Month: December 2023

Bar, Food and Drink, New Business, Restaurant

Ranch Pizza Location on SE Stark

Ranch Pizza will open a new location in Montavilla’s downtown within the former Hungry Hearts storefront at 7940 SE Stark Street. This shop will be the seventh pizzeria for the local chain restaurant since owners Richard Corey and Eric Wood founded it in 2017. The menu honors the square Sicilian-style pizza, and most orders include a side serving of handmade ranch dressing.

Inside Ranch Pizza location at 2239 SE 11th Avenue

The restaurant’s name focuses on a polarizing topping for pizza aficionados. However, Ranch Pizza’s owners feel it enhances the flavors and deserves a spotlight. “The one argument for ranch on pizza, and what I tell most people if they’re confused about it, is that it makes each bite really balanced. Most pizzas have a really tangy red sauce. The tomatoes are really acidic, and it has salt and garlic or whatever. If you add ranch to that, the creamy and tangy, salty flavors are polar opposites, but when you combine them, it’s perfect,” said co-owner Richard Corey to Vice News in 2018. The combination has proven popular for the chain, earning a spot on Willamette Week’s 2018 The Greatest Things We Ate This Year list.

Ranch Pizza Quarter Pie of pepperoni and one vegan slice in the back.

The thick-crust pizza is reminiscent of focaccia bread, and the cheese spreads over the edges, making a toasted crust as it cooks in its pan. The menu offers vegan options, and most pizzas are available by the slice, which is a quarter of the whole pie. The company has stores all over the area, with locations as far out as Beaverton, Oregon City, North Portland, and Happy Valley. This new restaurant will fill an East Portland gap. People interested in sampling the Pizza can visit the inner SE location at 2239 SE 11th Avenue.

Ranch Pizza will join several other pizza locations in the neighborhood, with Flying Pie Pizzeria on the same block and two other pizzerias within walking distance. However, its Sicilian-style pizza and affinity for ranch dressing has successfully carved out a niche for the chain across the region. “We’re happy to join the Montavilla pizza community. We feel we’ll bring a welcome new option and style of pizza to the area, especially with Sebastiano’s relocating to Sellwood in March,” explained Eric Wood.

Ranch Pizza hopes to open the Montavilla Location in March. It will house both the pizzeria and a sister business, Loro Coffee. Loro will serve customers coffee, tea, and pastries in the mornings and early afternoons. The pizza shop will open daily at 11 a.m. and close between 9 and 11 p.m., depending on the day of the week and time of year. In addition to regular menu items, they will offer rotating quarterly special items specific to Montavilla and pastries supplied by Hungry Heart Bakery.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Update 2:45 p.m. December 30th, 2023: This article was updated with additional information regarding the timeline and format of the new restaurant.

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Business Closing, Business Relocating, Food and Drink

Hungry Heart Consolidates

On December 18th, Hungry Heart Bakery served its last meal from the 7940 SE Stark Street location and will return to its former space a block away at 414 SE 80th Avenue. Since April 2022, the Rabbit Hole Market and Sweets shop has operated from the SE 80th location. Jax Hart owns both businesses, and the two locations worked together to meet the varied appetites of customers throughout the day. This weekend, December 30th and 31st, the restaurant’s owner will sell surplus supplies as they consolidate operations into the smaller space.

Inside Rabbit Hole Market and Sweets

Hungry Heart Bakery opened in Montavilla on January 3rd, 2015, after five years of running the successful Hungry Heart cupcakes food cart. From 2017 to 2019, Hungry Heart opened a sister business, Heartbreaker, a block over at 411 SE 81st Avenue. They closed that business with plans to open a new restaurant on SE Stark Street called White Rabbit Cafe and Bakery in the spring of 2020. The pandemic set White Rabbit’s launch back, with the SE Stark location opening in early 2021 under the Hungry Heart name. As restrictions lifted on indoor dining, Hart expanded the menu and embraced the original brunch menu planned for White Rabbit. The restaurant began a transition to the intended name, adopting both logos. However, they never completed that transition, and a change of business operations was needed.

