Newsletter Article for February 2003:
After months of silence, the proposed rezoning of the property at Albina Fuel Company has come back to life. Notices were posted on the property in December. A hearing is scheduled for January 22nd. The recommendation of the Hearings Officer will be forwarded to City Council and there will be a final hearing in front of City Council, probably in March.
The proposal calls for CS (Commercial Storefront) along Broadway and RXd (Central Residential with a design overlay) for the remainder of the property. This is a change from the original submittal for EX (Central Employment). The RXd zone allows high density housing and up to 40% of the building area may be used for retail sales and service or office space. The zone also permits up to 20% of the building area to be used for community service or schools. According to the developer, the YMCA has expressed interest in this site.
The RX zone permits buildings up to 100 ft in height. Building coverage can be 100% of the site. There is no requirement for open area or landscaping. The maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is 4:1. This means the developed floor area can be 4x the actual area of the site. There is no required off street parking. No new streets or are proposed.
Traffic congestion is the major concern for Grant Park residents. The Bureau of Transportation should not support the zoning change if the street system is not capable of handling the increased traffic. The owners of Albina Fuel have reasoned that the increased traffic is minimal because the densest possible development, under the existing zoning, would be comparable to the proposed zoning. That is the theoretical picture but obviously, the current use of this property creates minor traffic and any future development of this property is going to have a significant impact on traffic congestion. The traffic study, completed by Albina Fuel assumes 30% public transit or alternative modes of transportation. This is considerably above the standard assumption of 10%.
The staff recommendation is to approve this zoning change with two conditions. First, to prohibit left hand turns from 32nd Avenue to Broadway and second, to make street improvements to 32nd Avenue. Sullivan's Gulch Neighborhood Association has also given its tentative support to this proposal, provided unspecified traffic mitigation is provided and strategies to reduce commute trips are developed.
By the time this newsletter is delivered, the public hearing will have occurred. The recommendation of the Hearings Officer will be available 17 days after the close of hearing. Call 503-823-7300 to get that information. Comments after the hearing, should be directed to City Council.
After months of silence, the proposed rezoning of the property at Albina Fuel Company has come back to life. Notices were posted on the property in December. A hearing is scheduled for January 22nd. The recommendation of the Hearings Officer will be forwarded to City Council and there will be a final hearing in front of City Council, probably in March.
The proposal calls for CS (Commercial Storefront) along Broadway and RXd (Central Residential with a design overlay) for the remainder of the property. This is a change from the original submittal for EX (Central Employment). The RXd zone allows high density housing and up to 40% of the building area may be used for retail sales and service or office space. The zone also permits up to 20% of the building area to be used for community service or schools. According to the developer, the YMCA has expressed interest in this site.
The RX zone permits buildings up to 100 ft in height. Building coverage can be 100% of the site. There is no requirement for open area or landscaping. The maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is 4:1. This means the developed floor area can be 4x the actual area of the site. There is no required off street parking. No new streets or are proposed.
Traffic congestion is the major concern for Grant Park residents. The Bureau of Transportation should not support the zoning change if the street system is not capable of handling the increased traffic. The owners of Albina Fuel have reasoned that the increased traffic is minimal because the densest possible development, under the existing zoning, would be comparable to the proposed zoning. That is the theoretical picture but obviously, the current use of this property creates minor traffic and any future development of this property is going to have a significant impact on traffic congestion. The traffic study, completed by Albina Fuel assumes 30% public transit or alternative modes of transportation. This is considerably above the standard assumption of 10%.
The staff recommendation is to approve this zoning change with two conditions. First, to prohibit left hand turns from 32nd Avenue to Broadway and second, to make street improvements to 32nd Avenue. Sullivan's Gulch Neighborhood Association has also given its tentative support to this proposal, provided unspecified traffic mitigation is provided and strategies to reduce commute trips are developed.
By the time this newsletter is delivered, the public hearing will have occurred. The recommendation of the Hearings Officer will be available 17 days after the close of hearing. Call 503-823-7300 to get that information. Comments after the hearing, should be directed to City Council.
