Jacob Loeb began writing for newspapers in high school, first for the school's publication and then for a Vashon, Washington, community paper. He graduated college with a degree in English Literature and Television Communications. After graduating, Loeb worked in film distribution for a pioneering DVD company that supported independent filmmakers. Years later, he wrote for a weekly newsletter about technology and ran a popular computer advice column called Ask Jacob. Moving to the Montavilla neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, with his family in 2005, Loeb firmly planted roots in the community and now writes for the Montavilla News. He is a Society of Professional Journalists member and volunteers with non-profit organizations serving East Portland.
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Board Bard Games will open at 7960 SE Stark Street this Friday, offering a communal space for tabletop game enthusiasts. The 2,200 square foot retail and gameplay location sits between Tinker Tavern and Hungry Heart Bakery, where their patrons can rent from the new store’s 100-game library. Shoppers will find over 500 games and 250 miniatures suitable for a wide age range.
(left to right) Owners Scott Sanford, Liz Sanford, and General Manager Curtis Andersen
Liz and Scott Sanford recently relocated to Portland, intending to open this board game shop. They enlisted the help of Scott’s longtime friend Curtis Andersen to manage the store with them, fulfilling a shared dream among the friends that began in 1989. All three have a passion for the in-person gaming experience, and the store seeks to offer more to the community than just a place to buy a product. The team dedicated over half the storefront to gameplay tables that guests can use by paying $5 for a game pass. That fee is refunded if someone purchases something of greater value or pays the $5 game rental fee. The shop features a secluded game room for groups looking for a private gaming space that they reserve in advance.
The shop sells classic board and role-playing games, including Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, and Warhammer. However, they also offer many educational games with a keen eye towards the needs of homeschooled students. Liz Sanford has a history with that educational path and knows the value of gameplay in the curriculum. For the team, variety and inclusion is their core value. “We are able to serve just about every niche gamer here in Portland,” said Scott Sanford. “We want to start with a wide breadth of games to see what the community needs and wants, then grow around the community.”
Inside the private gaming room
Offering a family-friendly selection is just part of the shop’s youth-oriented initiatives. They plan to provide after-school and summertime activities to entertain kids with stimulating activities not based on screen time. Some game stores skew towards older gamers or only focus on younger children. Board Bard Games wants to be the place for all gamers and nurture that interest as they grow older. “We want to help breed the next generation of gamers,” explained Andersen.
The shop has an assortment of snacks and drinks for people to grab while playing. People can also bring food from area restaurants to keep their energy up during gameplay. They have restrooms for customers because they expect some games to last for hours, and they look forward to regular gaming groups forming within the space. The concept of in-store enjoyment even influenced the naming of the shop. “Because we’re giant D&D players, we wanted to work in a D&D [character] class. The Bard is the entertainer, and we wanted to make sure the board game part was in there,” explained Scott Sanford.
To celebrate the grand opening, Board Bard Games is offering specials throughout the Halloween weekend. Starting on the 27th, they are open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Sundays, staff open the doors at Noon and lockup at 7 p.m. People can also come by from 10 a.m. through 8 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The shop is closed on Tuesdays.
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James Brian Fenimore was killed by a speeding Minivan this week while walking on a SE 82nd Avenue sidewalk near E Burnside Street. He was an artist who had lived in Montavilla’s Milepost 5 Studios for years and created art under the name Jimi Rockola. Portland Police cited the suspected driver for manslaughter in the first degree, Driving Under the Influence (DUI), and reckless driving. Members of the non-profit Milepost 5 Studios Artists’ Collective and residents of his former apartment building are mourning the loss of their fellow creator and friend, who had left them for a quick errand that he never returned from.
Fenimore moved into the neighborhood affordable housing complex after his boss, who was also the manager at the time, recommended it. As a musician, he fit in with the predominantly artist residents at Milepost 5 and soon formed a band. Fenimore loved his second-floor apartment overlooking Montavilla Park and his new community. As COVID locked everyone indoors, he continued to make music with his newfound friends. Later, after a band member died and others needed a break, Fenimore began concentrating on his artwork created from discarded items. “I’ve always been appalled at how much waste there is in the world and how easy it is to repurpose everyday items,” wrote Fenimore in a September 19th open letter to the Milepost 5 community.
