I'm one of the neighbors of the new abomination being aborted into being at the corner of SE 38th and Division.
I just found out that the Oregonian has made an egregious mistatement that "the neighbor's supported the development" and a printed retraction was being sought. It seems that the writer misinterpreted the 'neighborhood association's approval' as being the approval of the neighbors of the project.
This brings up an even more interesting topic...What has become of our neighborhood association? Are they now a bunch of stooges for the developers? This project at 38th and Division is a travesty in several different ways...no parking, excess units, and excess height to start. I'm still waiting to see if the RNA actually enforced it's own Neighborhood Plan requirements that such developments 'aesthetically fit into the existing neighborhood'. I'm betting not, given how they seem to have buckled on practically everything.
People...We must stop degrading what little park and recreational space in our neighborhood. We are a 'park deficient neighborhood' and adding more housing units on top of the existing numbers of housing units just creates even greater usage pressures on all other public services in the neighborhood. So...Did these developers create any new park space in the neighborhood? NO!
Until such time that all additional residential units added to the neighborhood come with additional park space, sewerage capacity, clean water without increased cost....etc., etc., etc. We should actively be opposing this stuff. I MEAN ACTIVELY!
I won't put up with the mealy-mouthed platitudes from Doug Plotz and his commentary that "it's all perfectly legal"...Legal ain't the stinkin' issue, Doug. Quality of life in our neighborhood is....GET WITH THE PROGRAM!
Richmond neighborhood has traditions to uphold. Evidently, those currently serving on the RNA board are craven in their desire to give away what little quality this neighborhood has conserved and built over the past twenty years. This is the neighborhood which stopped retail marketer from clearing four square blocks of residences to build yet another stinkin' unneeded strip mall. This is the neighborhood which stopped the installation of yet another stinkin' unneeded BurgerFling outlet on Chavez. This is the neighborhood which, when the city couldn't provide staffing to create a neighborhood plan, we did it ourselves.
Now, the city, in cohoots with sleazy real estate developers, is intent upon raping our neighborhood to line their own pockets. The RNA needs to be resisting this stuff, not rolling over and asking for abuse.
People...Get rid of the clueless nitwits at RNA who approved this forsaken project.
