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Assignment #1: What article am I focusing on?

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Assignment #1: What article am I focusing on?

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For this assignment I will be focusing on the article "Portland City Council votes to allow affordable housing, design changes in historic neighborhoods" as I find it to be very interesting and important. This projects has allowed owners of properties in neighborhoods deemed "historic" to make changes to their properties, such as adding solar panels. This was put in place by the Portland City Council, which is a city council.

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Jayati Ramakrishnan | The Oregonian/OregonLive

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Portland City Council votes to allow affordable housing, design changes in historic neighborhoods

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The code changes will take effect March 1.

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Assignment #1: Who Benefits and Who Doesn't?

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Assignment #1: Who Benefits and Who Doesn't?

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Who Benefits: This project benefits many in the Portland area. This benefits home owners that feel they would benefit from renovations being added to their houses. This benefits those who are in need of housing in Portland, as this allows more housing to be built in these areas. Furthermore, it benefits the entire city as the extra space is planned to be used to build affordable housing.

Who does not benefit: Some residents are worried that the changes would allow more destruction or unrestrained renovation of historic homes, compromising the aesthetics or historic value of existing neighborhoods.

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Jayati Ramakrishnan | The Oregonian/OregonLive

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Portland City Council votes to allow affordable housing, design changes in historic neighborhoods

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The code changes will take effect March 1.

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1: Home Owners
2: Planners
3: Community Members
4: City Council
5: Construction Workers
6: Houselessness Population
7: Utility Companies
8: Financial Investors
9: Property Developers
10: Policy Makers

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Jayati Ramakrishnan | The Oregonian/OregonLive

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Portland City Council votes to allow affordable housing, design changes in historic neighborhoods

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The code changes will take effect March 1.

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When looking at this policy, at this current moment, it seems the only opportunities for public involvement are from those who currently own a home in these historic neighborhoods, as they are now able to make changes to their properties that were not available before. Soon though, once the new housing gets built, it'll open up many more opportunities for public involvement as the amount of community members will substantially increase. This will see community involvement within these pubic spaces spike as the chance for involvement will be substantially more prominent. Community participation should look like exceeding voting numbers, higher attendance at community meetings, and equal voices being heard. We should look for elements of partnership and delegated powers with these exceedingly growing communities.

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Jayati Ramakrishnan | The Oregonian/OregonLive

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Portland City Council votes to allow affordable housing, design changes in historic neighborhoods

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The code changes will take effect March 1.

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Portland City Council votes to allow affordable housing, design changes in historic neighborhoods

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Portland City Council votes to allow affordable housing, design changes in historic neighborhoods

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The council approved six updates to the city’s historic resources code, which dictates what changes can be made to homes or property in neighborhoods that have received “historic” designation. The council also voted to allow homeowners who live in historic districts to make minor design changes to their homes, such as adding solar panels, making seismic upgrades or building additional buildings on their property. Under the new rules, the City Council would locally decide which landmarks or neighborhoods are historically significant and given special protections under city code. Until now, those protections were conferred to properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which is administered at a national level.

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Jayati Ramakrishnan | The Oregonian/OregonLive

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Portland City Council votes to allow affordable housing, design changes in historic neighborhoods

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The code changes will take effect March 1.

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Rose Quarter freeway project in Portland short hundreds of millions, ODOT says

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Rose Quarter freeway project in Portland short hundreds of millions, ODOT says

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Agency leaders told the Oregon Transportation Commission, which sets state transportation policies, that it was short more than $500 million of the projected $1.18 billion to $1.25 billion in costs to complete the Rose Quarter expansion project. “We still have a substantial gap and no other committed sources of funding,” Channell said. At the time of that vote, ODOT said it would seek funding for the project from local governments including the city of Portland, Metro and Multnomah County. This relates to planning because they need to be sure about this project before they continue to expand the city. With the progress of this project truly unknown, the construction of other plans may be halted.

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The Oregon Department of Transportation said Thursday that it doesn't have enough money set aside to complete a major Portland freeway project.

Agency leaders told the Oregon Transportation Commission, which sets state transportation policies, that it was short more than $500 million of the projected $1.18 billion to $1.25 billion in costs to complete the Rose Quarter expansion project.