Self portrait collage made by James Brian Fenimore
James Fenimore taught art classes and hosted open-mic events at Milepost 5, joining the Milepost 5 Studios Artists’ Collective when it was formed. Despite his commitment to the art community in the building, he lost his apartment. Fenimore had difficulties establishing his rental support eligibility paperwork with the building management, according to his friend and Milepost 5 Studios Artists’ Collective founder, Sarah Gerhardt. Despite losing his housing, he kept involved with art and his community, holding onto the support he received from his fellow artists. “Even though I lost my Apt. I still had something I never had in 65 years. I felt love and compassion and hope in a violent, angry world,” wrote Fenimore.
(Jimi Rockola) James Fenimore’s art from an April 2023 show
The night of his death, James Fenimore left his friends on his way to exchange collected cans for their deposit money. He was living on the street, waiting to get into other affordable housing. Although his death will add to the disproportionately high percentage of homeless people killed in traffic crashes, this tragedy had nothing to do with his current living situation. Security footage of the wreck shows Fenimore walking north on the sidewalk towards the E Burnside crosswalk. Another pedestrian walking south passes Fenimore before jumping out of the way of the speeding minivan as it careens off the street. The other person barely reaches safety before the vehicle collides with Fenimore and the signal equipment. Both people on the sidewalk were well-lit and walking in what should have been a safe area; only chance spared one of them. Police attribute the crash to speed and alcohol.
The driver of the vehicle is in the hospital with significant injuries. Police have accused them of being criminally reckless with their actions, costing the community an artist and depriving many people of a friend.
Update: St Peter & Paul Episcopal Church at 247 SE 82nd Avenue will host a memorial service for James Brian Fenimore (Jimi Rockola) on Thursday, November 9th at 3 p.m. The community is welcome to attend. His friends have setup a GoFundMe to cover expenses. (Note: This was moved from November 2nd to the 9th)
On Sunday, October 22nd, MAX Red Line trains resumed service between the Gateway Transit Center and the Portland International Airport (PDX). This concludes a multi-month-long disruption to rail service that began on June 18th. During the closures, transit riders used shuttle buses to bypass the affected segment while crews constructed an improved PDX station and furthered track expansion work.
This record-long TriMet light rail closure supported work on TriMet’s system improvement project called A Better Red. Crews began construction in September 2021, with an anticipated completion date planned for the fall of 2024. The work underway improves schedule reliability for the entire MAX system by adding a second track near PDX and the Gateway Transit Center. TriMet constructed those segments with a single shared railway that requires trains to wait for opposing traffic to clear before proceeding. A new bridge spanning Interstate 84 at Gateway supports the second track leading to the transit center and will provide a multimodal access point to the north end of the Gateway Green off-road cycling park.
Although TriMet concluded the four-month-long closure, work on the second track remains incomplete. MAX Red Line trains still share a rail segment near the Gateway Transit Center and will continue single-track operation until the new station platform and rail installation occur. However, most remaining work will not require prolonged closures to MAX service.
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On October 21st, Portland’s 53rd traffic-related fatality of this year occurred at E Burnside Street at NE 82nd Avenue. At 11:37 p.m., a minivan traveling north on SE 82nd Avenue left the roadway, killing a pedestrian and colliding with traffic signal equipment. The vehicle suffered heavy damage after striking a utility pole, and an AMR ambulance transported the driver to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries. Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) crews working to restore signal function to the intersection have reduced through traffic to a single lane in each direction.
PBOT crews replacing signal control box to the right, dents on pole seen at the left
The northbound minivan traveling on SE 82nd Avenue crossed over the center turn lane and two opposing traffic lanes, colliding with a traffic light control cabinet and a heavy steel signal pole on the southwest corner, spinning around and shearing off a metal signpost. The Portland Police Traffic Division’s Major Crash Team has not yet indicated where the pedestrian was located when struck by the vehicle. The complete destruction of the signal cabinet and denting of the pole suggests the minivan was likely traveling at speeds above the posted limit of 30 miles per hour.
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The owners of 1003 NE 71st Avenue plan to triple the housing density at this 1951-era property while retaining the original home. They recently applied for a Middle Housing Land Division, creating three parcels. Demolition crews have already removed a free-standing garage to make way for the two new single-family residences.
