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The design for a six-story, mixed-use building in the South Waterfront District that has drawn criticism from neighboring residents narrowly gained an OK from the city on Thursday.

The Portland Design Commission voted 3-2 to approve GBD Architects’ design of Mack Urban‘s $36 million development for Block 37, near the intersection of Southwest Gaines Street and River Parkway. Thursday’s hearing was the design team’s third attempt to gain city approval; plans call for the 278-unit building to include 6,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space and 225 parking spaces.

Despite revisions to the design, commissioners expressed lingering concerns 鈥� mostly regarding the potential for building stoops to encroach into public space. Commissioners Tad Savinar and Ben Kaiser voted against approving the proposed design.

鈥淔or me, it comes down to porches in the right of way, because that’s privatizing,鈥� Kaiser said.

The commissioners’ approval came with several conditions, including creation of an outdoor furniture zone on Southwest Lane Street with benches, bike shelters and pole lights to ease the transition between public and private space.

Neighborhood residents who testified on Thursday reiterated concerns expressed during two previous hearings for the project. These included the building’s proximity to the Willamette River Greenway trail and that it would block Southwest Portland residents’ views of the Willamette River and Ross Island.

The building’s massing still does not step back enough from the greenway trail, said Melanie Diamond, a member of the Block 37 Citizens Committee, a group that opposes the design.

鈥淭he effect of this massing is an overbearing presence on the greenway,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he overall effect is a building that doesn’t fit the site, overpowers the greenway and doesn’t fit the South Waterfront design guidelines.鈥�

In response to commissioners’ feedback given at a previous hearing, the design was modified in several ways, GBD Architects principal Katherine Schultz said. Balconies were added to enhance the north and south facades, a retail patio along the greenway trail was made larger and the garage entrance was relocated farther west of the cul-de-sac on Gaines Street to improve safety for area bicyclists and pedestrians, she said.

鈥淭he project has evolved quite a bit,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e’ve done a lot of work and feel that through all those changes we’ve got a great building.鈥�

GBD designers also took the feedback from the neighborhood seriously, Schultz said.

鈥淲e’re well aware at this point that not all the neighbors are satisfied with our design, but we’ve worked very hard to satisfy their concerns,鈥� she said.

Schultz noted that the building will actually preserve views to the river.

鈥淚f there is a building that provides more views at this location, it’s this building,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e could have built a tower. We didn’t.鈥�

Commissioner David Wark said he was comfortable with modifications to the design to ease the transition between the building and the greenway trail.

鈥淚 think they’ve done a really good job of knitting it all together with our comments,鈥� he told the design team.

Wark said he felt the stoops were an asset to the design and not an encroachment on public space.

鈥淪toops create a streetscape that we’re always asking for, pleading for from other (design review) applicants,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think that’s a fair trade when it comes to what we’re gaining in the pedestrian environment.鈥�

Although other commissioners praised the addition of a corner retail space near the greenway, Savinar said he wished the project would go further.

鈥淟ook at all that space where retail could be added on Lane (Street) side,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here’s a difference between squeezing it in and making it thrive.鈥�

Andersen Construction crews are scheduled to start work on the project in October.