unique history of promoting civic engagement. Between 1981 and 2000 voting by mail was steadily increased from local to federal elections …
District Elections and Good Government Read More
By Don MacGillivray Buckman Pool once again is on the chopping block along with several other of Inner SE important services funded through the Portland Bureau of Parks and …
Parks Budget Cuts Painful Read More
By Midge Pierce Winter’s chill has made the houseless situation heartbreakingly acute in every corner of town. Now, fear is the latest twist in the homeless crisis. Homeless camps sprout in public …
Homeless camps too many to monitor Read More
The Grievance Complaint filed by three former Richmond Neighborhood Association Board Members against RNA Board Member Doug Klotz has finally come to a close. The Office of Neighborhood Involvement (ONI) …
RNA Board Elections Complaint Settled Read More
By Midge Pierce In 2015, activists climbed rooftops and tree limbs, neighbors sparred with bulldozers and walkers crossed the Willamette on the nation’s first pedestrian bridge. The year began at …
2015 Proved the Adage: You Win Some, You Lose Some Read More
By Don MacGillivray One of Portland’s special places will soon be lost. Parks are generally sacred places that should be able to hold against drastic change or destruction. Many wish …
New Affordable Housing to Replace a Neglected Buckman Park Read More
As the people in the purview of The Southeast Examiner try to get a handle on density building, increasing rents and housing costs, there is another group of people being …
Displacement of East County Residents Read More
Mt. Tabor Reservoir Construction on the Mt. Tabor Adjustment Project to divert drinking water to enclosed tanks at Powell Butte continued last month. The work is intended to satisfy a federal …
As development continues along commercial corridors, solar access may become an issue of solar rights if a Sunnyside group holds sway. Light equity is a new take on an all-too …
Sunnyside’s Getting Darker Read More
By Midge Pierce With SE in the epicenter of change and growth, residents are urged by at least one City Councilor to step forward with testimony at the City’s final …
Commissioner Fritz Still Champions Eastside Issues Read More
By Don MacGillivray Gangs issues frequently appear in the news and many of the violent gang-related shootings cause death or serious injury. This is not likely to stop without an …
Understanding Gang Violence Read More
Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R)’s Environmental Education program presents its 26th annual winter wreath fundraiser. Wreath sales support PP&R programs which connect underserved youth to the natural world. In the …
Portland Parks Winter Wreath Fundraiser Read More
By Nancy Tannler SE Portland resident Debbie Aiona received the Spirit of Portland Award at a ceremony November 17. Each year local individuals and organizations are chosen from nominations submitted …
SE Resident Receives Spirit of Portland Award Read More
By Midge Pierce While a street tree summit was underway in SE Portland, trees on private properties nearby continued to be felled in the name of development. The consensus at …
Paltry Penalties Threaten Canopy Read More
By Midge Pierce Love it or hate it, Portland’s post-recession transformation was unforeseen by framers of the original Comprehensive Plan 35-years ago. Now, as the Plan is updated, citizens have …
Hearings Target Construction Madness Read More
By Midge Pierce SE Portland’s urban street trees get middling grades based on data from a recent tree summit at the Mt. Scott Community Center that reviewed five-years of information …
Trees Rate a “C” at Summit Read More
By Midge Pierce Excavation work needed to divert drinking water from Mt. Tabor continues on the park southside as part of the process to disconnect the decommissioned open air reservoirs. …
Mt. Tabor Adjustment project Read More
By Midge Pierce Portland Public Schools Superintendent Carole Smith is expected to weigh in on the redrawn boundary proposals in January. Additional opportunities for citizen input will be available after …
School Boundaries to Change Read More
The Portland Water Bureau’s contractor for the project, James W. Fowler Co. (JWF) will continue with exploratory excavation (“potholing”) in each of the Work Areas in November. There will be …
Reservoir work – What to expect in November 2015: Read More
By Midge Pierce At the current pace of more than one demolition per day, some 800 more houses could be razed over the next two years before City code and …
No Quick Fix to Housing Crisis Read More
Living Room Conversations Brad Malsin, Beam Development, co-hosted a Living Room Conversation Community Forum with Cameron Whitten to talk about the upcoming move of Right to Dream Too (R2DToo) to …
SE Updates November 2015 Read More
By Midge Pierce If a house on your block is slated for demolition, chances are you heard it first from The Portland Chronicle. The website is marking a year of …