1003 NE 71st Ave seen with garage before demolition
The site’s new layout will use a cottage cluster arrangement, with Parcel 3 occupying the back third of the original lot. Developers centered Parcel 2 on the northern property line, extending 26 feet across the lot’s 45-foot width. Pedestrian access and utilities will route to each new two-story home through a doglegged private easement pathway that passes the existing house on Parcel 1 to the north and then cuts across the lot’s width to pass Parcel 2 on its south side. All properties will share a drywell for rainwater management.
Cottage clusters became permissible in July 2022 as part of the Residential Infill Project 2 (RIP2) after Portland’s City Council adopted the zoning code changes. Homes do not need direct street access or a private road leading to the lots. All pedestrian access comes from easements, and residents share open space between the properties. This configuration creates an environment where more residences can populate a neighborhood without requiring the demolition of existing homes. Additionally, the new smaller houses are individual real estate, allowing people access to a more affordable entry point to home ownership.
Project managers submitted building permits months before the land division application so construction could proceed before officials separate the parcels. However, RIP2 expedited the land division process to increase homeownership options for middle housing. Look for construction to begin as soon as the city approves the building permits.
The owners of a used auto sales lot along SE 82nd Avenue listed the property for sale. Although unrecognizable from its original use, the site once housed a renowned restaurant that played a role in Portland’s hot-rod culture. In the 1950s, the 30,980 Square foot parcel was home to Rutherford’s Triple XXX Drive-In, serving as a frequent destination for families and car enthusiasts.
Charlie Rutherford operated the two Portland-based Triple XXX Drive-In locations situated relatively close to one another. The Montavilla drive-in sat on the corner lot at 1164 SE 82nd Avenue, and the other location at 6120 NE Sandy Boulevard occupies an entire triangle-shaped block. That building still hosts a restaurant but reflects the indoor seating design added to the Triple XXX eateries in the late 1950s.
The Rutherfords Triple XXX Drive-In chain began in Renton, Washington. It opened in 1930 and was the first drive-in restaurant in the Pacific Northwest. Archie H. Rutherford started the business with his sons Joel and Jerry. The family grew the drive-in chain serving burgers and Triple XXX Root Beer to many locations nationwide, including Portland. Two unaffiliated restaurants are in operation today. One is in Issaquah, Washington, and the other is in West Lafayette, Indiana.
“…Most Saturday nights were balmy, at least in the tricky circuitry of memory, and after we’d finished, I started the engine, turned on the lights, and waited for the carhop. Then I pulled out slowly, being cool, hoping the clutch wouldn’t chatter, rapping the pipes as we headed down the road. Many nights, we made the rounds of other drive-ins. On 82nd, I could hit Merhar’s, where many of the cycle guys hung out, then cruise through Rutherford’s Triple XXX and back through Flanagan’s again, just in case someone hadn’t seen me. On Sandy, there was Jim Dandy’s, a real hot-rod hangout, another Rutherford’s Triple XXX, then Yaw’s, a place where the rich kids from Grant hung out, then on up to the Tik-Tok, a favorite gathering place for rodders since the ‘Thirties.”
Nothing remains of the Triple XXX Drive-In on the SE Taylor Court and 82nd Avenue property. Past owners transformed the 3,678-square-foot structure into a traditional office building, and future owners may redevelop the land for a new use altogether. However, the site’s history built the car culture that took over the country, and its next use can indicate the further trend for American cities.
Update November 30th, 2023: According to the Seattle Times, the Issaquah Triple XXX Rootbeer Drive-in closed permanently on November 29th, leaving only one remaining location in West Lafayette, Indiana.
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Cement masons recently completed foundation work on four townhomes under construction along NE 74th Avenue near NE Glisan Street. In January, demolition crews deconstructed the 100-year-old single-family residence at 423 NE 74th Avenue, making way for these new homes. The street-facing unit spans the building’s frontage with a full-width porch, making the development look like a large house.
This townhome development is located just south of the Mt Tabor Villas apartment building that opened in 2020 and across the street from the Glisan Landing affordable housing project under construction. Multifamily housing is already well-defined on this street, and this builder could have displayed the density without seeming out of place. However, the design of this two-story building should blend in with the single-family homes on the block. The front of the structure features a symmetric design with a walkway leading to the centered front door. The three other homes are accessed from a side-yard walkway and will remain mostly hidden from passersby.
Portland Maps image with MV News illustrations
The three back units all feature identical floor plans with an open first-floor layout. The kitchen at the back of the main level features a wrap-around counter, creating some separation between the Dining/Living Room areas. A powder room is tucked under the staircase leading up to the second floor. Designers placed two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a laundry closet on the top level. One of the bathrooms is hallway accessible, and the other is reserved as an ensuite.
