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Outstanding issues remain for the Northbound 30 Collaborative development.

The Portland Design Commission got its second look at the dense multifamily project near Forest Park in Northwest Portland on Thursday. The project team 鈥� developer Noel Johnson and Leeb Architects 鈥� asked for extension of the design review hearing before a vote could be called.

The Northbound 30 Collaborative (NB30) is a combination of eight buildings approved previously (designed by Waechter Architecture and Jones Architecture) and five proposed additional buildings.

In total, the development would provide 219 total multifamily units on a site at Northwest 29th Avenue and Nicolai Street. Each building would be five stories and have 16 to 19 units. That would allow the project team to avoid inclusionary housing requirements for buildings that hold 20 units or more.

The design proposed on Thursday called for a switch for two of the additional buildings from a brick exterior to fiber cement siding. Robert Leeb, the applicant, said the team had observed wood shrink in similar cross-laminated-timber buildings and cause brick to crack.

When it was mentioned that the Wilson Forest Park Homes nearby are of a similar structure and have a brick exterior, Johnson, the developer of the townhomes, said the team used a different construction method than what is proposed. The townhomes’ brick sits on top of the concrete stem walls with no ledgers, allowing for the bricks’ weight to be completely off the CLT.

Another design change since the previous hearing in April include the addition of a 20-foot-to-25-foot vehicle and pedestrian gate along Northwest 29th Avenue. Other access to the site would be from Northwest 30th Avenue via a portico in Building 13 for pedestrians and a vehicle driveway through Building 2.

In the middle of the site would be a courtyard consisting of a long driveway for vehicles and stacked parking stalls.

With only two main pedestrian entrances from the street proposed, concerns were raised by commissioners about accessibility. Commissioner Jessica Molinar said people in wheelchairs effectively would have to wheel themselves down a driveway and go through a tucked-behind parking area to enter the building.

鈥淭o me (that) is not equitable,鈥� she said.

That sentiment was echoed by other commissioners.

Johnson explained that each building would have an ADA parking stall immediately outside of it, eliminating the need to travel through a parking garage. It is a different configuration than for typical multifamily developments, he acknowledged.

鈥淗ere they’re immediately outside of their car 鈥� they’re immediately in(side) and 鈥� it’s a 10-to-20-foot distance to the elevator, and it’s no more than a 10-to-20-foot distance to their home,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat’s for every single building, which I’m really excited and proud of.鈥�

Johnson added that it is much better than the standard configuration and that residents could simply direct a friend on how to access the site from the street.

鈥淚 just absolutely disagree,鈥� Molinar said. 鈥淵es, you’ve solved the problem for one car in one building (for) each building. But if 鈥� that person has visitors or if someone is just looking for a place to go in because they’re lost 鈥� where do those people go? They’re just wandering around in a wheelchair, or with a walking device or some other kind of mobility device out in what is really gonna feel like a parking area.鈥�

Molinar said at the present the design offers two distinctly different access experiences for abled persons and disabled persons. The latter would be required to cross through a parking lot and through a 鈥渂ack tunnel way鈥� to reach the elevator.

Commissioner Zari Santner agreed with Molinar, saying that equity is likely not going to be fully achieved with this design as proposed.

Commissioners suggested that a cover 鈥� even a small one 鈥� be added over the pathway in the courtyard from Building 4 to Building 13 so anybody with an accessibility device does not have to go in and out of rain.

Johnson said that is a great suggestion.

As of Thursday, Bureau of Development Services staff did not yet recommend approval for the project. Commissioners said that if the project team were to add artwork to the vehicle gate along Northwest 29th Avenue that would advance the development in the right direction.

The NB30 Collaborative project team will return before the Design Commission on June 16.