Residential Infill Project

[Christopher Eykamp]

Many of you received a notice in the mail a few weeks ago stating your
zoning might be changing.  This is part of the Residential Infill
Project, an initiative by the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability
(BPS) to change the way development works in Portland.

There are many major changes being proposed, the two biggest (for our
neighborhood) are limitations on the size of new houses in R2.5 and R5
zones, and an increase in the number of houses that can be built on a
parcel in those zones.

I think it is very important for all of us to understand what is being
proposed.  If it moves forward, it will change our neighborhood, for
good or ill.  This is a complex project, with lots of components, but
you can find a clear summary here:

https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/678802

I am attaching a letter that HAND wrote about the project in November. 
Some things have changed since then, but most of our points are still
relevant.  We expressed support for reducing the scale of new houses,
better infrastructure for E Portland, and asked for a real focus on
affordability (which is largely omitted from the proposal), while being
wary of elements we thought would increase in demolitions.

I realize that the last thing many of you want is to spend your time
reading about a contentious policy debate about landuse and
development.  However, the stakes for our neighborhoods are high, and
this is a time investment worth making.

The proposal is now before the Planning and Sustainability Commission
(PSC), who will be holding hearings and accepting testimony:

Hearing:
Tuesday, May 8, 2018, at 5 p.m.
1900 SW 4th Avenue, Room 2500, Portland, Oregon

Hearing:
Tuesday, May 15, 2018, 5 p.m.
1900 SW 4th Avenue, Room 2500, Portland, Oregon

Send a letter by May 15, 2018 to
Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission
Residential Infill Testimony
1900 SW 4th, Suite 7100
Portland, Oregon 97201
(include full name and address)

Comment online here before May 15:
https://www.portlandmaps.com/bps/testify/#/rip

The city's general page for this project is at
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/67728.

Finally, you can see a map of the proposal at the link below. The
hatched areas are where the higher density zoning overlay will be
applied.  Every residential property in HAND will be affected.

https://www.portlandmaps.com/bps/mapapp/maps.html#mapTheme=rip

I'm happy to field any questions you may have.

Yours,

Chris Eykamp
HAND Vice Chair