land use – Daily Journal of Commerce /news/tag/land-use/ Building and Construction News in Portland, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest Tue, 27 Jan 2026 18:39:16 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.6 /files/2023/08/favicon.webp land use – Daily Journal of Commerce /news/tag/land-use/ 32 32 University of Oregon seeks tall dorm buildings near Fairmount neighborhood /news/2026/01/27/uo-taller-dorms-fairmount-neighborhood-eugene/ Tue, 27 Jan 2026 18:39:16 +0000 /?p=517719 Officials are seeking the Eugene City Council's approval for dense student housing at the east edge of the UO campus, prompting opposition from neighboring residents.

The post University of Oregon seeks tall dorm buildings near Fairmount neighborhood appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

]]>

At a glance:
  • planning dorm buildings up to six stories at its campus’ east edge
  • The proposal requires ‘s approval to amend zoning and city code
  • Neighbors argue the building heights and traffic would harm neighborhood character
  • The City Council has extended the public comment period before a final vote

The University of Oregon is seeking to build a series of up to six stories tall on the east edge of campus where university land abuts the .

UO’s plans for its next generation of would not comply with current city code, so officials have proposed a slate of changes that require the Eugene City Council’s approval.

The university’s neighbors are critical of the proposal.

The plans call for redeveloping areas that had been single-family homes along Moss Street on the southeast edge of campus into student dormitories. UO already has purchased the properties it wants to develop, but it does not own all the homes west of Villard Street, according to the UO Next Gen Plan 2025.

UO wants Eugene to amend city code and the old land use agreement governing the area, as well as implement a zone change that will allow construction of student housing on the campus’ east side. Much of the 2003 Fairmount/University of Oregon neighborhood plan would change to “meet the needs of the growing student population.”

Proposed code changes would remove dormitories as a prohibited use within Eugene’s “East Campus overlay zone” historically meant to provide a buffer between campus and the Fairmount neighborhood and increase building heights allowed in the area.

Buildings within 75 feet of Fairmount homes would have a 45-foot maximum height, and buildings farther away would have an 85-foot max height. Those would be increases from the current caps of 30 feet and 60 feet, respectively.

The buildings planned in the 85-foot zone would be up to six stories tall, and the ones in the 45-foot zone would be up to four stories, according to the university’s development plan.

Additionally, UO has asked the city to redesignate several of the properties on the edge of campus. Former “limited institutional” properties would become “institutional” and “low density residential” would become “residential” to facilitate dorm development.

The university’s neighbors aren’t thrilled. Some argue the heights of the proposed buildings and potential traffic impacts would be incompatible with the single-family homes east of campus.

The increased traffic created by the dorms “is not expected to have a significant effect on the transportation system” and changes to city streets aren’t needed, according to a university study.

During a City Council public hearing on Jan. 20, university officials argued that allowing the new dorms fits within the city’s goals of building more housing and doing so densely.

“Building and constructing properties in the most efficient and affordable way, though still expensive, is really, really important,” said Michael Griffel, UO’s director of housing.

Griffel described the university’s proposal as a needed update to the plan (now over 20 years old) governing east and said it will let the university meet the needs of its growing student body.

By gaining on-campus living opportunities, students will have a better academic experience, UO officials said. They added that they engaged neighbors with public notice and a community meeting. Fairmount residents have said the concerns they voiced there were ignored.

The clash between the proposed dense housing and adjacent neighborhood would be “devastating” to the local character, residents said.

“Freshman year, I fell in love with Fairmount,” said Kate Bryce, a UO student and Fairmont resident. “That’s how families are born and raised here. But when you plan to build such a large structure, that charm begins to fade.”

Neighbors have voiced skepticism about UO’s transportation study and said city staffers weren’t skeptical enough of the university’s proposal, bringing it to City Council before properly vetting it.

Fairmount residents said this isn’t how the 2003 process went. They said that process was collaborative, and the university put forward enough mitigation measures to earn neighborhood support.

By contrast, they said the new plan more closely resembles Matthew Knight Arena’s 2008 development; Fairmount residents successfully appealed it to the Land Use Board of Appeals.

Eugene City Council voted to extend the public comment period. UO had until Tuesday to support its application, members of the public will have until Feb. 3 to respond, and then the university will have until Feb. 10 to respond.