Deconstruction of 100-year-old single-family residence at 423 NE 74th Avenue
The front unit shares mostly the same arrangement. However, its first floor has a larger half-bath and a more defined Living Room area. In addition to having a four-by-thirty-foot front porch, it offers residents 100 more square feet of living space.
Expect construction at this site to continue through the year’s end, with completion likely in early 2024. Onsite parking is not planned for this development, making these homes best suited for families using transit or other driving alternatives. Street parking on this block is limited based on its current configuration.
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This year’s Portland Open Studios begins on October 14th, including studio tours of Montavilla artists Tatyana Ostapenko and Josh Gates. Since its founding in 1998, the nonprofit has invited the public into art studios across the city to showcase Portland artists working within their communities. This year’s 25th annual event spans two consecutive weekends, October 14th through the 15th and October 21st through the 22nd. Both neighborhood locations are less than a mile apart, just east of SE 82nd Avenue.
Josh Gates in his studio
Visual artist Josh Gates paints within his studio at 8423 SE Hawthorne Boulevard using photos of the city as rain-soaked inspirations for his work. He prefers painting lesser-known landmarks that will seem right at home to any resident who walks the streets in their neighborhoods but would be unrecognizable to the average tourist. A Montavilla resident since late 2019, his recent work shifted towards this area as he walks the streets with his camera. “A lot of my inspirations came from things I would find in the area on and around 82nd Avenue and the back streets,” explained Gates.
Gates does not consider himself a photographer, though the camera helps capture moments that will make their way to the canvas. “My style has elements of realism, so sometimes people will say, ‘Oh, I thought it was a photo,’ that’s nice to hear, but it’s not my goal. My goal is to make a painting look like a painting and take advantage of the amazing things that paint can do. I take reference photos because I like being able to work here in the studio, and I like to have references that remind me of where I was and how I was feeling,” remarked Gates. “The natural world resonates with me, where I’ll be outside, and suddenly, the light is striking perfectly against those dark clouds. You get the golden hour light, and it’s only going to last a few seconds. It feels like the silence is deafening because it’s so spectacular that it should be making a sound. So that’s the natural phenomena that I respond to, and I love the way that that interacts with urban environments,” said Gates. He is fond of light’s interaction with rain and post-storm skies in a cityscape. “I like capturing the gray, drizzly days that we get so much here.”
Gates practiced his craft for years, starting in high school, but after a career fundraising for nonprofits, he worked to make it his profession. “I went to college later in life. That really helped me hone my practice and figure out what I most wanted to capture in my work,” said Gates. He explained that the people and facilities at Portland State University helped enhance his work and gave him the skills to establish a full-time practice. Selling his original artwork and prints provides income alongside funds from commissioned work. However, this annual event is a welcomed opportunity to increase an artist’s exposure. “Some months are harder than others. For that reason, for any working artist in Portland who participates in Portland Open Studios, it’s typically the biggest earner of the year,” explained Gates.
Tatyana Ostapenko in her studio
Tatyana Ostapenko will greet the public from her 2275 SE 85th Avenue studio during Portland Open Studios for the fourth year in a row. The Ukrainian-American artist creates contemporary paintings and murals, drawing from her experience as a street photographer in Ukraine to find meaningful themes. “The vast majority of my work has to do with history. The history of people who normally don’t make it into official history with a capital H, especially focusing on the experiences and plight of women,” explained Ostapenko. “I’m primarily working with images of elderly women from Ukraine because I get to straddle both of my favorite subjects.” Her work pushes back against the mainstream depiction of women as young, unrealistic objects of beauty. “I want to give representation to people, especially back where I’m from, who have carried so much on their shoulders without any recognition.”
Ostapenko’s process involves pulling from her life or other sources that reinforce her experiences. “I work with photographic references to create my compositions. I have an extensive library. I’m somewhat of a digital hoarder. I have hard drives upon hard drives of images,” said Ostapenko. She incorporates these source images into a digital collage that influences the work. “Most of the paintings that you see will be a combination of multiple photographic references that then further undergo a lot more changes as the painting is being painted.”
