Safeway Agrees to KNA’s Requests

Diane Phillips, Real Estate Manager for Safeway has informed the King Neighborhood Association that the company intends to fulfill KNA’s requests that the King Safeway store add covered bicycle parking and make a financial contribution to Friends of Trees. KNA made its support for Safeway’s requested adjustment from city landscaping code contingent on the fulfillment of the requests. If Safeway were not granted the adjustment, seven parking spaces would have been given over to additional trees and plantings. By making the donation to Friends of Trees, more low-income homeowners will be able to plant trees, thereby meeting the intent of the requirement. Also, bicycle parking at the store seems to have been an afterthought with wire loops welded on the bollards in front. A new, actual bike rack for 20 bikes is planned under the canopy by the door.

Build It Green! Home Tour and Information Fair 2010

Tour Portland’s first-ever permitted straw bale house, and a historic home energy upgrade project by Clean Energy Works Portland

Portland’s first-ever permitted straw bale house and a Victorian home that received energy-saving upgrades from the Clean Energy Works Portland program (www.cleanenergyworksportland.org) are two reasons to buy tickets early for the 9th annual Build It Green! Home Tour on Saturday, September 25th. This year’s tour features twenty-one green remodels and new homes around the Portland metropolitan area. Tickets are on now sale at Ecohaus and at www.portlandonline.com/bps/builditgreen.

Many of the homes and affordable housing include solar panels, ecoroofs, rainwater harvesting, natural landscaping, water and energy conservation, reused building materials, alternative construction techniques, small footprints and much more. Homeowners and contractors will be available to share their personal experiences and to answer questions. Come be inspired!

A FREE family-friendly information fair will follow at Ecohaus with green vendors, demonstrations, food, drink and music.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Home Tour: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Twenty-one tour stops throughout the Portland metro area

Information Fair: 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Hosted by Ecohaus, 819 SE Taylor St, Portland

Tickets: $15 adults; $10 car-free, students, and honored citizens, FREE for children 14 and under. Purchase tickets (credit card) at www.portlandonline.com/bps/builditgreen or in person (cash or check only) at Ecohaus (819 SE Taylor St, Portland, 503-222-3881).

Presented by the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability

Sponsored by Metro, Energy Trust of Oregon, Solar Oregon, Oregon Home magazine, and City of Portland Bureaus of Environmental Services, Development Services and Water

For more info: visit www.portlandonline.com/bps/builditgreen, e-mail greenhotline@portlandoregon.gov, or call 503-823-5431.

Green Features Grant for Interstate Corridor URA

Portland Development Commission Green Features Grant Program

An open house to introduce the Portland Development Commission’s (PDC) Green Features Grant Program is scheduled for June 3, 2010 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Shaver Green Community Room located at 375 NE Shaver St.

PDC is seeking proposals from businesses in the Interstate Urban Renewal Area (map at: http://pdc.us/pdf/ura/interstate_ura.pdf) that are interested in implementing creative sustainable business practices and “green” building features. Grants are available for up to $25,000 for eligible businesses for property redevelopment, historical rehabilitation and applying creative means of implementing sustainable property improvements. Funding is through tax increment financing, and therefore is limited to real property improvements.

This grant is intended to generate interest in sustainable design and practice in Portland’s neighborhoods. The grant is being targeted to small, emerging businesses that typically may not think about sustainable options or have the ability to cover the incremental costs associated with emerging technologies. The grant seeks both need based applicants looking to cover the incremental costs associated with sustainable building and those desiring to adopt more sustainable practices.

A total of $200,000 is available for fiscal year 2009 – 2010. Grants will be dispersed on a reimbursement basis. Reimbursements will occur after agreement between PDC and applicant as to work to be performed and verification.

Green Features Program Goals

The Green Features Grant is intended to encourage neighborhood-based business and small to medium-sized wholesalers and manufactures to implement creative sustainable business practices and green building features. Program goals are to encourage small to medium-size businesses to:

Think innovatively and strategically how sustainable features can be included in their business model; Introduce sustainable features to demonstrate cost-savings or reduce environmental impact; Demonstrate the potential of sustainable features to increase productivity; Integrate conservation and efficiency into business operations; Contribute to Portland’s environmental, economic and social goals.

Preference will be given to those projects that, in addition to meeting the eligibility requirements:

Have a high likelihood of implementation Demonstrable energy savings or resource conservation Use local or recycled products Increase neighborhood livability Can demonstrate increased productivity Show cost-savings Have a measurable environmental impact Leverage private resources Have high-visibility Lead to job creation or retention

For more information contact Stephen Green, Project Manager Portland Development Commission at (503) 823-3231 or GreenS@pdc.us

Joleen Jensen-Classen
Public Participation Manager
Portland Development Commission
222 NW Fifth Ave.
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 823-3352 desk
(503) 823-8057 cell
jensen-classenj@pdc.us

Follow on Twitter: @PDCJoleen

http://www.pdc.us/pdf/ura/interstate/greenfeatures/Green-Features-For-Business-Guidelines.pdf

New Food Cart/Market Proposed in King

A new “Cartisans Market” is in the works on NE Garfield between Beech and Failing. Sassafras Consulting is currently looking for carts that serve food, sell artisanal products, crafts and more. They are also looking for an urban farmer that would like to grow food for the food carts and for sale at the market. And finally, they are looking for filmmakers, performance artists, musicians and more to activate the space as a summertime community funtime space. They know the King Neighborhood is filled with talented people so they would like to get the word out.

If you have any questions, call:
Kelley Roy
Sassafras Consulting
www.sassafrasgreenbuilding.com

p.503.852.1645
f. 503.232.3479

1111 East Burnside, Suite 312
Portland, Oregon 97214

http://www.sassafrasgreenbuilding.com/blog/

Clean Energy Upgrade Financing

The City of Portland has developed a program to help homeowners save energy and improve the comfort of their home: Clean Energy Works Portland. Clean Energy Works Portland is a financing program designed to make upgrades to your home easy, with no upfront costs. Follow these four simple steps to take advantage of this unique opportunity:
1. Apply for the pilot program. Go to CleanEnergyWorksPortland.org and fill out the short application to see if you and your home qualify for the pilot.
2. Receive an in-depth home energy assessment. You will be paired with a certified Building Performance Institute contractor and an Energy Advocate, who will be with you every step of the way to answer questions, explain the recommended measures and financing options and help you through the installation process.
3. Install energy-saving improvements with qualified contractors. Once you decide which improvements you would like (weatherization is required), the contractor assigned to you will perform the work.
4. Repay through your heating utility bill. Thanks to federal stimulus funding, you will pay no upfront costs. The cost of the energy-efficient improvements will be financed through a low-cost, long-term loan that you can repay on your monthly heating bill. To date, participants have financed between $4,000 and $20,000 worth of energy upgrades to their home. The average loan amount is $11,000.

Apply here: http://www.cleanenergyworksportland.org/