Tag: Washington Street

Construction, Demolition, Food and Drink, New Business, View of Montavilla

Proposed Chick-fil-A on SE Stark

This month, the Chick-fil-A development team continued their preliminary work on redeveloping 9950 SE Stark Street. Designers have modified the project from the Early Assistance meeting last May. The current Early Assistance no longer seeks to demolish the approximately 7,012 square foot building or construct a drive-thru lane on the property. Instead, crews will rehabilitate the existing structure to host the fast food restaurant with 98 indoor seats. Plans still include some outdoor seating.

Currently zoned as Central Commercial (CX), City planners expect new developments on this property to maximize density and encourage urban activities. The CX zone allows projects with tall buildings placed close together. Developers working in this zone should create pedestrian-oriented structures with a strong emphasis on a safe and attractive streetscape. The proposed project on SE Stark Street will be a nonconforming use of the existing site. Portland allows noncomplying use within a zone when the building predates the new standards and only expects zone compliance to occur when property owners significantly redevelop the site. The status of nonconforming structures is not affected by changes in ownership or tenant. The project’s initial demolition and drive-thru-oriented redevelopment plan would need to adhere to the CX standards. This new renovation plan will create a different Chick-fil-A than most of the restaurant’s other locations but retain its nonconforming status and maintain the usage pattern of previous tenants.

The single-story structure, first built in 1984, hosted a wide range of restaurants and entertainment venues over the years. Rax Roast Beef owned the property until 1990. Recent tenets included Tony Roma’s restaurant, Hooters, Mystic Gentlemen’s Club, and Venue Gentlemen’s Club. If approved, Chick-fil-A will shift this location’s use back towards general fast food and away from adult-orientated services. The lack of a drive-thru window will limit some of the traffic impact experienced by the change in use. However, based on other Chick-fil-A locations, this could become one of the most popular destinations in the surrounding blocks and attract additional vehicles to the area. The project is likely months away from approval and may fail to move beyond the planning phase. Look for permit applications sometime next year if the City approves this site’s reuse.

Article originally published May 13th, 2022.

A recent land-use Early Assistance application indicates Chick-fil-A may soon open a new restaurant on SE Stark Street. If approved, developers will demolish the 1984-era building and construct a new fast food restaurant with a drive-thru window. Located at 9950 SE Stark Street, the 36,590 square-foot half-block property currently houses an adult entertainment club and bar.

The Chick-fil-A development team intends to construct a 4,991 square foot building with 98 indoor seats for guests. Outdoor canopies and an outdoor eating area with 12 patio seats would surround the new building. The property sits between SE Stark and SE Washington Streets, aligned at SE 99th Avenue near Mall 205. The site offers a variety of vehicle access points and is near the number 15 TriMet bus line. Other Chick-fil-A restaurants tend to attract many visitors, sometimes with lines spilling onto the neighboring street. However, this proposed Chick-fil-A is just six miles from the Clackamas restaurant and seven miles from the Gresham location. That density of stores may reduce peak demand for the proposed eatery and avoid traffic issues sometimes seen at other Chick-fil-A sites.

Developers use Early Assistance applications during the pre-planning phase of a project. Many proposals do not continue past this stage, and this Chick-fil-A may never materialize in this location. However, the addition of a popular destination restaurant in the area could draw in more visitors and improve business for neighboring stores. Expect to see updates regarding building permits if this project moves forward.

Construction, Infrastructure

SE Washington I-205 Overpass Work

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is installing a new protective screening and new bridge railings on the SE Washington Street bridge over Interstate 205. Bridge screens are protective fences that improve safety on highways by preventing fallen and thrown objects from hitting vehicles passing below. This work is part of a larger project that includes installing new protective screening on twelve bridges over ODOT highways in the Portland area and new railings on four of the twelve bridges.

Crews began work in April and have completed work on SE Washington Street’s southern bridge railing. They removed the see-through three-bar steel bridge railing and replaced it with a solid concrete barrier topped with a single see-through steel rail. Work has now shifted to the other side of the street. Crews are actively replacing the railing on the northern portion of the overpass. Then workers will begin attaching screens extending several feet above the barrier on both sides of the overpass.

Crews will block one traffic lane adjacent to the work area during construction. Planners expect work to continue for two months and reduce automotive throughput to three lanes from four. ODOT cautions that the project schedule is subject to change. However, work is currently on schedule.

