Monday afternoon, August 25, the Historical Landmarks Commission (HLC) waded through two hours of testimony from the developer of the proposed Irvington Squire condo and mostly irate neighbors. Debate over the five-story condo building planned for the corner of NE 15th and Hancock is heated: Both sides feel the project sets a precedent for what development will look like in Portland’s historic neighborhoods as the city ups its density.
In the neighbors’ opinion, a five-story building is too tall. “If the city and its guidelines cannot protect the historic structures on this block, then they can not protect structures anywhere in Irvington,” said Dean Gisvold, the Irvington Community Association’s land-use chair.
“Initial reactions?” one HLC commissioner asked after the hours of debate. Six long seconds of silence followed. He tried again: “Any observations besides that this is a giant can of worms?” The commission decided to push its vote on the project to September. SM
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On Tuesday morning, August 26, the Oregon Senate Democrats—the lawmakers who’ll lead the charge in Salem when the legislative session kicks off in January—released their 2009 agenda. On a theme of “looking out for Oregon’s middle class and those working hard to get ahead,” the Dems—surprising no one—plan to tackle education, health care, the economy, and “healthy and safe communities.”
What’s that mean? Though the agenda doesn’t get hyper-specific—that’s what bills are for—the plan is to make higher education more affordable, expand access to health care for “Oregon’s children and vulnerable families,” raise the $10 corporate minimum tax, invest in “growing industries of the future” like renewable energy, and “[crack] down on meth-related crime.” AJR