At a meeting after thereafter, the City Council will vote on UO’s proposal.

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in The Register-Guard and then was distributed on the USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect.

The post University of Oregon seeks tall dorm buildings near Fairmount neighborhood appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

]]>
Oregon housing production office opens /news/2025/07/02/oregon-housing-accountability-office-launch/ Wed, 02 Jul 2025 23:28:54 +0000 /?p=510621 The new Housing Accountability and Production Office is intended to help boost housing supply and enforce laws supporting statewide development.

The post Oregon housing production office opens appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

]]>

Oregon Gov. has established a new state office to support and enforce housing production laws.

The and Production Office () stems from legislation enacted in 2024. The office will bolster housing production by creating a more predictable regulatory environment and providing resources to local governments, the governor’s office stated in a news release on Tuesday.

HAPO can be a “missing catalyst” to boost housing production, Kotek stated.

“My North Star is for every Oregonian to be able to afford a home,” she stated. “Our economic prosperity depends on it. I believe that we can get this done. And, it is still a monumental task. Many counties, cities, and builders have leaned in to tackle this generational crisis, and the state should do everything possible to make it easier.”

HAPO is a joint office of the Department of Land Conservation and Development and the Division, which is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services.

The office will offer technical assistance but also enforce state housing production laws by investigating noncompliance and working with local governments to address issues. The office will also work to identify state resources for developers and local governments, and conduct research on housing production.

HAPO is jointly managed by Joel Madsen and Tony Rocco. The new office was created by in 2024.

“The Housing Accountability and Production Office will serve as a bridge between our local government partners and our housing developers and builders across the state,” Rocco stated. “We have the tools to support collaboration on the foundational goal we all share of building more safe, efficient and cost-effective housing for all Oregonians.”

The post Oregon housing production office opens appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

]]>
Oregon considering use of builder’s remedy to boost housing /news/2025/07/01/oregon-builder-remedy-housing-policy/ Tue, 01 Jul 2025 17:11:09 +0000 /?p=510509 Gov. Tina Kotek is exploring the possibility of adopting a California policy to override local zoning and boost housing production in Oregon's urban areas.

The post Oregon considering use of builder’s remedy to boost housing appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

]]>

At a glance:
  • Gov. Kotek weighs to spur housing in Oregon
  • Policy would allow bypassing local zoning in noncompliant cities
  • Inspired by California’s aggressive housing enforcement approach
  • Could impact cities like Portland, Eugene and surrounding suburbs

In California, builder’s remedy has become a handy tool for housing developers to skirt local zoning rules. Now, Gov. is weighing whether to bring the policy to Oregon.

Such a rule would add to other housing policy tools the governor has enacted in Oregon, such as establishing a statewide goal and requiring each city to produce a housing needs analysis.

In California, builder’s remedy allows housing developers to bypass local zoning if a city is out of compliance with its housing element — a formal, adopted plan for where in a city housing may be built. Under Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta, the state has aggressively pursued enforcement of the rule for cities without certified housing elements.

Builder’s remedy was added to California’s law books in 1990 but was little used until the 2020s. In recent years, California developers — backed by state leaders — have used builder’s remedy to advance projects in cities that have rejected approvals for housing projects or dragged their feet in the process.

“I’d say it’s the number one tool that’s led to the creation of housing in California in the last 10 years,” said Ezra Hammer, a attorney and shareholder who has practiced in California and Oregon.

Past Oregon governors have looked to California and Washington for housing policy, and Kotek is following suit. Builder’s remedy was recommended by the Development Workgroup, which was convened this spring by Kotek and Portland Mayor Keith Wilson.

Upon the recommendations’ release in May, Kotek “committed to exploring” how builder’s remedy “could work to bolster housing production in Oregon.”

The work group’s builder’s remedy recommendation came alongside other well-worn housing policies such as cutting permitting wait times and encouraging office-to-housing conversions.

“Anything that’s helping clear the decks and make way for approval of additional housing, especially in communities where local officials are not keeping up with housing production, is a good thing in our state,” said Sarah Zahn, managing director of Security Properties. Zahn was a member of the housing policy work group.

Developers have pushed for builder’s remedy projects in cities such as Beverly Hills, Redondo Beach and Santa Monica. The Golden State’s largest cities — Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose and San Francisco — have compliant housing elements.