In December, Jax Hart publicly announced that the company would relocate to the original space. “The decision to downsize has not been easy, but gives us the opportunity to slow down and return to our roots,” reads a notice on the Hungry Heart website. Consolidating the two locations requires selling some of the surplus restaurant supplies. The staff invites people to buy items at the weekend sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on December 30th and 31st inside the closed location at 7940 SE Stark Street. They intend to reopen the consolidated shop at 414 SE 80th Avenue on January 5th, 2024. Watch the Hungry Heart Instagram account for updates.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Community, Infrastructure

Free TriMet Rides on New Year’s Eve

As revelers head out to celebrate the close of 2023, TriMet once again offers riders fare-free transportation. Starting at 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, all bus and MAX trips are free until service ends early on New Year’s Day. For those outside the public transportation service area, the City of Portland has partnered with taxis, Uber, and Lyft to offer discounted rides.

For decades, TriMet has offered free rides to help people get home safely after ringing in the new year. This program removes the cost barrier to transit and extends service into the early hours of 2024 with more frequent trips. Most MAX Lines run until 2 a.m. MAX Blue, Green, Orange, and Yellow lines will run approximately every 30 minutes. MAX Red Line trains will operate on a weekday schedule, with the last Red Line train leaving from Pioneer Square South to Portland International Airport at 12:42 a.m. TriMet buses will run on Sunday schedules for New Year’s Eve.

Image courtesy TriMet

If you miss your bus or train and need a ride, the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Safe Ride Home program has discounts to help. Starting at 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 31st, people can use a discount code posted on the program’s website to save $5 on an Uber or Lyft ride in Portland. Revelers looking for a taxi ride can save $10 off that ride with a paper coupon available at participating locations throughout the city. Montavilla Station at 417 SE 80th Avenue is the neighborhood location offering paper taxi coupons on New Year’s Eve. A complete list of locations is available on the program’s website. Coupons are valid for twelve hours, ending at 4 a.m. on Monday, January 1st, 2024.

Image courtesy the City of Portland

Trimet will again require payment after 3 a.m. on New Year’s Day, implementing new prices. New TriMet fares go into effect on January 1st for those without a monthly pass. This fare change is the first increase in TriMet’s base Adult Fare in more than a decade, and New Year’s Day riders should plan for the added travel costs. TriMet buses, MAX, and Portland Streetcar will operate on Sunday schedules for the January 1st holiday.

People have many ways to celebrate the new year without driving, and it is best to have a plan. However, if that plan falls apart, know your options and never drive impaired or ride with an impaired driver.

By

Jacob Loeb

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that the Oregon Department of Transportation was a TriMet partner in providing free transit this year. They were a partner in past years but not currently. Also, TriMet’s free fairs end at 3 a.m. instead of 3:30 a.m. Montavilla News regrets these errors.

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Infrastructure

PBOT Completes NE Glisan Bike Crossing at 78th

On December 27th, Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) crews installed two new request buttons for the NE Glisan Street bike crossing at 78th Avenue. Traffic engineers added these buttons at the curb edge, allowing cyclists to activate the rectangular rapid-flashing beacons (RRFB) without dismounting from their bikes. Pedestrians have their own buttons to request the crossing signal on the west sidewalk corners.

PBOT installed an RRFB-controlled crosswalk at this intersection several years ago. Although it has suffered repeated damage over the years, many people have used the flashing beacons to cross NE Glisan safely without needing to walk to a fully signalized intersection several blocks away. Recent NE 78th Avenue crossing updates are part of the 70s Neighborhood Greenway project that intends to create a pedestrian and bike-friendly north/south route. The roadside-accessible RRFB activation buttons and new green-striped markings will help cyclists cross at this point. However, drivers do not always observe the flashing lights, and people should wait for traffic to stop before attempting to cross.