Demolition Resources to the rescue Read More
By Midge Pierce As residents of Eastmoreland celebrate the preservation of three majestic sequoias in their neighborhood, a mile away, Richmond neighbors continue their vigil beside two Douglas Firs left …
Triumph and Tears Tag Trees Read More
Mt. Tabor Reservoir Disconnection October marks the beginning of disconnection of Mt. Tabor’s reservoirs from Portland’s drinking water. Portland Water Bureau (PWB) reports that exploratory excavation known as potholing will begin in …
SE Updates October 2015 Read More
By Midge Pierce Construction is solidly underway at 50th and Division where a four-story apartment building is rising. With 134 units, it will have 119 studios, 13 one bedrooms and …
Squeeky Wheels on 50th Read More
By Karen Hery It’s not just parents that breath a sigh of relief when kids are back in school. Graffiti clean up coordinators get a break from the peak season …
Relief from Graffiti is a Fall Focus Read More
By Don MacGillivray The Comprehensive Plan will guide Portland’s land-use development and facility investment decisions over the next twenty years. It is critical that the Plan influence other non-public organizations …
Comprehensive Plan for Portland’s Future Read More
By Midge Pierce Portland may be a mecca for the young, but nearly a fourth of its population is over fifty. Most strive for a vibrant, active lifestyle. Few are …
Portland’s newest and most unique bridge is opening to the public September 12; Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People. This is the largest car-free transit bridge in the U.S. and …
Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People Opens This Month Read More
By David Mayne In a move that was symbolic, the statue of Ben Franklin was moved to a temporary location as modernization work continues at Franklin High School. Like the …
By Nancy Tannler Washington High School (WHS) and the surrounding park and properties are once again the subject of conversation as we approach two deadlines. Portland Development Commissions (PDC) has …
Still Waiting for WHCC and Park Read More
By Midge Pierce As expected, Portland City Council decommissioned the Mt. Tabor reservoirs at its meeting August 19. Disconnection construction is slated to begin before year’s end to comply with …
Reservoir Refill Coming Soon Read More
By Midge Pierce “Demolition is like a cancer spreading through the City,” lamented Sunnyside resident Jeff Cole as demonstrators gathered on a recent Saturday in front of a one hundred …
Another House Goes Down Read More
By Midge Pierce Portlanders know that maneuvering through town can be more guesswork than science and Thorburn St. winding around Mt. Tabor is uniquely challenging. At best, it’s merely confusing. …
Safety Improvements on SE Thorburn Street Read More
By Don MacGillivray The Arts Tax remains a subject of concern and debate. It has never been popular and only partially successful. The Arts Education and Access Income Tax (Measure …
The Arts Tax: For Keeping Portland Weird Read More
Sunnyside United Methodist Church at 35th & SE Yamhill will celebrate their last worship service on August 30, at 10:30 am with lunch following. This venerable old church has served …
Changes at Sunnyside United Methodist Church Read More
By Don MacGillivray Few things are more complicated than Parking. There is never enough of it, and everyone who drives a car is a self-proclaimed parking expert. Change is often …
Parking: A Challenge Without a Solution Read More
By Nancy Tannler Houseless idea Sunnyside Land Use co-Chair and local architect Michael Molinaro has a suggestion/solution to turn potential homeless locations into a tiny house village. In the diagrams …
By Midge Pierce Collective, if cautious, relief ripples across the cinder cones of Mt. Tabor this summer among park lovers who value keeping water in the reservoirs soon to be …
Reservoir Compromise Resolves Scenic Issue Read More
By Midge Pierce Portland residents have had enough of the so-called Demolition Derby that is defacing the City’s storied older neighborhoods. As frustration mounts, residents are beginning to push …
Demonstration Against Demolition Read More
By Don McGillivray SE Division St. over the last ten years has evolved into one of the hottest, up and coming neighborhoods in the nation said USA Today last …
Collaborative Designs for Division Street Read More
By Nancy Tannler At a recent Sunnyside Neighborhood Association (SNA) Land Use meeting, the subject of zoning and the future development of Hawthorne Blvd. and Belmont St. were the focal …
Mixed-use Zoning Changes in Sunnyside Read More
By Midge Pierce Score another round for citizen volunteer efforts to protect Mt. Tabor Park. At a June 25 City Council hearing to review reservoir land use arguments, Portland Water …
Reservoir Stand Off Updates Read More