“There’s an inherent friction between states that have a and want to see housing built immediately, and cities that want to maintain local control over zoning decisions,” said Spencer Kallick, a land use attorney with Allen Matkins in Century City, California, who has worked with builder’s remedy developers.

“Some cities get it and understand that they need to relax certain zoning standards to provide much-needed housing close to jobs and transit,” Kallick added. “Other cities should get it, but for community and political needs they are more reticent to give up local control.”

Kallick said California cities that do not have compliant housing elements fall into three categories: cities with small staffs and meager financial resources to update their housing element, cities that don’t mind builder’s remedy taking effect to encourage housing and, finally, cities that have battled the state over their housing elements.

At least 20 percent of units in builder’s remedy developments must be affordable. Developers have used it to propose projects such as One Redondo, which would bring more than 2,000 housing units and mixed-use development to Redondo Beach. The city has resisted construction of housing on the site of a defunct power plant, and the developer has launched a series of lawsuits.

Kallick warned that builder’s remedy is not a panacea, and it still requires great patience to get projects built.

“The developers who are doing builder’s remedy projects are ones that deeply understand the intricacies of the law and have the commitment to see projects through because they see the need for new housing in the state,” Kallick said.

Housing experts said it remains to be seen how builder’s remedy would work in Oregon. In California, not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) politics remain hugely influential, and opposition to development is sometimes boosted by concentrated wealth among residents.

Builder’s remedy probably doesn’t make sense outside of the Willamette Valley population centers, Hammer said.

“Builder’s remedy is going to be a tool in a few places,” he said. “It’s really built around multifamily housing. That’s going to work in Portland, maybe some of the larger suburbs around Portland, and it’ll work in Eugene. And that’s it.”

Oregon developers will have to wait at least until 2026 for the state to adopt builder’s remedy. Legislators did not consider it during this year’s session.

Developers have expressed interest in building townhomes or garden-style apartments that currently run afoul of Portland’s minimums for floor area ratio, Hammer said. Those regulations dictate building size relative to lot size.

City regulators, Hammer said, have “taken this tool that’s built for extremely hot markets and overlaid it on portions of the city where we would be blessed to have .”

Builder’s remedy could sweep aside that type of zoning restriction, Hammer said.

“Portland would be ripe for it,” he said.

The post Oregon considering use of builder’s remedy to boost housing appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

]]>
Bull Run water project gets green light to resume /news/2025/06/26/bull-run-water-project-construction-resumes/ Thu, 26 Jun 2025 19:38:53 +0000 /?p=510347 Construction of Portland’s $2.1 billion Bull Run water project will resume following a decision by a Multnomah County hearings officer.

The post Bull Run water project gets green light to resume appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

]]>

Construction of the $2.1 billion water infrastructure project can resume after a hearings officer gave the go-ahead, the announced.

“As of Monday, we’re going to start doing minor work to prepare the site, and we anticipate to be in full swing within a month,” Water Bureau spokesman Brandon Zero said Thursday.

Construction of the megaproject has been halted since February, after the Oregon Board of Appeals ruled that another hearings officer had not adequately considered community natural resources in approving the project’s conditional use.

Hearings officer Liz Fancher ruled Monday with approval of the project’s conditional use exception.

“This decision allows us to move forward to protect public health, and to provide resilience to wildfires, landslides, flooding and other natural disasters,” Mayor Keith Wilson stated in a news release on Wednesday. “The city is eager to put hundreds of construction tradespeople back to work to complete these critical water system improvements.”

A joint venture of and Corp. is building the project.

The project, which comprises a plant near the Clackamas County line and a network of pipelines, has faced opposition from a neighborhood group, the Cottrell Community Planning Organization.

The project team is working to meet a Sept. 30, 2027, deadline to deliver filtered water to the Water Bureau’s approximately 1 million customers in the Portland- area. The deadline was imposed on the Water Bureau by the after was repeatedly found in drinking water.

The post Bull Run water project gets green light to resume appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

]]>
Land use review intakes for July 6, 2022 /news/2022/07/06/land-use-review-intakes-for-july-6-2022/ Wed, 06 Jul 2022 18:00:32 +0000 /?p=267946 A new five-story multifamily development is proposed for 2631 N.W. Upschur St., Portland.

