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A large affordable housing development in Portland’s Kenton neighborhood is on track, but a couple of details need to be worked out before it can advance.

Wright Architecture‘s design for an 11-story, 290-unit building received praise, particularly for its context within the district, from the Portland Design Commission during a design review hearing on Thursday.

鈥淚 feel like it’s the right spot even though it doesn’t necessarily match other things right now,鈥� Commissioner Chandra Robinson said. 鈥淐ontextually, I think it’s going to be part of the new context.鈥�

However, safety issues tied to the sunken-grade units on the ground floor need to be addressed, the Design Commission said.

鈥淚 feel like it’s just too easy for someone to kind of hide down there,鈥� Robinson said.

The building is planned for a 25,000-square-foot site at 1838 N. Argyle St., at the intersection with North Fenwick Avenue. The property is zoned for high-density housing due to its proximity to TriMet‘s Kenton/North Denver Avenue MAX light-rail station.

As proposed, the building would have mass-plywood panels for floors, mass timber for posts and beams, and ceramic-coated siding. Plans presented Thursday called for each unit to include a balcony or outdoor space. Residents would also have access to a rooftop terrace.

However, the steep grade of Fenwick Avenue and Argyle Street means the building had to be nestled into a downward sloping corner. This caused four units along Argyle Street to be partly below-grade. The design presented Thursday included a split-entry staircase to those sunken-grade units and second-level apartments partially at-grade.

Commissioners pointed out that with the second-level balcony overhead, the ability to see down to the below-grade entryway would be obstructed and create a hiding spot to the side.

鈥淭hey make me very uncomfortable,鈥� Robinson said of hiding spots.

That statement was echoed by other commissioners.

The group urged the project team to reconsider the programming for the below-grade space or move the units further up Argyle Street. But due to zoning codes, the units cannot move without the building’s allowable floor area ratio (FAR) being exceeded. Units a certain percentage below grade do not count toward the FAR total, Wright Architecture project manager Nathan Day said.

Commissioners recommended removing the walk-up entryway or turning the unit into a two-story townhome.

Applicant John Wright of Wright Architecture said the team had hoped to need only one design review hearing, but it will rework the design.

Robinson said it was a testament to the design team’s attention that its members talked through every item and were stuck on only a couple of things.

Another design review hearing was scheduled for early April, when a vote will likely be called.

The project’s developers are Rowen Rystadt of Attainable Development LLC and John Wolz of Portland, according to a Bureau of Development Services staff report.