By Don MacGillivray If anyone thinks Portland isn’t serious about climate change, think again. The City recently adopted a new policy to track energy output and carbon emissions of large …
New Energy Rules For Commercial Buildings Read More
By Don MacGillivray Those with disproportionate risk suffer from the disparities of opportunity. This is especially true of young children expecting to enter Oregon’s educational system. The first years in …
Don’t Leave the Children Behind Read More
By Nancy Tannler Portland’s Neighborhood Associations (NAs) are a microcosm of government. They are one of the first places a person can turn to if they need help solving a …
Underlying tensions surface at RNA election Read More
On June 3, Portland City Council unanimously approved a resolution instructing the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) to establish a pilot program to advance deconstruction (disassembly of structures) in …
Portland City Council approves pilot deconstruction program Read More
By Don MacGillivray As housing rents grow at rates faster than inflation those without income or housing have few choices. A structural budget gap exists between the city’s affordable housing …
A Solution for Affordable Housing Advances Read More
By Nancy Tannler A meeting of SE Uplift board members and local citizens quickly convened to discuss Mayor Hales proposal to move the Right 2 Dream Too (R2D2), a nonprofit …
By Midge Pierce By the time you read this, the fate of the Mt. Tabor Reservoirs will either be sealed or entering the most intensive, expensive round of legal machinations yet. …
Citizens Stand Firm as PWB Bulldozes Ahead Read More
By Stephyn Quirke For nearly 100 years, residents in Southeast Portland have fought the Brooklyn rail yard. In 1924 several residents complained that the noise of train assemblies was waking …
Toxic Air in the Rose City Read More
By Don MacGillivray The Central Eastside District (CED) is arguably the most dynamic and evolving quadrant of Portland’s Central City. Its energy and change are revitalizing the old and creating …
Recommendations for the SE Quadrant plan ready for City Council Read More
Join the community in celebrating the Ground-breaking Ceremony for the new Franklin High School Saturday, May 16, Noon – 1 pm at 5404 SE Woodward St. Mayor …
By Midge Pierce A highwire balancing act over a wireless technology upgrade has SE residents rights to protect their property facing off against a telecommunications company’s proposal to replace a …
Cellphone Transmitter Faces Foes Read More
By Midge Pierce Despite the recent addition of some 4,000 living units to Portland, a surprising shortage of affordable housing remains. Observers say rents are up more than 7 percent. …
Built It And They Still Can’t Come Read More
By Aman Chahal Across the river from Portland’s Central Business District is the city’s rising close-in Eastside submarket: home to trendy restaurants and retailers, local and small-scale manufacturing, as well …
Portland Primed for Multifamily and Retail Development Read More
By Midge Pierce A resident near the SE 50th corridor, a recent target of development between Hawthorne and Division, says he has a solution to unrestrained growth. He is calling …
Neighbors Press for Moratorium on Demolition Read More
By Nancy Tannler Over the years The Southeast Examiner has printed several editorials by Mark Bartlett concerning questionable land use decisions made by The Bureau of Developmental Services (BDS) and …
Local Citizen Challenges Water Bureaus Land Use Application Read More
By Midge Pierce A 35-day prior notification and delay procedure is one result of the City’s new demolition regulations that took effect April 20. The delay can be expanded to …
Demolitions now require advance notice Read More
By Don MacGillivray The Portland Development Commission (PDC), created in the 1958 by the voters, is one of the most powerful and controversial public entities in Portland. Originally charged with …
Fifty-Six Years of Urban Renewal in Portland Read More
By Nancy Tannler The SE Quadrant Plan is refining new policies to help guide development in the Central Eastside Industrial District (CEID). It is an element of the Central City …
Parking Squeeze in CEID Read More
By Midge Pierce Stats don’t begin to describe the impact of development in SE Portland. But they do prove what many are experiencing: drastically altered neighborhoods. Within the Hawthorne, Belmont, …
Division Design Initiative Disputes Rapid Development Read More
The grand opening of 1510 Technology Center at SE Water and Clay St. is an adaptive reuse of one of the oldest reinforced concrete buildings in Portland. Killian Pacific and …
Building Transformation Read More
82nd Avenue Parade & Fair 9th Annual 82nd Avenue of Roses Parade, Multi-Cultural Community Fair, Carnival Days & Classic Car Cruise-In 4000 SE 82nd Ave. Saturday, April 25, 9:30 …
82nd Avenue Parade & Fair Read More
