Month: March 2024

Business Relocating, Community, Construction

VOA Oregon Seeks Input on NE Glisan Campus

On Wednesday, April 3rd, Volunteers of America (VOA) Oregon will hold its second public meeting to present preliminary designs for the group’s six-acre campus at 8815 NE Glisan Street. People planning on attending should RSVP for the event and then arrive at the Multnomah University President’s Dining Room at JCA Student Center by 4 p.m. for the start of the event. The University is located near the future VOA site at 8435 NE Glisan Street.

Article originally published on March 7th, 2024

On February 24th, Volunteers of America (VOA) Oregon held its first town hall meeting, where organization leaders and architects presented preliminary designs for the group’s six-acre campus at 8815 NE Glisan Street. Over the coming years, VOA Oregon intends to consolidate its administrative services and some of its substance use, behavioral health, and childcare services onto this former church property. Project designers with Opsis Architecture explained that the multi-phased project would utilize the site’s sloped topography to hide increasing building height and borrow inspiration from residential rooflines to match nearby structures. A second meeting is scheduled for April 3rd from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Multnomah University in the President’s Dining Room.

Looking Northwest at future site. All renderings by Opsis Architecture provided courtesy VOA Oregon

Designers structured the proposed campus with external functions in buildings adjacent to NE Glisan Street and internal services in the site’s northwest half. VOA Oregon buildings will stand two stories tall along the site’s southern edge, increasing to three levels as the land slopes downhill, presenting a consistent scale along its frontage. Crews will reconstruct the existing parking lot to include more trees and landscaping between the 92 stalls. Another cluster of lots along the property’s northern edge will provide an additional 54 on-site parking spaces. The early redevelopment will raze the 1950s-era church building and add frontage improvements along NE Glisan Street with significant work on NE 90th Avenue. Road Crews will reconstruct sections of NE 90th, adding sidewalks, street trees, and 17 curbside parking spaces to the street’s western edge.

Image looking north, courtesy VOA Oregon

VOA Oregon’s schedule for development is dependent on fundraising efforts. Construction will occur in phases, and the nonprofit will reuse existing site attributes, such as the main parking lot’s location, to save on costs. The first phase will prepare the site to host future buildings. The second phase will construct the NE Glisan adjacent administrative building and one of the residential treatment structures. Additional buildings will follow as funding allows. VOA Oregon also owns property across NE 90th Avenue. That site will allow for future multi-use development on the northeast corner of NE Glisan and 90th. Crews will construct a secure storage facility for company vehicles and supplies north of that building after demolishing the church’s storage structure, which is currently serving that purpose.

Opsis Architecture will design all buildings to serve distinct uses and complement VOA Oregon’s support programs. The main building will contain offices and community space with outward-facing uses, including a cafe and meeting rooms. Two L-shaped buildings will offer short-term units for the Women’s Residential Treatment program, where people and their children can stay between three and six months while receiving care. Each housing building can support 50 residents, meaning up to 100 people will reside on campus when fully occupied. Staff will work all hours of the day, year-round, making this formally dark and underutilized property consistently more active. Other structures will support community clinic services and childcare for employees and program participants.

Site map showing all phases, by Opsis Architecture provided courtesy VOA Oregon

In 2022, VOA Oregon President Kay Toran spoke with Montavilla News about the group’s hopes for the property. Since then, Toran has worked with the organization’s Board of Directors, staff, and designers to create a facility that she expects will provide the positive change that Portland’s behavioral health crisis requires. For 125 years, VOA has worked to rebuild lives after experiencing substance use and behavioral health issues. This campus will bring operational efficiencies to the organization and expand some offerings. However, they will maintain many other locations throughout the Portland Metro area and Oregon. They operate in an environment that has a nearly endless need for services as people transition out of addiction, incarceration, or trauma and into stable lives. VOA Oregon invites the community to attend the April 3rd meeting to receive more information, ask questions, and provide feedback.