Most work displayed during the Portland Open Studios event will show Ostapenko’s work on canvas. However, she has some of her largest work on display year-round, adorning prominent walls. Although principally a studio artist, she comfortably works on large-scale paintings and naturally wants to create murals. Disappointingly, expanding into that work as a woman faced headwinds. So, in 2022, Portland Street Art Alliance launched the Ladies Up Mural Project featuring work by female-identifying artists based in Portland. “If you know much about street art, it’s mainly a boys club, so they did this project called ladies up, and it’s an entire city block worth of murals, all by different female artists,” said Ostapenko. Participating in that project opened up new opportunities, and she continues to add more murals to her portfolio.
Painting murals can follow a different process than other work, requiring permits and specific directives from clients. Ostapenko is a professional accustomed to working with clients to deliver projects to meet their needs. She rents paintings for real estate staging or creates something unique for a listing. Commission work is a constant, and it takes many forms. Those painting projects can range from capturing a moment in a black-and-white family photo to something more involved and specific. “A client had a memory from when she was 11, and she wanted to capture it exactly. So, we ended up staging elaborate photo shoots. We staged children in very particular positions to have photographic reference to make them look right. I found references to this particular model of a truck because we needed it to be that exact truck in that exact color in this particular location,” recalled Ostapenko.
The annual Portland Open Studios event exposes community members to the artwork created within all corners of the city, often by people who may not have the opportunity to interact with the art world. They have a moment to see the works up close and perhaps buy postcards, prints, or originals. However, making money is not the primary focus of these four days. Real-world access to the artwork can often have a vastly different experience, and there are few places in the neighborhood where people can access art. “It’s important for folks to know that going to see art does not obligate them to buy. Awareness and education is the purpose,” explained Tatyana Ostapenko. Josh Gates, who joined the Portland Open Studios Board last year, echoed that sentiment. For him, the two-weekend event is about encouraging interactions with artists and “seeing their work in person, which is always worth taking the time to do in this day and age where most of the time you’re engaging with artwork on the screen. It’s a really special thing to be able to visit studios and see works in person,” said Gates.
This year, 111 artists will participate in Portland Open Studios. A complete map is available on the group’s website. All studios will open from 10 a.m. through 5 p.m. on October 14th, 15th, 21st, and 22nd. It is free to attend, and the artists will be in their studios to discuss their work.
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In July, curly-hair specialty salon and barbershop Promethean Hair Lounge opened at 6245 E Burnside Street. The inclusive shop has style and accommodation at its core, featuring a private room for women who cover their hair in public or those with sensory considerations. The high-end finishes throughout the shop are representative of the owners’ long-term commitment to serving their clients from this location.
Rachel and DeNario Jenkins purchased the 1925 era storefront at the beginning of the year with a U.S. Small Business Administration 504 loan and spent months updating the former Portland Hair Shop location. DeNario Jenkins has over 20 years of experience as a barber, renting chair space at several well-known shops all over the city. Similarly, Rachel Jenkins has a career spanning 15 years working as an independent contractor in other salons. In searching with a friend for a new shop to work from, Jenkins observed an underserved business model in Portland, where curly-hair specialty met posh amenities. “We were looking and looking and looking and just didn’t find something that really fit our clientele. We thought Portland deserved a more luxurious space for people of color,” said Rachel Jenkins.
Owners DeNario and Rachel Jenkins
Rachel Jenkins and her husband decided to fill that void and invest in their own space. They intended to settle on a storefront within the inner Northeast someplace. However, an accidental search uncovered the location on E Burnside Street. “The truth is, I was searching in the wrong area on Loopnet. It’s a website for finding commercial real estate, and I zoomed in on the wrong spot, and it popped up,” explained Jenkins. The location turned out to meet all their needs. The storefront is centrally located with freeway access for the clients who drive in from all over Oregon and as far away as Seattle, WA. Additionally, the area residents are receptive to the new shop. “The neighborhood has been super kind, warm, and welcoming,” recalls Jenkins.
The Jenkins are both Portland natives with an attachment to the city. They are excited their decades of work allowed them to create this business and invest in their community. That was why they wanted to own the building where they work, establishing solid roots. Rachel Jenkins describes Promethean as a hybrid shop, offering space for independent professionals and an employment-based model for apprenticeship opportunities. Their supportive nature extends beyond the shop walls through services like a sensory-friendly free haircut event planned for November 12th.