The twin overpass on SE Stark Street is not one of the twelve bridges selected for ODOT improvements at this time. However, it utilizes the older design that State transportation engineers are now replacing. Future funding will likely pay for upgrades to the SE Stark Street overpass, similar to what crews are installing on SE Washington Street.

Although these changes will have minimal impact on users of the overpass, future upgrades coming to the SE Stark Washington Streets couplet will improve pedestrian and bicycle safety. Look for this current work to continue into summer and use caution while driving on SE Washington. Expect more road work next year along both SE Stark and Washington Streets.

Completed south side bridge railing
Construction, New Residence

Infill House on SE 88th Ave

Framing work is underway on a new single-family residence between SE Stark and Washington streets on SE 88th Avenue. Two years ago, the new owners of 8739 SE Washington Street split the lot and requested permission to demolish the detached single-car garage. With that site preparation completed, crews recently began foundation work for the two-story house.

Located at 555 SE 88th Avenue, the new building features three bedrooms with two and a half bathrooms. Designers placed an efficient kitchen at the front of the house, with a combined living room and dining room occupying the back of the first floor. The architect centered a guest half-bath on the main level and placed the attached single-car garage to the south of the living space. A small covered back patio behind the garage allows for some outdoor seating.

On the home’s second floor, an Owner’s Suite spans the back third of the level. It has a vaulted ceiling, walk-in closet, dual vanity, and separate toilet room. Two standard bedrooms split the front of the house with a laundry room and full bathroom, filling the remainder of the second-story.

The square footprint of this infill home should look natural when complete. It reuses the existing driveway that once served the detached garage, and the house faces a different street than the original 1947 era building on the lot. Those design choices should blend the structure into the neighborhood’s esthetic without appearing cluttered. Look for construction to continue through summer with an eventual real estate listing sometime this year.

Construction, Infrastructure, View of Montavilla

Federal Funds to Support SE Stark-Washington Improvements

Portland City Council voted Wednesday to accept approximately $17 million in federal grants distributed by Metro through the Regional Flexible Funding Allocation program. One of the four new capital projects funded will impact Montavilla on the SE Stark Washington couplet. Portland will spend $11.4 million on the project, improving road conditions for all modes of travel between SE 92nd and 109th avenues.

The road work spans a busy section of the paired streets that crossover I205 and connects Montavilla to the Gateway Regional Center. Some of the planned improvements include new transit islands and bus lanes, protected bike lanes, improved pedestrian crossings at existing signals, a new pedestrian crossing at SE 105th Avenue, new ADA curb ramps, and street lighting. Work will also resurface or repair pavement. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) believes this work will counter the historic auto-oriented street design at this location and reduce crashes in the area. Montavilla will receive only a tiny portion of the total improvements planned. However, the project will improve conditions for pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transportation users traveling the neighborhood. 

SE Washington Street at I205 south on-ramp

PBOT has not yet created the final plans for this project. However, the proposal contains several illustrations demonstrating a rough outline of possible changes. During the project’s design phase, City engineers will likely need to adjust the placement and scale of these improvements. However, staff based the budget on including these features in the approximate locations indicated in the documents submitted to City Council.

PBOT illustrated view of street improvements

When completed, residents will see SE Stark street gaining protected bike lanes continuing west across the I205 overpass and ending at SE 92nd Avenue. Bike lane crossings and crosswalks will receive fresh high-visibility paint. Curbside parking will move further out into the street, allowing bikes to travel against the road’s edge behind a wide buffer of parked cars. Consequentially, the number 15 TriMet bus stop in front of Motel 6 will move onto a new transit island in line with the parked cars. This stop currently has a temporary bus platform that PBOT installed during the pandemic. Unlike the current design, the new island will allow bicycles to pass behind the bus stop and away from traffic.

Motel 6 number 15 bus stop and temporary platform

On Montavilla’s section of SE Washington Street, most work will focus on pavement repairs and some lane reconfiguration. PBOT intends to add a dedicated right turn lane for people merging onto I205 south. Crews will reconstruct and enlarge the corner adjacent to the turn lane to support pedestrians and bicycles. The new bike lane on SE Washington Street will place riders onto the sidewalk to cross at a more visible location.

Workers will install new bike signals with dedicated signage and upgrade the existing pedestrian signals. Drivers turning onto I205’s south on-ramp will have a new turn-only light with a “NO TURN ON RED” sign. Signalized intersections will receive new Advanced Transportation Controller (ATC) equipment to manage traffic flow intelligently throughout the day.