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, View of Montavilla

Pacific Market Fire Complete Loss

Just before 2 a.m. on March 26th, emergency dispatchers sent Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) crews to the Pacific Market complex at 6750 NE Broadway. Arriving firefighters reported smoke visible from the structure’s roof above the closed Thai Binh restaurant storefront occupying a third of the 20,120 square foot strip mall. Before long, the fire spread through the roof and into the adjoining Pacific Market grocery store. The fire expanded throughout the building, prompting a three-alarm response. PF&R crews extinguished the fire, protecting the surrounding homes and a neighboring storage facility. However, the building and its contents are likely a complete loss.

Image from Portland Maps

The family-owned Asian grocery opened in the late 1990s to become a place for people “to stop and shop for their traditional foods and groceries all in one place,” according to a now offline company website. Situated between NE Halsey Street and NE Broadway, the store was an early provider of culturally specific imported foods in this area. It also provided convenient grocery access for many people living around the Rose City Golf Course. Residents in the neighborhood will instead need to travel to the Fred Meyer store at 6615 NE Glisan Street for basic needs.

The building, restaurant, and grocery store shared similar ownership, leading to the possibility of rebuilding. Google Maps only lists the Pacific Market as temporarily closed. However, the level of damage indicates this location will be unusable for a significant length of time. Additionally, the owners may decide not to rebuild and instead look to sell the property for development. The building shares the block with a new self-storage facility completed in 2022, and at nearly an acre, this site could attract interest from builders. Losing a neighborhood grocery is a detriment to the community. Fortunately, PF&R reported no injuries during this incident, and firefighters managed to confine all damage to the one building. Expect to see fencing around the site and the eventual arrival of demolition crews to remove all or part of the building within the coming months.

Firefighter continuing to dowse building 12 hours after fire broke out

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.

Infrastructure

New Name for the Same Gravel Streets

On March 20th, the Portland City Council approved minor code updates to change a term the City uses for streets the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is not obligated to maintain. Formally called unimproved, the amended City code in Chapter 17.42 now calls these streets nonmaintained. The City of Portland’s policy is that abutting property owners maintain streets until street improvements bring them up to PBOT standards and the City accepts the street for maintenance. This policy has left many streets in poor condition, with only a center strip of asphalt or a full-width gravel street full of holes. In most cases, these streets also lack the required sidewalks and curbs.

Portland has an interactive map showing pavement maintenance responsibility where residents and developers can check a property’s frontage for added road maintenance obligations. According to Portland’s Property Owner Maintenance Code, it is “the exclusive duty of the abutting property owners to construct, reconstruct, repair and maintain nonmaintained street in a condition reasonably safe for the uses that are made of the street and adjoining properties.” This policy puts a financial cost and liability on the homeowners and, in some cases, limits development rights that require a property to have frontage on a street maintained by the City of Portland or the State of Oregon.

From Portland’s map showing pavement maintenance responsibility in Montavilla. Red lines are privately maintained

There are several ways a street can become the City’s responsibility. A developer can improve the roadway to minimum PBOT standards to be accepted. However, in most cases, the improvement must extend an entire block from intersection to intersection before Portland will begin maintaining it. Property owners on a nonmaintained street can form a Local Improvement District (LID) with the City. That cooperative method requires people to pay for their portion of repairs. The City bureaus often contribute to the project funding and replace or service underground utilities as part of the project. The SE 80th Ave and Mill Street LID is an example of such a project. On some rare occasions, Portland will reconstruct a street as part of a larger mobility project. Recently, that occurred on NE Everett Street from NE 76th Avenue to NE 78th Avenue. The replacement of that unimproved gravel road is part of the 70s Neighborhood Greenway project that is nearing completion.

People living on unpaved roads are not entirely left without support from the City. In 2018, PBOT started the Gravel Street Service to repair Portland’s over 50 miles of nonmaintained gravel streets. That program is on a three-year cycle, with crews focusing on different sections of the City each year. Aside from that program, property owners on nonmaintained streets must pay to keep their roads usable. This code change does nothing more than clarify wording, making it unmistakable that the City is not responsible for these streets’ upkeep.

