Community process under way for Natural Grocers project at MLK& Alberta.

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Portland Development Commission has issued this announcement about upcoming Vanport working group meetings:

With the late-August announcement that property owned by the Portland Development Commission at Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Alberta Street will be the site for Natural Grocers, the community process related to the project is getting under way.

Majestic Realty, with Colas Construction as the primary contractor and Natural Grocers as the anchor tenant, is proposing to construct an urban retail shopping center consisting of approximately 20,000 square feet of gross leasable area in two separate buildings to include commercial/retail lease space for between four to 10 businesses in addition to Natural Grocers, along with approximately 100 parking spaces.

Natural Grocers, a community-centric grocery store that focuses on free nutrition education and healthy food, is a Colorado-based chain with stores in 14 states. The company currently has eight locations in Oregon, including four in the Portland area.

A Project Working Group (PWG) has formed to provide input on building and site design, and to develop a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA). The PWG membership represents a diversity of expertise and experience in the community including N/NE small business owners, long-time property owners, business assistance and workforce training providers, area residents, and community members.

PWG meetings are open to the public and meeting details can be found at www.pdc.us/mlkalberta. The first meeting is this coming Monday.

The proposed development will serve North/Northeast Portland neighbors and businesses. It will increase the foot traffic and profitability of nearby businesses, introduce Portlanders to a high-quality, affordable grocer and revitalize a parcel of land that has sat dormant for 15 years.

PDC’s equity policy will apply and construction opportunities will be available for majority/minority joint ventures as well as subcontracting and workforce.

Steps to Problem Solve Nuisance or Crime Influenced Businesses/Properties:

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5steps

1. Talk with a couple of your neighbors. See if they have common concerns. Be sure your conversation is problem-solving centered and respectfully specific. What do you want the business or property owner to do?

2. If the problem is not crime, talk with the owner yourself. You can find out who the owner is by going to Multnomah County 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd Portland. OR 97214 Suite 175, Division of Assessment,Recording, and Taxation, M-F 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Ask a clerk to help you navigate the computers. It is not always easy to find the owner and his mailing address.

3. Bring your concerns to the monthly neighborhood association meeting or N.E.C.N. SALT meeting (Safety and Livability Team). The SALT team is a good place to begin if crime is the major concern. The commander of North Precinct comes quarterly.

4. Ask your neighborhood association to do one or more of the following actions:

4a. Ask the association to write an official letter to the business on your behalf detailing your concerns and possible solutions. You will need the name and
mailing address of the owner.

4b. Set up a meeting with the business owner to discuss concerns. Have them
come to special meeting or a monthly meeting.

4c. Ask the crime prevention specialist to write a good neighbor agreement. This a good practice if the business is new as it sets goals for both residents and
owners. It is not as good for a long established business with a poor collaboration
history. More info

5. Report nuisances to the nuisance inspectors. The City of Portland has a long list of city codes. If something bothers you, it may be a violation of code. Call and find out. More info

 

When all else fails, contact the police and ask them to write a chronic nuisance letter. That letter will specify what the business must do to be in greater compliance. All in all, if the business is closed down for one year, that is the sole decision of the city attorney, not the police. Law enforcement develops and writes the letter, then enforces it. More info

 

If you need help dealing with a problem in your neighborhood, get in touch with us. We can help! Contact:  eileen.kennedy@kingneighborhood.org

 

Other useful links:

Community Problem Solving Resource Guide

Neighborhood Mediation Program

North Precinct Portland Police

Combat Drug Houses

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Come learn about becoming involved in Multnomah County governance, this Sunday.

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The Multnomah County Office of Citizen Involvement is conducting its 2014 Education & Recruitment Campaign. They’ll talk with people about what the county does, answer your questions, and inform you about opportunities to volunteer and to provide input into decision-making. This year they’ll also be asking people for comments or concerns they have with the county which we’ll then pass on directly to program managers.

Since the program began in 2010, we’ve had conversations with over 750 people at 42 events. In addition, over 375 people have requested more information about county programs and volunteer opportunities, which has led to the recruitment of many people for county advisory committees and other volunteer programs.

Come to the King Farmers Market this Sunday, Sept 21st, and talk with Multnomah County staff!

 

Let Portland Parks acquire your field at the corner of N Emerson and Williams for development as a neighborhood park

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Portland Parks and Rec have expressed an interest in developing the empty field at the corner of N Emerson & Williams as a small neighborhood park. Salvation Army currently owns that land and has been unresponsive to the idea of selling it. This petition is aimed at simply bringing them to the table to discuss the possibilities for this under-utilized piece of green space in our neighborhood

 

Let Portland Parks acquire your field at the corner of N Emerson and Williams for development as a neighborhood park

With the advancing line of aggressive commercial development only a block away now, it is only a matter of time until the national Salvation Army board will be courted to sell this under-utilized land to the highest bidder. Leaders in acquisitions and development at Portland Parks and Rec have reached out to Salvation Army numerous times to start a process of acquiring this land to be kept off the open market and developed instead as a vital piece of neighborhood green space. Salvation Army has been unresponsive so far but the hope would be that a show of support from the surrounding neighborhoods would at least bring them to the table. Ideally they would come to see that this could be a win-win for them and the neighborhood since they could continue to use the land as they currently do if it was a public park.

Sign the petition here

Want to help the city plan for bicycle traffic? There’s a committee for you.

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The City of Portland’s Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) is seeking new members. The BAC has been advising city staff and elected officials on matters related to bicycling since the 1970s. Committee members meet monthly to review and make recommendations on: planning and policy documents affecting bicycling, funding priorities for bicycle-related projects and designs for specific bikeways.

The committee is made up of 13 members with full standing and up to seven alternate members. To qualify, applicants must be: an adult resident of the Portland Metropolitan area, have an interest in promoting the use of the bicycle for transportation and recreation and make a commitment to attend monthly meetings and participate in the work of the committee.

Members are appointed to 3-year terms.

If you are interested, you will find more information and application materials here:https://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/37435

Applications must be received no later than Friday, October 24th.

Applications should be mailed, faxed or emailed to:

Roger Geller

Portland Office of Transportation

1120 SW 5thAvenue, Room 800

Portland, OR 97204

Fax: (503) 823-7576; Email: Roger.Geller@portlandoregon.gov

Please contact Roger Geller at roger.geller@portlandoregon.gov or (503) 823-7671 with any questions.