PBOT will install additional RRFBs at two Montavilla crossings for the 70s Neighborhood Greenway. Crews have nearly completed installation on SE Stark and Washington Streets at 80th Avenue. Those crossings can see significant traffic, and residents have wanted safety improvements on both streets for over a decade. Although an RRFB can improve vehicle stopping time for pedestrians – the Federal Highway Administration says motorist yielding rates can be as high as 98 percent, people’s experience in Portland is not always positive using beacons. However, despite many vehicles failing to stop, someone eventually yields, and that will help Greenway users cross faster and safer than if the RRFBs were not there.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Construction, New Residence

Three Affordable Townhomes on NE 92nd

Construction crews working at 825 NE 92nd Avenue recently completed the foundation for three affordable townhomes. The two-story building will occupy an area once used for a detached garage belonging to the corner 1925-era home. The building’s design hides the two rear units behind the street-facing home, giving the appearance of a large single-family house, blending into the streetscape.

Instrinsic Homes LLC bought the 100-foot by 100-foot property at 811 NE 92nd Avenue in 2022 and split the land into three parcels, selling the corner house to new residents. Dez Development purchased the two undeveloped lots with the intention of creating nine additional residences. These three homes are the first of the two developments underway, and they target homeowners who have struggled to find options in Portland’s high-priced market. “We have partnered with the Portland Housing Bureau and are committed to delivering these units as affordable residential housing units,” explained Slavik Dezhnyuk, Managing Member of DEZ Development. Portland offers several programs to increase home ownership affordability, but most only reserve units for buyers earning at or below the median family income (MFI) level for a four-person household. They are not low-income housing, as the MFI annual income limit is $114,400 as of 2023.

The developer geared each townhome towards a smaller household with just over 600 square feet of living space per unit. The two-bedroom homes place the sleeping areas on the second floor with a shared bathroom. The front home has its stacked laundry closest to the upper floor, while the two back units have those facilities located on the main level under the stairs. All residences feature a half-bathroom on the ground floor and an open-concept living area with an L-shaped kitchen. Mini-split heat pumps maintain the temperature on the main level. The bedrooms and upstairs bathrooms have heat supplied by Cadet in wall units.

Rendered view of the three townhomes seen from NE 92nd Avenue. Courtesy DEZ Development.

Residents of the rear units will access their homes via concrete paths to the north or south of the structure, leading to small corner alcove porches. Six-foot high side gates towards the front of the building will create small private yards for the rear townhouses. This design allows separate access to each home while disguising the housing density created by the development. Plans for the property show a four-foot-wide curbside planting strip with a new street tree replacing the existing driveway curb cut. The builder will also add a new six-foot-wide sidewalk to connect with a curb-tight pathway north of the property. Work on these new homes will continue into 2024.

Update April 18th, 2024: Principle construction is complete as the homes ready for sale.

Article and photo by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Construction, New Residence

Two New Homes Added to NE Hoyt Subdivision

Work is underway on two new detached condominiums in the Gracelyn Commons subdivision atop a massive retaining wall. These three-story homes are the sixth and seventh units built by developer Todd Spencer after a year-long pause in construction. These buildings feature similar layouts to four of the five existing houses built two years prior. Each residence has an attached single-car garage accessed from a private road off NE Hoyt Street.

The two units under construction are the first of six homes backing NE Irving Street. Each structure will feature unobstructed northern views of Portland thanks to the 24-foot-tall retaining wall. Building the leveling infrastructure for this lot slowed early progress on the project, with costs exceeding expectations. When completed next year, the new 1,400-square-foot houses will be the first structures to take advantage of land created by the concrete embankment.

 Red outline shows new buildings. Image courtesy Todd Spencer

New construction at this site is encouraging after several years of slower-than-anticipated development. Building permits allow for a total of 15 units on this site, making it under halfway complete. As new units sell, the next wave of construction could begin. Look for the builder to complete work on the two newest detached condominiums in the first half of 2024.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Construction, Infrastructure

New Sidewalk Corners and Traffic Patterns on SE Yamhill

Road crews recently demolished the existing sidewalk corners along SE 92nd Avenue at SE Yamhill Street, reconstructing them with improved curb ramps. Six blocks west on Yamhill, Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) workers adjusted the traffic pattern at SE 86th Avenue, changing the direction where vehicles stop. Both projects strengthen non-automotive access to area parks and schools.