Megan Channell, the project director, said the agency would continue work on plans to expand Interstate 5 near the Rose Quarter to ease congestion near one of the state's busiest freeway interchanges.

The state Legislature has already committed between $500 million and $700 million for the project.

"We still have a substantial gap and no other committed sources of funding," Channell said.

In September, the Oregon Transportation Commission approved ODOT's latest plan for the freeway expansion, which included a freeway cap that would reconnect the Albina neighborhood, a historically Black community that the state partially demolished in the 1960s to build I-5.

At the time of that vote, ODOT said it would seek funding for the project from local governments including the city of Portland, Metro and Multnomah County. ODOT did not immediately clarify on Thursday whether they had already sought funding from those sources.

The setback for the project was the second this week, following direction from the federal government to redo an environmental assessment.

The transportation commission also on Thursday began discussing how to allocate $1.2 billion the state will receive from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, approved by Congress in 2021.

Travis Brouwer, ODOT's assistant director for revenue, finance and compliance, presented four scenarios to the commission, which divided up funds between highway maintenance and repairs, traffic safety, compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and climate planning.

A large chunk of the federal funds already marked for specific uses, like bridge repair, earthquake resilience and electric vehicle infrastructure. But the transportation commission has more discretion over how to use about $412 million of the funds.

Leaders of several climate activist groups presented what they called a "fifth scenario" that allocates all the money toward public transit, walking and biking.

The activists said while maintaining and repairing the transportation system is important, ODOT already funds those efforts from existing revenue streams. They encouraged the commission to use the infusion of new money in areas that need the help, particularly the state's climate and equity goals.

"Investments should demonstrably prioritize safety of vulnerable users, make it easier to walk, bike and take public transit, and not expand single-occupancy vehicle capacity," read a statement accompanying the new scenario. The statement was signed by leaders of Oregon Environmental Council, 1000 Friends of Oregon, The Street Trust, No More Freeways, Verde, Climate Solutions and BikeLoud PDX.

During a public comment period at the Thursday meeting, youth climate activists as well as state Rep. Khanh Pham, D-Portland and Yamhill County Commissioner Casey Kulla spoke up in favor of the scenario that the climate groups proposed.

The climate activists also pointed out the safety benefits of increasing public transit and pedestrian options, noting the growing rates of traffic deaths in the past year.

Transportation commissioners didn't make any decisions about how to spend the money on Thursday. But they said they were uncomfortable with moving the scenario proposed by climate activists forward because they had only received it the previous day.

The commission will meet several more times to discuss where to send funding, and the issue will be open to public comment in February. The commission will make a decision by the end of March.

-Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR

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Rose Quarter freeway project in Portland short hundreds of millions, ODOT says

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The Oregon Department of Transportation said Thursday that it doesn't have enough money set aside to complete a major Portland freeway project. Agency leaders told the Oregon Transportation Commission, which sets state transportation policies, that it was short more than $500 million of the projected $1.18 billion to $1.25 billion in costs to complete the Rose Quarter expansion project.

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Residential construction permits in Portland down 82% since Green New Deal

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Residential construction permits in Portland down 82% since Green New Deal

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The Green New Deal requires that in developments of 10 or more units, 25% of those units must be affordable to people making 80% of the area median income. The rule applies to new construction, substantial rehab, adaptive reuse or conversion from nonresidential to residential use. This had led to a substantial decrease in construction permits being given. This affects the population in both positive and negative ways. Positively, it forces property owners to construct developments that are affordable for the areas residents. Negatively, these corporations know they will not make as much money if they abide by these guidelines, so less housing is being built for the residents of Portland.

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The Green New Deal, which mandates that certain new residential construction in Portland meet affordability requirements, has led to a dampening of development in the year since its passage.

In 2020, prior to the new inclusionary zoning provision, 756 residential units were put on the planning books. In the roughly one year since passing the provision in November 2020, only 139 units had been put on the books - a decrease of 81.6%, according to a study by the Boulos Co.

The three projects that are on the books in Portland include a 48-unit development called Winchester Woods in Portland's East Deering neighborhood, as well as a 81-unit project at 45 Forest Ave. and a 10-unit development at 392 St. John St.