Road improvements like this can take years to materialize after funding. Portland prioritized this project in the Growing Transit Communities Plan, adopted in 2017. Design work and property owner engagements will come in the next year. However, securing $5,332,000 in grant money for this work should move this project forward at an increased pace. Look for updates on the project in the coming year.

SE Stark Street showing current bike lane moving to the curbside
Community, Infrastructure

New Street Trees Added to SE 82nd Ave

Last month, landscapers planted six new street trees in sidewalk cutouts added along SE 82nd Avenue between SE Stark and Washington Streets. The owners of 8250 SE Stark Street installed these green spaces at the request of the City’s Urban Forestry staff and fulfilled a 2018 commitment to plant street trees around the store’s three frontages.

Four years ago, the Cash & Carry Smart Food Services company demolished the Chinese Village restaurant on this 1.15-acre property. In its place, they built the commercial kitchen supply store. US Foods CHEF’STORE now owns the property after a 2020 acquisition of Smart Food Services. The store’s approved plans show five street trees at the sidewalk’s edge along SE 82nd Avenue. In 2018, landscaping crews planted the proposed street trees on SE Stark Street and Washington Street. However, workers did not create sidewalk cutouts for trees on the property’s westward side. 

Illustration from site plans for permit 2018-112153

In March of 2021, Portland Parks & Recreations Urban Forestry staff found the property in violation of the City’s tree Code. Inspectors marked the required correction satisfactory on February 25th when contractors added the six tree planters along 82nd Avenue. Landscapers planted the new trees in symmetrical alignment with the building’s west-facing corners. The tree-line breaks near a street light pole at the center of the block, preventing the future tree canopy from obstructing the light.

These new trees add a substantial enhancement to a blank pedestrian zone. Developers of the building chose to face the store’s active front towards a parking lot. The door leading onto SE 82nd Avenue from the store is for emergency exit only. The west-facing wall lacks color definition, without any signage. Interior shelving mostly obstructs public view into the store through the windows. The addition of trees should help make the sidewalk a more hospitable public realm that is cooler in the summers and green with life.

Event, New Business

Xmas Tree Lots Return to Montavilla

It is the season to bring the outdoors inside with a Christmas tree or holiday wreath. The neighborhood is fortunate to have two reoccurring tree lots, allowing Montavilla residents local access to the winter decorations. This year, Red Shed Christmas Trees joins Montavillage’s location in the Vinje & Son‘s parking lot near SE 78th Ave and Washington Street.

In 2008, Lesle Janssen began selling trees in Montavilla Town. Janssen’s Montavillage tree stand started at 76th and SE Stark next to Beets Auto Body. The lot moved to 78th and Washington in 2015. This year, Montavillage merged with longtime Christmas Trees retailer Red Shed. Janssen continues Red Shed’s 20-year tradition of providing fresh local products in a warm, community-building atmosphere. They are open seven days a week, 10 AM – 8 PM. On Friday and Saturday, sales staff are available for an additional hour. Paying in cash is recommended for faster service, and delivery options are available.

Montavillage near SE 78th Ave and Washington Street

There is another reoccurring Christmas tree lot at the corner of NE 92nd Ave and Glisan Street for those closer to NE Glisan. This vacant lot hosts tree sales nearly every year. They advertise Douglas fir, Grand fir, and Noble fir trees.

Expect to pay a little more for a tree this season. A challenging growing season may have an impact on tree prices. If a cut tree is in your holiday plans, you do not have to travel far to find one. Check out these local lots and see if you can find the right tree for your home.

Tree lot at the corner of NE 92nd Ave and Glisan Street
Infrastructure

Temporary Bus Platform Survey

In August 2020, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) began installing temporary bus platforms in Montavilla. In partnership with TriMet, they deployed two types of temporary platforms across Portland. Crews installed five asphalt-style platforms on Stark and Washington Streets east of 80th Ave. PBOT used rubber-style platforms in the central city area. The bureau is currently evaluating the trial program and is seeking user feedback through an online survey.

Temporary platforms enable PBOT to make affordable changes on city streets faster than traditional methods. The early implementations focused on transit stops, making areas less congested to walk, bike, and use TriMet. The platform designs vary to meet different needs, depending upon the location. The rubber modular temporary bus stop platform allows bikes to ride up and over the platform, permitting cyclists to continue past the stop even when in use. The curb height platform extends across the parking lane, allowing buses to stop in the traffic lane. The asphalt temporary platform does not include a space for bikes to ride through the stop but enables the bus to pick up passengers without completely pulling over to the curb. Both designs provide riders with more room away from the sidewalk while waiting for the bus.