Southeast corner of SE 92nd Ave and SE Yamhill St waiting for concrete

Cement masons completed work on three of the four sidewalk corners at SE Yamhill and 92nd. They all feature Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant designs with larger landing areas at the top of the new curb ramps. On the west side of SE 92nd Avenue, crews must create short retaining walls to hold back the yards where the expanded sidewalk cuts into an adjacent property. Over the last two years, crews working for PBOT have updated many sidewalk corners along SE 92nd Avenue near Berrydale Park and the connected Portland Public School campus. These updates encourage walking to the two destinations and ensure people of all abilities can use the sidewalk to get where they are going.

BPOT crews made a traffic pattern adjustment west of this intersection to SE 86th Avenue at SE Yamhill Street that supports bicyclists traveling on the Neighborhood Greenway. Previously, vehicles on SE 86th Avenue had to stop at SE Yamhill Street while people on Yamhill could continue driving. Now the two-way-stop is reversed so east/west drivers stop. This intersection control change lets bike riders continue through that intersection without slowing down. PBOT placed “New Traffic Pattern Ahead” signs around the intersection to warn drivers and marked each updated sign with bright-colored double flags to attract attention.

Recent projects on SE 86th Avenue have strengthened safety for Greenway users. A signalized crossing is under construction on this road at SE Washington Street. That update and this traffic pattern change should enhance the utility of the Greenway, particularly for families using it to travel to the nearby parks and schools. Additionally, sidewalk corner reconstruction along SE 92nd Avenue ensures that that route is accessible to all users. Expect more Greenway and corner reconstruction in this area over the next two years, leading up to the Berrydale Park Improvement Project in 2025.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Community, Infrastructure

First of the Year TriMet Fare Increases

Starting January 1st, 2024, TriMet riders will pay higher fares unless they use monthly passes. MAX, Bus, and Streetcar adult users will start paying 30 cents more for 2½-Hour Tickets, bringing the cost to $2.80. Adult Day Passes will also jump by 60 cents to $5.60. Honored Citizen and Youth fares will only increase by 15 cents for the timed tickets and 30 cents for Day Passes. This fare change is the first increase in TriMet’s base Adult Fare in more than a decade. It will help pay for rising costs, including an 11.5% wage increase for transit workers represented by Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) 757.

With these fare increases, riders have even more incentive to use Hop Fastpass™ cards. TriMet’s Board of Directors capped monthly Passes at $100 for adult riders. Most people only need to buy 18-day passes before earning a monthly pass. Each purchase on a Hop Fastpass™ account builds towards the next ticket level. Honored Citizen and Youth month-long passes cost $28, meaning they only need to ride for ten days before receiving free rides for the remainder of the month.

TriMet’s Board of Directors anticipates a $5.3 million annual increase in fare revenue with these changes. The added money will support increased service levels and help stabilize the transit agency’s finances post-pandemic. As inflation rises, employee compensation needs to grow, particularly for bus driver positions that are hard to fill. A year ago, nearly 80% of TriMet staff represented by ATU 757 received a 7.5% raise. On December 1st, those 2,538 employees received an additional 4% wage increase. ATU 757 workers drive buses, operate trains, perform vehicle and systems maintenance, and support riders.

Logos courtesy TriMet and ATU

Fare increases of any amount are rarely well received by riders. Some transit advocates support fare-less operation, and some US cities are trying it. However, TriMet is not ready to tackle that experiment. Instead, it focused its equity efforts on a reduced fare program serving those at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. TriMet also offers other programs to support riders who may qualify for additional discounts. Accessing those assistance programs is vital for people with mobility issues because riders who use the LIFT paratransit pickup and transport service will also see Single Ride Tickets increase by 30 cents to $2.80.

