More Changes on N. Williams, Open House April 16th

Come take a look at potential N. Williams transportation improvements – to the bike lane, auto lanes, bus stops and crosswalks – on Saturday, April 16th, from 1:30 – 4:00 pm, 2910 N Williams Ave. The City wants to know which changes will and won’t work for you.

This will be a drop-in open house meeting, with:

  • Real live traffic engineers
  • Big colorful maps and drawings
  • Snacks
  • Childcare and playground
  • Handouts and feedback forms to take for others who can’t attend

From the PBoT website:

The City of Portland wants to make N Williams a safer and more comfortable place to bike, drive, ride transit and walk. With the advice of a Stakeholder Advisory Committee formed for this project, City staff have prepared some alternative designs for your consideration. Come take a look and tell us what you think.
The current traffic operations/bikeway project is just the most recent change for the North Williams corridor in inner North Portland. This project builds on the work done beginning in 2006 as part of the Vancouver-Williams Transportation Project that recommended pedestrian safety improvements (many of which have since been constructed with funding from the Portland Development Commission).

Historically, this area includes one of Portland’s oldest commercial districts and was a main street for Portland’s African-American community. With its distinguished history, emerging bicycle-oriented business community and more than 3,000 bicycle riders every day, the North Williams Bikeway project area has many stakeholders who should be involved in discussions about the future cross-section of the street. A Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) has been formed and met for the first time on February 1, 2011.

For more information on the North Williams project, or to be added to the interest list to receive updates, contact project manager Ellen Vanderslice: ellen.vanderslice@portlandoregon.gov, or call 503-823-4638.

Immaculate Heart Church, 2910 N Williams Ave
Come by #4 TriMet bus; bike via Williams/Vancouver; or drive and park in the church lot off of NE Stanton.
Licensed childcare and on-site playground
Translation services available upon request at least 3 days prior to the meeting
Light snacks will be provided

City Holds Alberta Bar Summit to Address Issues

In an attempt to find solutions to conflicts between bar patrons and neighborhood livability on Alberta and city wide, the mayor’s office is holding a series of bar summits between bar owners, police, OLCC, and other city officials to find solutions to persistent problems.

The summit concerning Alberta Street was held on March 16th at St. Andrew. Numerous alcohol-related concerns were the focus of a letter from KNA to the Mayor and City Council regarding Last Thursday.

According to Oregon Liquor Control Commission Regulatory Services Director Linda Ignowski, there are 53 liquor licenses from 9th to 39th and Alberta Street, which includes both 46 on and seven off premise licenses.

Read the press release and leave a comment here.

As we learn more about the outcome of this process, we will keep you updated.

Is PDC on Track with Neighborhood Economic Development?

The DRAFT Neighborhood Economic Development (NED) Action Plan is now available for review. Comments are due March 30, 2011 and may be submitted to Kate Deane, Community Economic Development Manager at the Portland Development Commission at: deanek@pdc.us or by filling out the form included in the electronic document and mailing it to Kate Deane, PDC, 222 NW Fifth Avenue, Portland, OR, 97213.

As a neighborhood resident, small business owner, or if you are interested in helping to revitalize Portland’s commercial corridors, this is your opportunity to review the Draft Action Plan and provide comments. Your input is vital as the City of Portland works to create public-private partnerships, develop new resources for neighborhoods, and build capacity for local organizations.

More information about the NED Action Plan project can be found at: http://www.pdc.us/bus_serv/ned.asp.

Randy Leonard on Last Thursday

Randy Leonard

Dear Mr. Silver,

Thank you for your letter regarding Last Thursday. I deeply appreciate your concerns regarding this event. I too, and concerned about the impacts of the event as you describe them and support your efforts to improve the event. I fully support this event becoming a permitted event and abiding by the same rules as all other events in the City of Portland.

Mayor Adams and Commissioner Fritz have been leading the effort on working to get this event into compliance and I encourage you to contact them with your concerns as well.

Sincerely,

Commissioner Randy Leonard

Read KNA’s Letter to the city on Last Thursday here.

Read our blog post on the letter.

Reimagining 15th & Prescott

From Sabin Community Association:

The triangle at 15th & Prescott needs help. Currently it’s a paved space with no character or charm that routinely gets misused and tagged with graffiti. Nearby residents and businesses would like to see that change. So the Sabin Community association is soliciting ideas and raising funds to make the space more welcoming to all community members.

Please join us on Saturday March 12th from 2 to 4 pm on the corner of 15th and Prescott for a charrette on the Sabin Triangle. After we walk the site, we will head to Grain & Gristle for a comfortable place to share ideas. Volunteer architects will be on hand to guide the process. We hope to do something innovative to let people know that they are in Sabin and that this is a great community. Call Rosemarie Cordello with questions (503) 493-9434.