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 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.

Infrastructure

Gate Replaces Barrier on NE 72nd Dr

On Friday, March 22nd, crews installed a new heavy-gauge steel gate on NE 72nd Drive. This new single-lane gate will prevent northbound automotive travel through the Rose City Golf Course. It replaces concrete jersey barriers installed by the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) after the unauthorized removal of other traffic diversion infrastructure.

Now removed concrete jersey barriers

In this new configuration, cyclists and pedestrians will share a recently built multi-use path that leads from NE Tillamook Street to just north of the golf course parking lot. These updates are part of the 70s Neighborhood Greenway project, which is nearing completion. Drivers will again be able to use a portion of NE 72nd Drive to access the parking lot, but the closed gate will prevent them from driving further north. Southbound drivers can continue to use the street unobstructed.

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.

Community, New Business

Day Services Open at Former 82nd Ave Church

On March 21st, PDX Saints Love held a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the beginning of new day services at the former Saints Peter & Paul Episcopal Church property. In a partnership with Shelter Portland, the nonprofit will help unsheltered and housing-insecure community members access food, housing, behavioral health treatment, healthcare, and work opportunities. This organization will use the historic building at 247 SE 82nd Avenue over the next few years until the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon demolishes it to make room for affordable housing. The organization intends to support the housed neighbors along with the unhoused community by providing regular cleanups in Montavilla’s public spaces and instituting a three-block safety zone around the site.

PDX Saints Love’s founder, Kristle Delihanty, expects the site to be active most weekdays, although outward-facing services occur only on certain days and times. The groups will leverage relationships with other nonprofits to provide hygiene, health, housing, and work training. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Cultivate Initiatives will bring mobile washing stations offering showers and haircuts to those who do not have regular access to those necessities. Several times a week, an onsite Peer Wellness Specialist will provide guidance in navigating housing placement or coordinate long-term shelter referrals. In a partnership with Trillium Community Health and Care Oregon, Community Health Workers will provide connections to primary care, OHP assistance, and coordinated care for all health-related needs. Worksystems will offer workforce development and internship opportunities, including a shelter worker training program where people can automatically build a resume hour-by-hour. “We’ll be partnering with Worksystems, which is using the shelter to pay day laborers to clean up in the neighborhood, [making] sure that our neighbors feel supported,” said Delihanty.

Kristle Delihanty and Keith Wilson cutting ceremonial ribbon

Recognizing that a concentration of service providers already impacts Montavilla, Kristle Delihanty explained that PDX Saints Love’s support of the unsheltered and housing insecure will also include support for the entire neighborhood and does not want to impose on the community further. In late February, the nonprofit hosted a meeting with neighborhood and business leaders, including those living in homes around the former Saints Peter & Paul property. At the meeting, they listened to people’s concerns and used that feedback to adopt policies Delihanty hopes will minimize the impact on surrounding properties. In addition to the regular cleaning and beautification work coordinated from the site, they will implement rules to discourage camping by the SE 82nd Avenue building. “If someone is camped right outside on Pine or Ash [street] and they came in to get services, we would have a conversation with them. We would let them know about the Community agreement with our neighbors and that we need them to abide by it. If they continue after a seven-day period to stay and camp, then we would withhold services,” explained Delihanty. “We want to give them a grace period to figure something out first, but if they refuse to work with us, we would just withhold services. The same thing goes for the purchase or sale of illegal substances within a three-block radius and open use of illegal substances within a three-block radius.” The day service provider will also maintain a monitored email address so people can contact them with concerns or operational feedback so they can address those issues.

