PLANS TO BOOT cars from a narrow strip of SW Ankeny to clear space for a “European-style” plaza in the roadway likely won’t take shape until July, officials said, after advocates and Commissioner Amanda Fritz pressed weeks-old questions about how the proposal would affect homeless Portlanders.
The pilot project—lauded by transportation officials as a novel experiment and pushed hard by local businesses looking to expand their summertime offerings—is slated for the block of SW Ankeny between 2nd and 3rd.
A last-ditch deal between Fritz’s office and business owners that would have allowed the project to take effect sooner, as soon as this week, did not appear to be in reach as of press time Tuesday, June 21, sources told the Mercury.
That would have been the day of the plaza’s grand opening, if Fritz hadn’t applied the brakes to the project by voting “no” during Portland City Council’s June 15 meeting. Without unanimous support for a so-called “emergency” clause, items before the city council must be voted on twice and then wait 30 days to take effect.
At issue is whether people who aren’t paying customers would also have a place to sit in the newly created plaza. Advocates from Sisters of the Road began raising that issue weeks ago at the city’s regular sidewalk management meetings and raised them again in front of the city council. Fritz then picked up the baton.
“It walls off what is currently public space for the exclusive benefit of a handful of business owners, while making no provision for the benefit of anyone who can not afford to patronize these businesses,” testified Michael Moore, a Sisters board member. “We’re concerned that we will see the same problems here we see in Pioneer Courthouse Square.”
Transportation officials say that would be up to the businesses, including Perierra Crêperie and Voodoo Doughnut, to decide. Businesses have agreed to chip in for lost parking revenue and to keep the space clean. Dan Anderson, a spokesman for the transportation bureau, stressed that sidewalks would remain open no matter what.
“The sidewalks are public spaces, spots for people to walk, stand, or sit, as allowed in the city’s sidewalk management plan,” Anderson said. “That will remain the same. We’re not making any changes to the sidewalks.”
Fritz, however, wants businesses to also install special bench seating near SW 3rd, so passersby and others would have somewhere to sit other than the sidewalk. In an interview with BikePortland.org, Fritz said she’d back immediate approval if business owners agreed to this condition. However, sources told the Mercury that business owners prefer waiting another month to work out their own plan.
Update June 22: Fritz during city council Wednesday, June 22, agreed to restore the emergency clause to the plan without a formal agreement in place, saying she was satisfied by the promise of further discussions.
Chani Geigle-Teller, a community organizer with Sisters, says some of the businesses on SW Ankeny “support the work we’re doing” and that she was hoping, as of press time, that Sisters would be invited to sit down with the owners before the next city council vote on June 22. If not?
“It’ll be business as usual,” she says. “Meaning we’ll be very attentive of areas with high citations or any harassment by private security or police. But we’d like for them to see us as a resource.”
Aren’t PDX’s homeless getting a nice new ‘hotel’ very close to this location? Can’t they rest there? To even think of questioning this proposal is asinine. No wonder businesses shy away from Portland.Let just a little common sense prevail for once.
As the “homeless” or more accurately “beggars” are approximately one percent or less of the city population they can just go fuck off. A democracy is rule of the majority. having failure dictate the actions of the capable is the worst possible solution. last time I checked the majority does not want to be hassled by lying, stealing, begging fuckers. Unless they have been duly elected first.
There’s something about PDX, deeply ingrained, to always apply the breaks. Whether this, the CRC, etc. It seems to me this has worked for and against us at different times. The Mt Hood freeway comes to mind.
It is funny to think now that Seattle used to sorta be like PDX’s kid brother you could pick on.
‘What, no Opera House in Seattle? Hmm….’
But I guess Seattle never worried too much about hitting the breaks.
Portland needs to stop kowtowing to the homless population. This is getting ridiculous.
I can accept that it is more difficult for some people to provide for themselves or control addiction or mental illness, but the fact of the matter is, homelessness is the result of a series of choices. To choose to become homeless is to choose to remove yourself from society. Our homeless do not pay taxes, nor do they have official residence in the City of Portland. Why should they have a political voice in the City of Portland?
Also, since when is sitting on public right-of-ways a right that should be protected at all? Last I checked, it was called loitering.
@ Fuck_the_Homless
“… or mental illness …” … “… result of a series of choices.”
“… political voice in the City of Portland?”
Your degree of sympathy and empathy is impressive. Your degree of understanding of the problems of mental illness and of homelessness is awesome. Your grasp of & respect for the concepts and the spirit of the Constitution is likewise awesomely impressive!
Tell me, did you choose to present your case as one devoid of sympathy, empathy, understanding, & respect? Tell me, how are your comments (presented as they are) furthering rational discussion or fostering mutual respect or contributing to solution-seeking actions? Did you choose to come across so hate-filled or were you compelled to do so? These are only “Questions I ask expecting no rational reply.”.
why the hell are we planning the spending of tax dollars around people whoDON’T PAY FUCKING TAXES.
@justjosephhere
Let’s just check the hate talk at the door now. Re-read my original comment and you will see that I did actually make a valid point that can be discussed. Here is a summary of my argument:
Statement 1: All homeless people have made a series of choices that led to their homelessness. For some, this may be the result of mental illness (and I’m sympathetic), but the fact that they did not seek care for that is a choice.
Statement 2: If Statement 1 is true, it follows that homeless people have chosen to remove themselves from the rules, responsibilities, protections and privileges of society.
Clarification: My comment in no way are intended to foster mutal respect between myself, readers of the Mercury and the outsized homeless population in Portland. I am actively encouraging critical thinkers to consider why there is so much advocacy for a group that has chosen to remove itself from the protections society affords.
I do not hate homeless people. I do no really respect them either, because anyone who is so little invested in their own well-being doesn’t deserve the time my respect takes.