The Green New Deal requires that in developments of 10 or more units, 25% of those units must be affordable to people making 80% of the area median income. The rule applies to new construction, substantial rehab, adaptive reuse or conversion from nonresidential to residential use.

The previous rule required 10% of new units to be workforce units and defined workforce units as affordable for households that earn 100% of the area median income.

"The reason it was voted on was a very legitimate housing problem. Housing is a big issue. Voters hoped it would increase the amount of affordable housing but it ultimately led to fewer units altogether," John Finegan, an associate with the Boulos Co., told Mainebiz.

Traditional workforce housing, which often uses subsidies and public financing, will continue to be developed unhindered by the new ordinance.

Developers also can choose to pay $150,000 per workforce unit to the city as an alternative to providing workforce units, known as a fee-in-lieu. As a result, luxury units can be more profitable because the $150,000 fee-in-lieu remains flat, regardless of the quality or sale value of the unit, the Boulos report said.

Yarmouth-based developer Kevin O'Rourke, who is building Winchester Woods, previously told Mainebiz that two factors helped his project to be possible: the acquisition of the land at a low price and the development under a Planned Residential Unit Development provision, which gave him a 25% density bonus.

"The new [inclusionary zoning] provisions have not stopped new multifamily development in its tracks, but they have made it very difficult, and they are having a noticeable negative impact on the housing being built in Portland, a city hungry for housing," the Boulos report said.

"These developments take years. People will continue to see development going on, big cranes going up because those projects were already on the books before the referendum passed, but by 2023, 2024 there will be a noticeable decrease in development," Finegan said. "Development will stop. There's a two- to four-year pipeline in development projects and they're already starting to dry up."

Higher construction costs and labor costs also play a role, Finegan said.

Under the new rules, the maximum affordable rent must include electricity, heat, hot water, cooking energy, sewer, water, and trash collection. The current maximum affordable rents for workforce units are $1,189 a month for a studio apartment, $1,398 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,598 for a two-bedroom apartment.

According to the Boulos report, Christine Grimando, director of Portland's Department of Planning & Urban Development, cited one strategy deployed by developers to skirt the new provision is to reduce the scope of their projects.

"For example, one multifamily project originally slated for 20-plus units is being redesigned as a nine-unit project, just below the threshold that triggers inclusionary zoning," the Boulos report said. "This trend is resulting in less housing overall and no additional affordable housing being built in Portland. Other developers are actively working with the city, trying to find ways to bring forward housing proposals that can meet the current requirements. Unfortunately, most are finding it difficult to make the projects financially viable."

"The new requirements will likely reduce the number of both new workforce and market rate housing units in Portland. It is likely we will see an increase in smaller condo and apartment buildings where a larger multifamily might have otherwise been the highest and best use," the Boulos report said.

For developments with 10 or more units, there are two viable routes: traditional workforce housing and luxury units.

Cities and towns outside of Portland, where there are no inclusionary zoning provisions, are seeing a boom in development.

"Neighboring towns like South Portland, Biddeford, and Westbrook are going through renaissance moments of their own now, and these new (inclusionary zoning) provisions may disperse some of the cash and intellectual capital that has had its eye on Portland," the Boulos report said. "Inclusionary zoning may be the catalyst that spreads the previously Portland-based development across the state."

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Residential construction permits in Portland down 82% since Green New Deal

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The Green New Deal, which mandates that certain new residential construction in Portland meet affordability requirements, has led to a dampening of development in the year since its passage. In 2020, prior to the new inclusionary zoning provision, 756 residential units were put on the planning books.

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I think it's sad that it started with a big purpose but it seems many things have gotten in the way of creating more housing for Portland. Like the article said it takes years and a lot of time for these things to go through and that's just more time family's and the public have to search for homes.

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A Multnomah County committee voted yesterday to advance plans for a new, earthquake-resistant Burnside Bridge. The new plan includes one less car lane to expedite the construction process and save taxpayers roughly $240,000,000. After construction was delayed by a year, it could commence by 2025. This is beneficial to Portland residents as it allows them to feel safer when they commute around the city

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The Mercury provides news and fun every single day-but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

Good afternoon, Portland! Hope you're enjoying the sunny sunshine. Here are the day's headlines:
IN LOCAL NEWS:
* A Multnomah County committee voted yesterday to advance plans for a new, earthquake-resistant Burnside Bridge with one less lane for cars in an effort to expedite the construction process and save taxpayers some $240 million. Construction, already pushed back a year, could commence as soon as 2025.