Mobile shower truck

Like many people who work in the recovery and homeless services industry, Delihanty started this work after breaking out of her own cycle of drug use. “I come from homelessness and a 20-year heroin addiction in East Portland. My last nine felony arrests were on 82nd and Powell. When I went into recovery, I got a chance from the District Attorney to start over, and one of the ways that I learned to keep focused on my recovery was through service work,” explained Delihanty. Her experience in recovery and knowledge of the homeless community guided her early work. In 2017, the group started with a giant pot of chili to feed people at Lents Park while discussing options and experiences. PDX Saints Love grew into a 20-volunteer operation by 2018 and became a 501c3 organization in 2021. The organization has operated a reoccurring Wellness Fair in the Lents neighborhood that has grown to 160 participants. The fair will continue in Lents on Mondays. The new site on SE 82nd Avenue will work as a staging and meal prep area for those events. The new building will help the organization improve its existing programs, bringing its formerly outside work into a warm building that can serve people year-round. However, a few new offerings are possible thanks to the added space.

Shelter Portland’s Founder & Chair President Keith Wilson giving interview

PDX Saints Love’s partnership with Shelter Portland and the District Attorney’s office will offer day-service guests a Homeless Court program that works to remove barriers to housing and employment caused by criminal backgrounds and active warrants. Similar to the help Delihanty received from the District Attorney while building her current life, the program intends to extend that same chance to others looking to secure a stable life after completing a four-month process. Knowing that there is a future away from drugs and living on the street is an integral part of treating people’s substance use disorder and getting people working on a future.

Portland Rescue Mission van

PDX Saints Love has a 24-month lease for the 247 SE 82nd Avenue facility with an option to extend occupancy until the owners schedule demolition. They will begin operations by offering essential services, including hot meals, showers, wound care, overdose prevention, clothing, and other weather supplies to day-services guests. The established neighborhood group Montavilla Collective will continue to use the building for its events on Wednesdays. Services offered at this location will grow to include more health care services, assistance clearing criminal records, and housing placement. PDX Saints Love staff will meet regularly with neighbors as they grow, gathering input and identifying corrective actions required to remain a positive influence on the community. The people leading this effort are committed to ending homelessness while restoring the communities impacted by the epidemic.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Election Statement: Keith Wilson of Shelter Portland is running for Portland Mayor. Montavilla News does not endorse candidates for office or support ballot measures.

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

A New Path to Mt Tabor Park

This April, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) will open a new bike path and multiuse trail leading to Mt. Tabor Park from SE 64th Avenue and SE Division Street. This well-lit and wide paved path borders the western edge of PP&R’s new maintenance shop. The 500-foot walkway significantly reduces the walking distance for people living near SE Division when visiting the park. It connects users to a freshly resurfaced segment of SE 64th Avenue that has a paved sidewalk on its eastern edge.

PP&R path site plan

In 2021, crews began construction on the PP&R Maintenance Yard property, initially designed as horse stables in the early 1900s. Over the years, crews modernized the central maintenance facility at Mt. Tabor Park with new buildings, offices, greenhouses, and storage areas. The improvements implemented plans from 2008 through funding that included the 2014 Parks Replacement Bond and System Development Charges. The Mt. Tabor Yard is the primary dispatch point for PP&R maintenance and nursery services across Portland, with over 160 maintenance employees working from this location. The street improvements and pathway are minor compared to the overall project, but park visitors will immediately recognize the benefits of the new access point. Private property along SE Division Street blocks most entrances to Mt. Tabor Park, making this pathway significant for people not driving to the natural area.

The new pathway is lined with lampposts, mimicking the classic design seen throughout Mt. Tabor Park and other PP&R properties of a similar age. Midway along the path, a metal bridge crosses over a large bio-swale area used for stormwater management. Several seating areas allow people to wait for members of their party to arrive or take a peaceful rest away from the busy street. Landscaping features many trees and natural ground cover that will help absorb rainwater that tends to follow this path down the mountain.

Bridge over bio swale

PP&R expects to open the bike path and multiuse trail to the public around April 1st, 2024. Officials will plan a community celebration later this year when crews complete the Mt. Tabor Maintenance Yard project. The new facilities should help the parks bureau staff work more efficiently, and the improved storage space will protect the city’s equipment investments. Starting in April, residents can glance east while walking along SE 64th Avenue and see the PP&R maintenance and horticultural services staff working to keep Portland’s green spaces accessible.