The post Land use review intakes for July 6, 2022 appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

]]>

review for June 27 – July 1, 2022

  • A Type 2 Procedure is pending for an expansion of Farragut Park, at 7736 N. Kerby Ave., Portland. The proposal calls for age-appropriate equipment for younger children, the replacement of the aging bathrooms with new prefabricated Portland Loos and accessibility improvements. Portland Parks & Recreation would also widen the sidewalk along North Vancouver Avenue, reconstructing the corner and mid-block ADA ramps and replacing the missing 6-foot-wide sidewalk section along North Farragut Street. Jill Hutchinson of Portland Parks & Recreation is the applicant and the city of Portland is the project owner.
  • A new data center is proposed for 6900 N. Edgewater St. The development would include a network/incubator and possibly a solar park. The project would serve high-tech, the University of Portland and the local community with shoreline access. Kevin Johnson of GBD Architects is the applicant and Mc Cormick and Baxter Creosoting Co. is the project owner.
  • A new five-story multifamily development is proposed for 2631 N.W. Upschur St. The building would include 150-170 units with inclusionary housing, ground-floor parking and residential amenities. The structure plans to be 177,459 square feet. Kevin Woltz of Hacker Architects is the applicant and Upschur Acquisition LLC is the project owner.
  • A roughly 76,300-square-foot commercial building is proposed for 4747 N. Channel Ave. The building would be a tilt-up concrete structure and have approximately 18 drive-thru doors and two dock-high doors. The development would include a three-story office area with storefront windows. Approximately 68 parking spaces for vehicles would be provided in addition to 65 spaces for tractor-trailer trucks and six trailer parking spaces. Will Grimm of First Forty Feet is the applicant and Daimler Truck North American is the project owner.
  • A Type 2 Procedure is pending for adding 16 new mooring bollards and 2,050 linear feet of security fencing along N.W. Front Avenue. The project would modernize the mooring infrastructure on the existing wharf to provide a safe and functional lay berthing space for cargo vessels. Sydney Gebers of Grette Associates is the applicant, and the Port of Portland is the project owner.
  • A Type 2 procedure is pending for a 4- to 5-story mixed-use development at 1010 S.W. Gibbs St. The project would include residential, retail, service and office space. Four adjustments are being requested: one to the height on the west side on the site; one for a setback of the southern wall; one to the exceed the maximum building coverage for structured parking by 7 percent; and one to the eastern street façade. Gabe Headrick of Steelhead Architecture is the applicant and SWS 1010 Gibbs LLC is the project owner.
  • A PreApplication Conference is pending for upgrades to the athletic fields at Jackson Middle School, 10625 S.W. 35th Ave. The proposal calls the baseball/softball fields to be resurfaced, the tennis courts to be replaced and new softball/soccer fields. Suzannah Stanley of Mackenzie is the applicant and the School District No. is the project owner.
  • An application for early assistance is pending for three new developments at 6541 N. Denver Ave. The project would include 37 units in total combined over two sites. Armin Quilici of Quilici Architecture & Design is the applicant and Arbor Lodge Apartments is the project owner.

Source: Portland Bureau of Development Services. Please note that has changed how it publishes permit information, which includes the applicant and the project owner for commercial building permits – but not .

The post Land use review intakes for July 6, 2022 appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

]]>
Increases proposed for some Portland land use fees /news/2019/02/22/increases-proposed-portland-land-use-fees/ Fri, 22 Feb 2019 21:56:35 +0000 /?p=185575 Portland’s Bureau of Development Services is looking to raise Land Use Services Division fees in the wake of a marked reduction in the number of large commercial construction projects and a surge in bureau operating costs.

The post Increases proposed for some Portland land use fees appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

]]>

Portland’s Bureau of Development Services is looking to raise Services Division fees in the wake of a marked reduction in the number of large commercial construction projects and a surge in bureau operating costs.

The fee increases are proposed to take effect April 1 at an average rate of 5 percent. They will affect charges associated with land use services, including land use reviews, early assistance services and plan checks. Most site development fees on land use reviews will also be increased.

A first reading of the ordinance was held Feb. 20, and a second reading is scheduled on the Feb. 27 council agenda.

Higher fees are necessary because of a decrease in construction activity and an increase in operating costs, Elshad Hajiyev, the ‘ senior business operations manager, told the on Wednesday.

