NEIGHBORHOOD
NEWSLETTER


Published Quarterly                Page 2                October, 2000

HOLLADAY PARK NEWS

By Michael Adams

Seasonal change is in the air as leaves start to crunch underfoot and pumpkins appear.  The late day sun seems lower than in summer as it filters through the fall leaves.  Sullivan’s Gulch has beautiful fall color throughout the neighborhood.  To experience this, take a walk in Holladay Park, which just received a year-long restoration.  There are benches and tables scattered along the park’s extensive brick-lined paths.  Wandering off the paths leads to the private picnic tables in the grass.  Check out the new interactive water feature designed for children and adults to play in.  Nozzles spray at playful angles as the flow of water changes heights.  This water feature can be shut off and used as a stage.  Explore the three new bronze sculptures by Tad Savinar.

The park is full of large old deciduous trees with fall color such as maples, oaks and elms.  On the south of the park across the MAX tracks is a mature row of American Sweet Gums (liquidambar styraciflua).  These trees have brilliant fall color.  Star-shaped leaves turn purple, red and yellow in fall.  In winter, spiny balls which are the fruit ornament the trees.  See if you can find the park’s Ginko trees (ginko biloba) which turn golden in fall.  Then the leaves drop quickly and cleanly, creating a golden pool.  The leaves are fan-shaped on this prehistoric species related to conifers.  In the north end of the park and along the street east of the park are London Plane trees (platanus acerifolia).  Bumpy trunks with cream-colored bark shed in patches to reveal smooth new bark.  London Planes are classic old street trees found throughout Portland.

Sullivan’s Gulch Neighborhood Association

Message from the Chair

Colin James

Meeting to discuss potential traffic changes 
along NE Weidler from 28th to 30th

Neighbors near the Fred Meyer area are invited to an Open House on October 14th to discuss traffic mitigation options on NE Weidler between 28th and 30th. It will be held at the Holladay Park Plaza, 1300 NE 16th, from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. The traffic options are: no change, creating a one way street, and creating an exit only street. There will soon be a ballot circulated for the most affected neighbors to decide the most preferred option. Please come to the meeting, give your input, learn about the process, and meet your neighbors. The committee meeting to finalize the ballot will immediately follow.

Car Prowls

There has been a lot of car prowls in the neighborhood this year. Remember to keep your car locked and your windows rolled up. If a criminal’s fingers can fit in the crack at the top of the window, a big shove will push the window wide open. Perhaps most  important, leave all valuables out of sight (hopefully out of your car).

Please think about coming to one of our SGNA Board meetings—second Tuesday of each month, 7:30pm, Holladay Park Plaza,, ask for location at reception desk.


HOMELESS IN SULLIVAN’S GULCH

Neighborhood Actions can have positive results

By Rebecca Currin

Sullivan’s Gulch has long been a neighborhood that has worked on issues surrounding people who are homeless in the community.  Historically, neighbors have had concerns about campsites in the neighborhood, services available to people who are homeless and impacts on neighborhood livability.  These issues have gone up and down in priority over the years, but they have never disappeared completely.

Here is an example of how the issues can arise.  During this last year, neighbors began calling Northeast Precinct officers and Northeast Crime Prevention staff about a developing situation.   Neighbors had observed that a group of people were hanging around at a particular corner drinking and sometimes interacting in a negative manner with people passing by.  People felt intimidated and unsafe.  Because the location was on private property, it was difficult for the police to intercede.  Looking for alternative ways to address the concerns, both neighbors and the police got in touch with JOIN, an organization that provides outreach services to people who are homeless.  An outreach worker made contact with the group, and several people became part of his caseload.  As a result of this, one person entered a residential alcohol and drug treatment program, and another was able to move back in with a family member.  While this does not address the larger issues of homelessness in our community, the combined attention of neighbors, service providers and police did bring some relief to the neighbors and some additional resources to people who needed them.

As a result of these concerns and other issues, the Sullivan’s Gulch Neighborhood Association formed a subcommittee to look at homeless issues in the neighborhood.  The group is interested in learning more about the root causes of homelessness and the state of services currently available in the City Portland and Multnomah County, then assisting in providing education and resources to interested neighbors and possibly advocating for more services.    If you are interested in becoming involved in this subcommittee, please contact Lynne Coward.

LAND USE:  Albina Fuel Property

Note:  Lynne Coward, chair of the SGNA land use committee, would normally be writing this column – she is in the mid-western US as I write this for her.  I don’t go into much depth on this stuff because I don’t understand land use issues, so this is a collection of issues she has recently reported on.  

George Allan 
 

Albina Fuel owns property on the south side of the intersection of 33rd and Broadway, roughly between 31st and 34th.  They have announced plans to vacate this property and possibly sell it for development.  Representatives of potential developer(s) have invited representatives from SGNA (Lynne attends these meetings for us) to listen to potential plans and issues.  We have not heard specific plans yet, but we are encouraged to be invited to these meetings, and our Board looks forward to meeting a developer representative as soon as next month’s meeting.

Home Depot is interested in moving into the Hollywood District, so reports Dave Brook from our Board.  Apparently representatives from HD have met with the Hollywood Neighborhood Association and plan a public meeting for comment.  Traffic is the usual topic in these discussions.

Transworld Properties announced groundbreaking ceremonies will be held the week of October 9 on their property across from the Max terminal at the Lloyd Center.  This group presented their plans for two high-rise buildings to be built on this currently vacant acreage (between Lloyd Blvd. and the Freeway, directly across from the Max terminal) to our board over a year ago.  One building will be an office tower and the other a parking structure, with residential units scheduled to be constructed above the parking garage as phase 2 of 2.

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