September 10, 2013

Stephen Green and Sara King

Portland Development Commission

222 NW 5^th Avenue

Portland, OR 97209

Dear Stephen and Sara:

The purpose of the King Neighborhood Association, in pertinent part, is “to enhance the livability of the neighborhood and Portland by establishing and maintaining an open line of communication and liaison among the neighborhood [and] government agencies…”  Pursuant to this purpose, we are writing you today to communicate our concerns about development of the remaining Vanport parcel at Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Alberta Street, as well as citizen involvement in decisions about city-financed development in inner North/Northeast more generally.

As neighbors deeply interested in the development of the last major empty commercial corner in our neighborhood, we seek to ensure that any plan to build on this parcel of land meets the criteria for success laid out through years of planning and neighborhood input.

In particular, we seek to uphold the PDC’s own stated goal of a revitalization of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard for the purpose of “a corridor that promotes local wealth creation, engages and benefits a diverse group of stakeholders, and creates a livable and functional main street” (Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard Updated Action Plan, June 2008). As a central node of our neighborhood, the remaining Vanport lot is central to each of these long-term goals for the fostering of a vibrant commercial boulevard in our neighborhood. Any development at this location should enhance the local economy in the fullest possible manner.

We hear, sotto voce, from time to time that developers are working on plans for the final Vanport parcel, and we heard the outline of a proposal that the PDC was unsatisfied with, earlier this year. We urge the PDC to keep community-generated plans for this site in mind when assessing development proposals. We also urge the Commission to embrace a process of inclusion that involves neighbors and nearby business owners in helping to shape the future of this deeply important site for our neighborhood.

With the disbanding of the Interstate Urban Renewal Area Public Advisory Committee and its ilk, we urge the Portland Development Commission to seek new ways to engage the public in decisions about the direction of planning and developing neighborhoods. A Commission that shuts out public input, or relies on it only in a weak sense, operates with a faulty sense of democratic decision-making. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard Updated Action Plan of calls for the Commission to “practice broad, inclusive public involvement.” As neighbors we seek to partner with the PDC in constructing and maintaining robust, participatory democracy. Instead of a turn towards the suppression of citizen engagement, we can, together, engage our community partners in developing innovative and creative changes to our neighborhood, through dialogue that is truly inclusive.

Sincerely,

Alan Silver, Chair, King Neighborhood Association

September 10, 2013

Dear Mayor Hales:

The purpose of the King Neighborhood Association, in pertinent part, is “to enhance the livability of the neighborhood and Portland by establishing and maintaining an open line of communication and liaison among the neighborhood [and] government agencies…”  Pursuant to this purpose, we are writing you today to communicate our continuing concerns regarding the impact of Last Thursday events on the livability of our neighborhood and to ask for your help.

Last Thursday on Alberta Street, unlike other large-scale events in the city, has been allowed to avoid meeting regulatory requirements. Last Thursday is set apart due to its unstructured, non-formulaic nature that is seen as spontaneous, creative, and unique.

Fifteen years after it began, Last Thursday is now a monthly street fair, but a street fair whose loose structure and unmanageable crowd size invites visitors to expect tolerance of street drinking and to enjoy an anonymity they exploit to behave badly. While those who have been drinking may spend more freely, it is the residents who bear the cost.

With every Last Thursday, neighbors must prepare for as many as 15,000 people who come to the Alberta Corridor. Before 8:30 p.m., Last Thursday appears to be a manageable and friendly event. As the evening wears on, however, the event turns less so and transforms into a noisy alcohol-fueled party that carries on late into the night. At that point it is no longer a family-friendly event and not always a safe environment for city and county staff to do their jobs.

Office of Neighborhood Involvement statistics gathered by ONI staff during June’s Last Thursday indicate a sizeable contingent of folks who are ‘visibly intoxicated’ wandering the event. Problems for neighbors related to public drunkenness continue, and we encourage the city in the strongest possible terms to come to grips with an event that purports to be an arts celebration but all too frequently serves as an opportunity for people to drink in the street. You are undoubtedly aware of incidents which received rather more publicity, at Last Thursday this summer. This simply is not what we signed up for, insofar as we have had any say as a neighborhood in how Last Thursday develops.

We find ourselves unsure who to turn to for help in keeping our neighborhood safe and clean during Last Thursday. We ask that you help us find the answers.

Sincerely,

Russ Eisenberg, Chair, King Neighborhood Association

Meals on Wheels People need volunteers to help serve food to seniors in the MLK Center, between the hours of 8 am and 2 pm.

We also need volunteer drivers to deliver meals to home-bound seniors in the community.

We utilize volunteers to pick up food donations from the Oregon Food Bank & a local Bakery for our community food rack.

We currently seek board members to sit on our steering committee & on our Summer In September planning committee (Summer in September is the annual fundraiser picnic extravaganza for the MLK Center).

The Steering committee meets 10 times a year between 1pm & 2:30pm and Summer in September committee meets 8 to 9 times a year.

We are always gratefully accepting donations of fresh fruits & vegetables from the community!

David Lomax

Center Manager, MLK Center

Meals on Wheels People

5325 NE MLK blvd. Portland Oregon 97211

Phone:503-953-8207 Fax:503-988-4899
david.lomax@mealsonwheelspeople.org
web | facebook | twitter

Please join NECN’s effort to end violence in our homes and communities. Volunteers from NECN’s Safety and Livability Team (SALT) will host a two-part forum on gender injustice & domestic violence, presented by the YWCA Social Change Program.

Part 1:  Gender Injustice
Sexism & Gender-Based Violence
Thursday, September 19th, 6:30–8:00 PM

Part 2:  Understanding Domestic Violence
Ways to Support Friends and Neighbors
Thursday, October 3rd, 6:30–8:00 PM

Space is limited!  RSVP by September 13^th:
info@necoalition.org │ 503.388.6088
Please indicate if you will be attending Part 1, Part 2, or both nights.

Doors open at 6:00 for meet & greet with snacks, forum begins at 6:30 at the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, located in the King Neighborhood Facility at
4815 NE 7th Avenue, Portland, OR 97211 (bus lines 6 & 72).