Curly haircare has a complicated history that has created damaging practices. Rachel Jenkins explained that not all salon products support healthy follicles, and quality post-visit regiments are essential. That is why client education is a foundational part of Promethean’s approach, and they design those lessons to follow clients home after their appointments. Information can range from haircare product selection to hands-on classes. “We do one-on-one curl coaching, which means they can physically do their hair, and we’re helping them walk through how to style their hair,” explained Rachel Jenkins. Although focused on the hairstyling needs of the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) community, Jenkins is quick to assert they have the experience to work on all hair types and welcome everyone. In addition to styling, the salon provides makeup services and may expand esthetic offerings in the coming years. They also offer hair and makeup for bridal parties or special occasions.
Promethean Hair Lounge is open every day except Monday. People interested in booking an appointment with Rachel and DeNario Jenkins can schedule one online at the company website. Other stylists working at Promethean maintain their own schedules, call for details.
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Over the last two years, staff at Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) developed a plan to cultivate two new commercial centers for residents living south of SE Foster Road in the Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood. Out of that work and years of gathering community input, BPS drafted the Lower SE Rising (LSER) Area Plan to create community cores similar to what other Portland neighborhoods inherited. Through proposed zoning changes and transportation investments, the plan’s authors intend to incentivize future development that will create new walkable corridors lined with small businesses and multifamily housing. On October 10th at 6:10 p.m., the draft plan will appear before the Portland Planning Commission, where members of the public can register to provide comments.
Many of Portland’s neighborhoods feature commercial corridors with stores and restaurants clustered around main streets. As with Montavilla’s SE Stark Street and NE Glisan Street, most commercial districts centered on transportation hubs created by historic streetcar lines or major roads. Often, businesses coalesced in these spaces over 100 years ago. However, not all communities in the city had that historic commercial core before the automobile age shifted resources miles away from where people lived. City planners are now working to reduce reliance on personal vehicle travel and strengthen locale retail access within neighborhoods, creating environments where residents can walk or take transit to desirable destinations. In older areas, that takes less effort because a legacy organization of buildings already supports that effort. However, in some communities with predominantly post-war development, community intervention is needed to create the desired change.
Map App image with MV News illustrations
The draft Lower SE Rising (LSER) Area Plan proposes turning SE 52nd and SE 72nd Avenues into mixed-use corridors with more housing options and commercial hubs at primary intersections in the Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood. The new commercial district on SE 72nd Avenue and Flavel Street extends towards SE 82nd Avenue, creating a more significant business district that links to a major arterial road. If the City Council approves the plan, zoning changes will be the first step towards instigating uses along the corridor. However, those changes only allow new commercial services and do not force property owners to make any changes unless completely redeveloping a site. Further enhancements are needed to draw people into these centers, spurring property transformation. As in the past formation of community hubs, transportation can attract people to a business district.
The plan’s authors propose street improvements, making it safer and more accessible for pedestrians to navigate and cross the busier roadways like SE 52nd, SE 72nd, and SE Woodstock. Additionally, the plan includes neighborhood greenway projects connecting the bicycle and pedestrian networks through this area. However, enhanced bus transit in this district offers a high likelihood for increased housing density and business growth while strengthening other centers. “One thing we’re finding is that the existing transit network didn’t really serve centers. For example, you cannot take a bus from the Woodstock neighborhood center to the Lents Town Center,” explained Bill Cunningham, a City Planner with BPS. Realigning bus routes and creating more frequent service between centers can provide the linkage needed for these fledgling business districts to take root. The LSER plan will integrate with future transit line adjustments underway as part of TriMet’s Forward Together plan to cultivate the desired change.
The Lower SE Rising (LSER) Area Plan is a response to community desires. It offers a chance to create a walkable and community-focused neighborhood similar to what Montavilla residents enjoy. The 172-page draft plan is available for review before the October 10th Planning Commission hearing. People can use the Map App to leave written testimony and review what other people have contributed. The Planning Commission will consider testimony and deliberate for several weeks, refining the plan through November before forwarding their recommendations to the Portland City Council. The community will have other opportunities to provide comments during the City Council’s review sometime in spring 2024. If approved, substantial growth for the new could take decades of slow transformation. However, that slow change should help prevent sudden displacement while creating opportunities for micro businesses to sprout up in formerly residential buildings.
Images in this article courtesy BPS from draft Lower SE Rising (LSER) Area Plan
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Neighborhood news site focused on buildings and changing businesses