Stone inscribed message at the SE 64th Avenue and SE Division Street pathway entrance

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

Your Seat Sponsored by Intersection

In early March 2024, Intersection maintenance crews replaced the eastbound TriMet 19 bus stop bench at NE Glisan and 78th Avenue. A July 2023 car crash demolished the previous seating that serves double duty as an advertising platform. Transit riders will enjoy having seating again as this stop which serves two adjacent churches and sees steady use.

Original article published December 18th, 2023

Since July, eastbound TriMet 19 bus line riders have needed to stand while waiting at NE Glisan and 78th Avenue. A car crash at the southwest corner mangled the blue transit bench and damaged the bus stop signpost. TriMet crews promptly repaired their equipment, but an advertising partner, Intersection, owns the seating at this stop. Maintenance crews with that company have recently removed the broken bench and plan to replace it soon.

Intersection’s exclusive partnerships with TriMet expose their ads to riders and people within eyesight of a bus, MAX, or Streetcar. Advertising revenue from relationships like this generates over $3 million for the transit service and provides seating for some passengers waiting to board their bus. Stop-shelters with integrated seating are paid for and maintained by TriMet. However, not every stop has a shelter. Instead, some of those uncovered locations benefit from Intersection benches with advertisements placed on the backrests.

Bus stop bench after July crash

TriMet representatives said they placed a work order with Intersection shortly after the July crash. However, repairs did not occur until TriMet again contacted the company, seeking an update on the delayed repair. Intersection crews are often timely with maintenance, quickly replacing similarly damaged blue benches. A May 2022 car crash into the McDonald’s restaurant at 8149 SE Stark Street decimated the advertising-backed seating at the adjacent bus stop. Intersection repair crews replaced that unit within a month.

The delay in bench repair likely comes down to miscommunication between the transit agency and its advertising partner. People should expect to see a new bench at the NE Glisan and 78th Avenue bus stop soon, and riders leaning back on an advertisement can know it helps sponsor their seat.

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.

Infrastructure

PBOT Grows Serious About Safety on NE Glisan

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) recently received State approval to lower speed limits from 30 to 25 mph on NE Glisan Street between NE 57th and 82nd Avenues. These lower speeds, combined with funded intersection improvements at NE 80th and 82nd Avenues and unfunded enhanced crossings planned to the west, create a concerted effort to improve walkability. With NE Glisan Street’s speed limit already 25 mph west of NE 57th Avenue, this change provides a consistent traffic flow along the growing Neighborhood Main Street.

PBOT revealed the planned speed change at the March 12th Vestal School PTA meeting to an overwhelmingly supportive crowd. PBOT representative Dylan Rivera said in a subsequent communication that crews will replace the current speed limit signs within the next few months, and new speed restrictions will take effect when posted. Lower speeds can help people avoid crashes by giving drivers more reaction time, and research shows that it can reduce injury if a collision occurs. “Small changes in speed can have big impacts in making our streets safer. As people travel faster, the risk of death or serious injury rises dramatically,” explained Rivera.

Lowering the speed limit is only one part of improving pedestrian safety, particularly when some drivers regularly exceed the current 30 mph speed limit. To help people cross and encourage appropriate speeds, PBOT intends to install more pedestrian refuge islands with curb extensions that visually narrow the roadway. These inroad elements also encourage more thoughtful turning by shortening the turning radius. They also plan to add marked high-visibility crosswalks, cautioning motorists to yield to pedestrians. The City needs additional money for enhanced crossings west of NE 74th Avenue, but PBOT is committed to seeking funding for those projects.

Draft design image for NE Glisan at 80th Ave. Similar crossings possible along NE Glisan. Courtesy PBOT

Speed limit changes are not arbitrary, and PBOT required approval from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to make these changes. A 2022 state law allows Oregon cities to apply for the authority to designate speed limits on roads they maintain. However, those municipalities must designate an engineer to oversee the process, and Rivera explained that ODOT currently controls most of Portland’s speed limits.