PBOT temporary bus platforms map

A technical evaluation is also underway to examine how staff interact with these new types of infrastructure. PBOT is studying installation and maintenance needs to capture lessons learned from those who install, maintain, and interact with the platforms. Additionally, bus operators have an opportunity to provide their perspective on the efficacy of the platform design and use.

Users interested in sharing opinions about these temporary installations are encouraged to take the PBOT survey before January 3, 2022. Researchers plan to engage with technical staff over the next few months. Anticipate the release of evaluation results and recommendations in mid-2022.

Construction, New Residence

Three Residences on Washington St

Over the last month, framing crews erected the primary structure for the three-residence project at 8635 SE Washington Street. Work is occurring simultaneously on both structures, allowing observers to take-in the scale of this development. The staggered height of the buildings respects the south facing exposure to natural light for each home. If successful, this could become a model of housing density where one structure does not overshadow the others on the shared property.

Construction on both structures progressing simultaneously

Original article posted June 18th, 2021.

After nearly a year, city staff have approved the three-residence project at 8635 SE Washington Street. The project includes two structures built on a currently vacant lot. The homes will sell as condominiums linked by a small Home Owners Association.

The front house is detached from the other residences and offers three bedrooms split between two levels. The home’s design maximizes living space on the ground floor and only has a partial second story. The master suite sits under the footprint of the top floor. A doorway accessed off the living room closes off the sleeping area from the rest of the house. The ground floor bedroom area features many separated spaces created by sliding doors. The ensuite is configured as a half-bath and serves as the first-floor guest power room. When sliding doors are closed, they make a short hallway that also contains the laundry closet. A shower room with an extra sink is adjacent to the bathroom and provides passthrough access to a large walk-in closet. The main bedroom is opposite the shower room and faces the back of the property.

Patrick Donaldson, Principal Architect for Harka Architecture, described the front building as an ideal aging-in-place design. Although the second story features two bedrooms and a full bathroom, all living activities can occur in the ground floor portion of the home. In addition, the front and back of the structure have large floor-level decks that extend the living space outside while not requiring stairs to transition between the two environments.

2nd story carriage house and back residence

The back building contains two more homes, a shared storage room, and onsite parking. Three single-car garages offer parking for each residence. The majority of the first floor serves as storage and parking. The alleyway behind the property provides access to the garages. 

Above the garage is a single-level two-bedroom home with one full bathroom. In addition to an open floorplan living area, it features ample storage and a stacked laundry closet. Access to this unit is via an exterior staircase that leads to a front deck on the second level. 

Front and Back structures as seen from SE Washington Street

Attached to the west side of the rear structure is a three-story residence with access to the first floor through the front door or a side door that leads to one of the single-car garages. The first floor contains a bonus room in the front. The back portion of the main floor has a half-bath, utility room, and coat closet. The kitchen, living room, and another half-bath occupy the second floor. Finally, the third floor contains two bedrooms and a full bathroom next to a stackable washer and dryer closet.

Each of these homes features unique layouts that will appeal to different-sized families in different stages of life. The site layout will foster a micro-community through shared spaces while maintaining individuality through the distinct design of each residence. Look for crews to break ground soon and construction to complete within ten months.

Heavy equipment is onsite ahead of foundation work

Architectural perspective drawings courtesy Harka Architecture

Construction, Demolition, New Residence

Garage Demolished on SE 88th

Earlier this month, crews demolished the detached garage at 8739 SE Washington Street to make way for a new home. Only a concrete slab remains from the original structure. The existing 1947 era home will stay on the property, unaltered by this work.

Demolition permit 20-180023 allowed for the deconstruction of the detached garage. Land Use 19-267610 will separate the property into two lots. The scale and amenities of the future house are not yet known. However, with the demolition completed, progress on this development can now progress.

Garage before demolition
Current empty lot
Construction

Fire Damage Remodel on Washington

A whole-house remodel is underway at 9230 SE Washington Street. Fire damage to the property requires replacing the roof’s structure and a complete interior remodel.

Permit 20-176364 calls for a “new trussed roof to replace fire damaged roof. Complete interior remodel to include new bedroom and 1/2 bathroom. Remove patio cover at rear of structure.”

Work on the project is well underway, with the roof already replaced and new windows installed on the property’s front-facing walls. Updated siding and paint are expected, based on the exposed sheathing caused by exterior alterations. Despite being caused by a fire, this remodel is a positive upgrade for the 1949 home.