* Criminal justice reform advocates and leaders in the state legislature are hopeful that a bill compensating wrongly convicted Oregonians for the time they spent behind bars will pass in the upcoming legislative session after it died in committee in 2021. The Oregon Department of Justice supports its passage.

* Researchers at OHSU have found that people infected with COVID and then vaccinated, or vaccinated and then infected, have an immune response ten times more potent than the immune response of people who have only been vaccinated-suggesting a potential path to super-immunity for a segment of the population and underscoring the value of getting vaccinated.

This Wednesday, Portland City Council will take public comment on a decision to seek vendors for a police body camera program. It's the first step in the latest plan to get cops equipped with cameras.

Here's the last time body cams came to City Hall: https://t.co/NsRJWpBdPh
- Alex Zielinski (@alex_zee) January 25, 2022

* The FBI raided the Illinois headquarters of the COVID-19 testing company currently under investigation by the Oregon Department of Justice and myriad other agencies across multiple states on Saturday.

Calling all music lovers: Win FREE TIX to see jazz greats Kurt Elling & Charlie Hunter AND the delightful Delgani String Quartet with the Mercury's FREE TICKET TUESDAY! https://t.co/8wYr0ieS9o
- Portland Mercury 🗞 (@portlandmercury) January 25, 2022

* Good news: it's FREE TICKETS TUESDAY-yes, that's FREE TICKETS TUESDAY-here at the Mercury. Enter here to win tickets Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter and the Delgani String Quartet here.
IN NATIONAL NEWS:
* A group of ten Indigenous tribes are reclaiming ancestral land on the northern California coast after the Save the Redwoods League announced that it will transfer control of more than 500 acres on the Lost Coast, or Tc'ih-Léh-Dûñ, to the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council. The tribes will, rightfully, be responsible for protecting the land.

* The Florida Republican Party, led by 2024 GOP hopeful Ron DeSantis, is attempting to pass a bill that would require governments to produce economic impact statements for any ordinances they pass and another that would allow businesses to sue the government for passing any law that impeded its ability to make a profit.

* US and NATO officials continue to prepare for a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the US planning to help direct natural gas supplies to Europe in the event that the continent's Russian supply is cut off in a potential conflict.

President Joe Biden said that he would consider imposing direct sanctions on President Vladimir Putin if Russia invades Ukraine, as Western leaders stepped up preparations for any Russian military action in Ukraine https://t.co/aVQTLSqPWu pic.twitter.com/ozVNa5FlfA
- Reuters (@Reuters) January 25, 2022

* Jerry Falwell Jr. is back in the news a year-and-a-half after resigning as president of Liberty University, telling Vanity Fair, "People think I'm a religious person. But I'm not." I'm sure many Christians would readily agree.

* It's back for 2022! America's sexiest, funnest dirty movie fest, HUMP! Coming at ya starting February 24 at Revolution Hall- GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

* Finally...

Old Australian guy in my train says he knows Ye lol pic.twitter.com/93xhFh5Cr4
- She Extends (Read Pinned!) (@68tilinfinity) January 24, 2022

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Good Afternoon, News: Burnside Bridge Plan Advances, Compensation for the Wrongly Incarcerated, and Land Returned to California Tribes

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The Mercury provides news and fun every single day-but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! Good afternoon, Portland! Hope you're enjoying the sunny sunshine.

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Comment for Burnside Bridge Plan Advance (from Samantha Contreras)

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Comment for Burnside Bridge Plan Advance (from Samantha Contreras)

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Hi Phoenix! Thank you for sharing your articles. One of the articles that intrigued me most was the bridge advancing. I am glad to hear they are working to get our bridges seismically safe. I wonder though how taking away a lane will effect its users? There seems to always be pros and cons to each planning tasks but luckily this one, in my eyes, is mostly a pro for safety reasons.