Drivers should anticipate seeing the new 25 mph signs on NE Glisan west of NE 82nd Avenue within the coming months. Portland Police will know about the change, and the bureau may deploy its Photo Enforcement van to the area as it often does on SE Stark Street, where the speed limit lowers to 20 mph. Pedestrians and cyclists may see progress on the NE 80th Avenue crossing begin in the latter half of 2024. Look for more news about NE Glisan crossings as funding sources become available.

Article and phots 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

Safe Ride St. Patrick’s Day Weekend

If people need a safe and sober ride after their St Patrick’s Day celebrations, the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Safe Ride Home program has discounts to help. Starting on Friday, March 15th at 5 p.m., select locations will offer up to $20 off a taxi ride via a paper coupon, or anyone can receive $10 off an Uber or Lyft ride with a digital coupon for rides starting in Portland city limits. Riders must use paper and digital coupons by 3 a.m. on Monday, March 18th. Supplies are limited, and other restrictions may apply. However, this is an incentive to find a responsible way home after enjoying the holiday.

The Safe Ride Home website provides a complete list of participating locations offering taxi coupons. This year, the local bar Montavilla Station at 417 SE 80th Avenue will participate in this program. City staff encourage people to also consider planning ahead and using Portland Streetcar, MAX, or a TriMet bus to travel to and from their destination.

Safe Ride Home 2024 graphic courtesy PBOT

Article and photo by

Jacob Loeb

Community, Infrastructure

City Planted Street Trees Take Root in Montavilla

This winter, contractors working for Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) Urban Forestry division began planting new street trees throughout Montavilla. The Free Street Tree Planting Program is part of the City’s urban tree canopy growth strategy, and it includes no-cost tree support for the first three years. Then, the trees become the adjacent property owner’s responsibility for upkeep and replacement. The initial program launched in seven priority neighborhoods last year with an extensive site survey of available planting spaces in the public right-of-way. From November 2023 through this March, crews will plant up to 1,100 street trees.

This program receives funding from Portland’s Tree Planting and Preservation Fund. People pay into the fund when they remove trees during development or other site work. Portland staff selected the East Columbia, Humboldt, Piedmont, Powellhurst-Gilbert, Woodlawn, Overlook, and Montavilla neighborhoods due to their high need for additional tree canopy. Contractors will plant all trees in the public right-of-way planting strip between the curb and sidewalk. In 2023, the City notified affected property owners first on September 15th and again on October 1st. They had until October 16th, 2023, to opt out of receiving a tree.

Map showing trees planted by this program in green tree, locations coming by March 31st are in red. Courtesy of PP&R

Owning a street tree in Portland comes with the responsibility of caring for and replacing the tree under City Code 11.60.060.A.2.a. Costs to repair sidewalk damage due to tree roots also fall on property owners. For some Portlanders, the burden of street tree costs has kept them from adding new trees unless the City code requires it. However, many people recognize the urgent need for heat-reducing street trees, and this PP&R program makes participation easy. Arborists have found planting locations that avoid utility conflicts and selected low-maintenance tree cultivars that are drought tolerant. City-funded watering occurs for the three summers after planting to establish the tree. People who receive these new plantings will see watering and maintenance contractors tending the trees from May through October during the 2024, 2025, and 2026 years. After that time, the property owner must become responsible for the tree’s upkeep, particularly during hot and dry weather.

People can identify PP&R installed trees by its green and white card featuring the bureau’s logo. With so many new plantings, most residents will likely encounter these new trees while walking around the neighborhood. This program will expand to other neighborhoods after this initial launch based on areas outlined in the 2018 Growing a More Equitable Urban Forest strategy document. PP&R will have people in the neighborhood conducting tree inspections over the next few weeks after the planting crew completes their work. People with questions about a PP&R planted tree or other program inquiries can leave a message with program staff at 503-823-4025 or FreeTrees@portlandoregon.gov.

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.