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Oregon’s Land Use Board of Appeals has denied an appeal of a Portland City Council decision upholding approval for an affordable housing project planned in the Alphabet District.

Plans call for construction of two new buildings 鈥� one five stories and the other a four-story addition to the existing three-story Buck-Prager Building, at 1727 N.W. Hoyt St. Combined, they would hold 148 housing units, including 48 for seniors. Northwest Housing Alternatives is developing the project.

Portland’s Historic Landmarks Commission approved the project last year, and then neighbors of the project site submitted an appeal to the City Council. It voted 4-0 against the appeal, which led resident Kenneth Dobson to appeal to LUBA.

LUBA, which hears appeals of land use decisions made by local jurisdictions, listened to that appeal in July. Then the board earlier this month upheld the City Council’s decision and rebuffed all five points of error claimed by the appellant.

In the appeal, Dobson claimed the proposed project would not be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood, and the proposed height, scale and design would violate city design standards. He also claimed the city erred in allowing elimination of on-street loading space.

The board, however, did not agree.

鈥淧etitioner has not demonstrated that the city’s interpretation of 鈥榗ompatible’ is inconsistent with the express language of HAD-3, the purpose of that design standard, or the underlying policy that provides the basis for that standard,鈥� stated in denying the first assignment of error.

As to the second assignment of error, the decision stated, 鈥淲e conclude that a reasonable person could rely on that evidence to support a finding that the development will 鈥榤aintain the district’s architectural scale and its fine-grained pattern of development,’ as required.鈥�

The project is being designed by Carleton Hart Architecture. Michelle Black, a principal with the firm, declined to comment on LUBA’s decision.

Dobson or another appellant may appeal to the Oregon Supreme Court. If not, the project team will be able to apply for building permits; however, there is no timeline for such action.