“Overall, development activity has declined, contributing to lower revenue collections for the program,” he said. “Specifically, the decline (is) in large multifamily construction.”

The Land Use Services Division is funded entirely by fee revenues, and it had a healthy amount of financial reserves during the building boom of the past several years. The bureau has kept Land Use Services fees at the same rate for nearly five years, while the cost of providing services has increased due to cost of living adjustments, merit pay and PERS contribution increases, and an increase in pay associated with a new union contract.

As revenues have declined, the bureau has been forced to: draw from reserve funds that are now below minimum levels, keep positions vacant, eliminate spending on training and overtime, and, most recently, cut positions in the Land Use Services Division.

Though the fee increases will average about 5 percent, the costs of some services will remain the same and others will increase drastically. The sharpest surges in pricing will be for historic landmarks designations, which will jump from $2,000 to $4,000 for an individual property and from $4,200 to $9,200 for multiple properties and districts. Some adjustment reviews will increase in cost by 50 percent, and design advice requests will increase nearly 40 percent to $3,500.

The fee increases, which are estimated to generate approximately $700,000 per year in additional revenues, are supported by the bureau’s Development Review Advisory Committee. Kimberly Tallant, manager of the Land Use Services Division, told the City Council that land use fees are minor in comparison with system development charges.

“The development community regularly tells us that they’d be willing to pay more if they could get faster service, because time is money,” she said.

At the same time, Tallant said, with understanding that not everyone is able to pay more, fee waiver protocols are in place for low-income individuals and nonprofits that directly serve low-income individuals.

Relying on a funding source that is tied entirely to an industry cyclical in nature is a challenge, Tallant said. Maintaining a skilled workforce and delivering services through periods of massive layoffs followed by massive hiring and training hampers the bureau’s ability to respond nimbly to quick changes in the building industry, she said.

“Those kinds of dramatic cycles will always leave us behind the curve, and unable to catch up,” she said. “It’s also hard on morale, and doesn’t help us … attract and retain great employees.”

The post Increases proposed for some Portland land use fees appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

]]>
State commission backs comprehensive plan /news/2018/03/21/state-commission-backs-comprehensive-plan/ Wed, 21 Mar 2018 20:04:19 +0000 /?p=173704 Portland’s 2035 Comprehensive Plan is one step closer to taking effect after a favorable ruling last week from the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission.

The post State commission backs comprehensive plan appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

]]>

Portland’s is one step closer to taking effect after a favorable ruling last week from the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission.

The state commission turned down appeals from the objecting to the city’s “middle housing” policy and other rules intended to increase density.

“We’re pleased with the decision,” Eric Engstrom, principal planner at the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, stated in an email message.

“Among other things, it brings new mixed-use zoning to transit corridors and centers outside the . This new zoning will facilitate private investment in needed housing,” Engstrom stated.

The Comprehensive Plan is the city’s wide-ranging document that will govern development within city limits as Portland grows to incorporate more than 100,000 new residents that are expected by 2035. The Comprehensive Plan is set to go into effect on May 24.

An appeal to the is likely, Multnomah Neighborhood Association Chairwoman Martie Sucec said.

“That’s our plan,” she said.

Neighborhoods such as Multnomah Village have adapted uneasily to developers building apartments near single-family homes, often with little or no new parking.

In Multnomah Village, Urban Asset Advisors has constructed Multnomah Village Apartments and is planning a second mixed-use building, Multnomah Station, along Southwest Capitol Highway. The buildings have similar designs, with three stories of apartments over ground-floor retail space.

The neighborhood association has fought the developments.

“It’s going to be like a canyon on Capitol Highway,” Sucec said.

Other objections from the Multnomah Neighborhood Association centered on designating Multnomah Village a “neighborhood center” rather than a “neighborhood corridor,” which allows for building up to four stories. The neighborhood association has advocated for a three-story height limit.

“It’s not that we object to density,” Sucec said. “We object to having no role, no assurance, in where those things go.”

A written order will follow the commission’s March 15 decision. If the neighborhood association does not appeal, the comprehensive plan will be considered “acknowledged” by the state, clearing the way for implementation.