TrimMet has worked to mitigate the impact of the 2024 fare increases for their frequent users. Digital and physical Hop Fastpass™ cards will save riders money, but casual riders can not avoid paying more per trip. People should factor these changes into their budget for 2024. The increase will be difficult for some people. However, a monthly pass still provides cost savings over car ownership and helps fight traffic congestion.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Community, Crime

Police Will Chase More Suspects in 2024

On November 29th, a suspect evaded Portland Police and went on a high-speed dash through Montavilla. Per a 2017 revision to police Directives, officers did not pursue the vehicle with the hopes the driver would reduce speeds and limit the potential bystander harm. However, the car maintained unsafe speeds, moving recklessly through the neighborhood. The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) says that since the 2017 change to procedure, drivers have increasingly eluded traffic stops, driving away with disregard for public safety even though Police are not following them. Now, the PPB will lower the threshold for authorizing pursuits in an effort to end a suspect’s dangerous driving behavior quickly.

Police chases are dangerous for all people involved and anyone in the vicinity. They cause hundreds of deaths per year nationwide. In 2017, the PPB’s revision to Directive 630.05: Vehicle Interventions and Pursuits was part of an American public safety trend that saw police forces limit when officers could chase a vehicle. Since the change, Portland Police could only pursue an individual suspected of having “committed a felony person crime or where the suspect’s driving conduct, prior to the initiation of a stop, displays a willful disregard for the safety of others.” Many police departments have seen reduced fatalities related to Police chases when implementing similar restrictions. However, PPB says the pendulum is swinging in the other direction as criminals become aware of the policy and use it to avoid capture by speeding away, again risking bystander safety.

Portland Police responding to rollover crash July, 2013

Modifications to Police Directives will take effect in mid-January but do not reflect a rollback to the pre-2017 policy. The changes will provide some leeway for Officers when deciding if a pursuit will most likely keep the community safe. Currently, specific vehicle interventions rely on a suspect’s speed. In the new rules, an officer can consider all circumstances threatening public safety when deciding to box in, ram, or use a PIT maneuver on a car.

Changes to Directives also allow vehicular pursuits for Special Missions and certain known suspects. The recent Montavilla chase was part of a Stolen Vehicle Operation in East Precinct. Air support and a significant number of Police vehicles were available. PPB feels that with sufficient resources and planning during Special Missions, they can apprehend a suspect faster than other traffic stops, reducing the danger to the community. The adjustments around known suspects center on situations where not arresting a person would be more dangerous to the community than the risks from a high-speed pursuit.

The PPB intends these changes to refine the restricted policy around Police chases created in 2017. Officers must still terminate a pursuit when the safety risks to the community outweigh the benefit of capturing the suspect. The authors of these changes are adjusting to the dangerous conditions around policing. Not chasing suspects only improved public safety to a point, and Police now need to update the policies to address other life-threatening actions that evolved out of the 2017 change. It will likely take years to see if these updated Directives increase community safety and criminal apprehension. However, annual pursuit crash statistics should indicate if bystanders are at greater risk due to these modifications and prompt further updates if needed.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscribers or sponsors. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Filed under:
Food and Drink

Mia And More on 82nd Becomes Mia 102

On Friday, December 15th, Mía and More will celebrate their first year in Portland with a one-day discount and a new name. Over the next few months, the location at 326 SE 82nd Avenue will transition to Mía 102. This change allows the owner to expand operations beyond the limits of the franchise structure to meet customer demand for a more diverse menu selection.

One year ago, Mía and More opened along SE 82nd Avenue across from Hong Phat Food Center. The shop’s menu features fresh-pressed sugarcane juice, milk tea, fruit smoothies, and Vietnamese street food. Owner Michelle Tran explained that over the last 12 months, they have received requests to expand their offerings. “So far, we can only sell what is on Mía and More’s original menu and can’t add anything else. We’ve been wanting to offer more tasty drinks and food that are more suitable for our local customers.”

The transition from a franchise location required a new name, and Tran wanted a clever way to signal their difference. “102, when sounded out in Vietnamese (Một không hai), means unique,” said Tran. Mía is Vietnamese for sugarcane, so Mía 102 expresses that this is a one-of-a-kind sugarcane juice destination. The Mía 102 Team invites everyone to stop in Friday, December 15th, from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. for a 20% discount on all in-store orders.

Article and Photo by

Jacob Loeb