The post State commission backs comprehensive plan appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

]]>
Calculated, coordinated, convincing /news/2018/03/15/calculated-coordinated-convincing/ Thu, 15 Mar 2018 22:22:38 +0000 /?p=173469 One neighborhood association recently impressed Portland City Council with its appeal, potentially providing a model for others.

The post Calculated, coordinated, convincing appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

]]>
South Burlingame Neighborhood Association board members, from left, Robert Lennox, Sam Pearson, Lynn Pearson and Carol Porto listen as subdivision project proponents, seated at left, speak during a meeting last week. (Sam Tenney/91Ƶ)
board members, from left, Robert Lennox, Sam Pearson, Lynn Pearson and Carol Porto listen as subdivision project proponents, seated at left, speak during a meeting last week. (Sam Tenney/91Ƶ)

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler seemed to believe the City Council was in for a long day at a public hearing in early February.

Thirty-six residents, mostly members of the same neighborhood association, had signed up to testify in support of an appeal of approval given to a subdivision proposal.

“You don’t have to use your full three minutes,” Wheeler told people who were signed up to testify. “You are of course entitled to your three minutes. I just want to suggest alternatives if people would prefer.”

For the next three hours, Wheeler and his fellow city commissioners saw something extraordinary. One neighbor after another testified against the subdivision proposal. But unlike other groups, their testimony was professionalized, coordinated and synchronized with a PowerPoint presentation illustrating their main points.

The property owners, the Griffith family, were pushing to build 21 homes on a 14-acre lot off of Taylor’s Ferry Road. The South Burlingame Neighborhood Association appealed a hearings officer’s decision approving the development, citing landslide risks and other issues.

Carol Hazzard went first, introducing herself as a 52-year resident of Portland. She focused on the landslide risk to existing homes built uphill from the Macadam Ridge property.

“It is my opinion this development would put hundreds of people and their homes at risk,” she said.

Then Mary Lee Carr, wearing a reflective safety vest in council chambers, testified as leader of the Neighborhood Emergency Team – volunteer first responders who are trained by Portland Fire & Rescue.

“As I assess hazards around my neighborhood, I look at houses set upon slide-prone ground as coffins,” Carr told commissioners.

By the end of the presentation, commissioners had been persuaded. They voted unanimously to uphold the neighborhood association’s appeal.

“I don’t remember a more thoughtful set of presentations,” Commissioner Nick Fish said.

In recent weeks, the City Council has proved receptive to appeals from development opponents. In addition to Macadam Ridge, commissioners upheld an appeal challenging approval of the project in the Pearl District and declined to consider a proposal from for a series of downtown towers.

Macadam Ridge was lower stakes: a small subdivision planned by family landowners best known for running the Riverview Abbey Mausoleum. Yet the neighborhood association’s well-organized presentation, aided by local professionals, could offer a template for other groups fighting developments.

“We conveyed the message,” said Robert Lennox, president of the neighborhood association.

The presentation was assembled with the help of Shannon Hiller-Webb, a neighborhood association member who has professional experience in marketing and advertising. She worked with other neighbors and an environmental legal group, Crag Law Center, to hone the message. They also hired Carrie Richter, a Portland land-use attorney.

The neighbors divided their presentation into storyboards, much like a film. With only three minutes allotted per speaker, they realized they could be more effective coordinating topics into a cohesive presentation.

“We realized we needed to tell a story in a narrative arc,” Hiller-Webb said. “By changing our kind of approach so we didn’t duplicate our efforts and told one story as a collective voice, we came to find that impactful.”

South Burlingame Neighborhood Association members have shared their experiences with representatives of Friends of Overlook Bluff, which is fighting to save a historic tree in its North Portland neighborhood, and the Southwest Hills Residential League, which is weighing in on plans to develop the ex-Strohecker’s grocery store property for housing.

“Every neighborhood association is having to pretty much to start from scratch, so we were hoping to inform of what we’ve learned in four years of doing this,” Hiller-Webb said.

The Macadam Ridge fight is far from over. The Riverview Abbey operators, the Griffiths, have appealed the City Council’s decision to the Oregon Board of Appeals. could override the City Council and allow the development to proceed.

The Griffiths also have filed a grievance with the South Burlingame Neighborhood Association, objecting to an emergency board meeting the association held.

“They’re required to follow the rules, and the grievance basically says they didn’t follow the rules,” Stephen Griffith said. He filmed the proceedings of a recent neighborhood association meeting with his cellphone.

Lennox said the Griffith family’s grievance has little merit.

“Our feeling is they’re just looking for a thread to pull to void the City Council decision,” he said.

The post Calculated, coordinated, convincing appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

]]>
Newsmaker 2016: Tim Ramis /news/2016/03/04/newsmaker-2016-tim-ramis/ Fri, 04 Mar 2016 23:17:03 +0000 /?p=146734 As one of Oregon's top land-use attorneys, Jordan Ramis shareholder Tim Ramis is used to making headlines, and last year was no exception.

The post Newsmaker 2016: Tim Ramis appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

]]>
Tim Ramis (Sam Tenney/91Ƶ)
Tim Ramis (Sam Tenney/91Ƶ)

Ask Tim Ramis to point out the person who played a key role in helping him become one of the region’s top lawyers in and municipal law, and there’s a good chance he’ll mention Harold Schnitzer.

“He really gave me an opportunity in my career to try my first land-use case in City Hall,” Ramis said.

The shareholder has come a long way from that first case. Last year, he successfully represented the city of in an appeals case with a decision that is expected to give Oregon cities more solid footing when it comes to bringing land inside urban growth boundaries when those moves are opposed by residents and environmental groups.

His fascination with how cities grow – or, in Oregon’s case, sometimes don’t grow – can be traced back to when he was in high school, a time when social and political unrest sparked protests across the country.

“Cities were burning down; Watts was on fire,” Ramis said. “It made me curious about cities and how they worked.”

Ramis knew he wanted a career that would somehow help him satisfy that curiosity. He found a more specific direction in law school. There he met Dave Frohnmayer, who taught a class in legislative and administrative policies. Frohnmayer helped Ramis see how the law helped shaped government decision on how cities took shape.

“I knew I wanted to work in the building and governing of cities,” Ramis said. “Land use law became a way into that world.”

While Ramis says he doesn’t plan on stepping away from the legal world anytime soon, he did step into new territory a couple of years ago when he created a website called Tim’s City. The site is designed to share his love of cities and urban issues with others through videos and photography.

He also continues to work with Specialized Housing Inc., a local nonprofit group that Ramis and a friend formed approximately 30 years ago with the goal of building housing for people with disabilities. It’s a demographic that he’s concerned is being overlooked amid the debates over creating more in Portland and elsewhere in Oregon.

“I’m hopeful that whatever decisions get made to address housing we don’t forget this population of people,” Ramis said.

 

The post Newsmaker 2016: Tim Ramis appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

]]>
Greenway trail link coming to Tualatin /news/2015/01/19/greenway-trail-link-coming-to-tualatin/ Tue, 20 Jan 2015 00:04:21 +0000 /?p=130012 Bids will soon be solicited from contractors interested in taking on a $3 million project to close a 0.77-mile gap in the Tualatin River Greenway on Metro-owned property.

The post Greenway trail link coming to Tualatin appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

]]>

Bids will soon be solicited from contractors interested in taking on a $3 million project to close a 0.77-mile gap in the River Greenway on -owned property.

A new, 10- to 12-foot-wide, paved bicycle and pedestrian path is planned between Barngrover Street (near the Tualatin Public Library) and a former RV park on Nyberg Lane.

The greenway, scheduled for completion by winter 2015-16, will be 4.5 miles long. It will connect several apartment complexes and neighborhoods east of Interstate 5 with shopping and job centers to the west at the Nyberg Street overpass.

The project will be paid for with a combination of public and private dollars, including a $1.58 million ConnectOregon V grant, a $750,000 contribution from Washington County’s Major Streets Transportation Improvement Program, $352,000 from the City of Tualatin Park Development Fund, a $3,200 grant from the Healthy Eating, Acting Living program and a $600,000 contribution from CenterCal Properties, owner of Bridgeport Village and several properties in the area.

The greenway will connect to the Fanno Creek Trail and the Ice Age Tonquin Trail, which will eventually connect to Sherwood and Wilsonville.

A presentation outlining the greenway’s final design is scheduled for Jan. 27 at the Community Services Administration Office, 8515 S.W. Tualatin Road, at 6 p.m.

The post Greenway trail link coming to Tualatin appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

]]>