Bridlemile Neighborhood Newsletter

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Everyone is welcome to attend the neighborhood meetings held at 6:30pm, the second Wednesday of each month during the school year in the Bridlemile staff room, 4300 SW 47th. 

 

  

  Bridlemiles Audrey Metcalf Steve Mullinax Hayhursts Doug Rogers

Bridlemile Neighborhood residents Audrey Metcalfe and Steve Mullinax, Hayhurst resident Doug Rogers in a vigil for pedestrian safety on Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy.

 

Join us for the next

Bridlemile Neighborhood Association Meeting

 

Wednesday, January 14th

6:30 - 8:00 pm

Bridlemile School

4300 SW 47th Dr.

 

  

Transportation

 

Want Safer Streets In Bridlemile? Bridlemile streets are unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists! Hazards include high vehicle speed, congestion, unsafe crossings, Tri-Met stops and visibility issues; lack of pedestrian or bike paths.


Now is your chance to make a difference! Go to swni.org/WalkableBNA and make your comments!  And join the discussion at our January 14th meeting!

 

TriMet Guest December Speaker:  Tom Mills of TriMet was the guest speaker at our December 10 meeting. TriMet is proposing improved service and route changes in SW Portland which directly affect Bridlemile residents. Called the Southwest Service Enhancement Plan, this process began in Fall 2013 and in summer 2014 TriMet began seeking public feedback on this draft vision. They are now in draft refinement and will look for public testimony in late Fall 2014/early Winter 2015.  Proposed long-term changes impact lines 55, 54, 56, 51 and 39. Many thought the changes were good. There is concern however about the lack of safe routes to buses and the lack of safe bus stops, in particular SW Patton Road which is so narrow and without shoulders or walking space. To add your voice, view the map, and sign up at Trimet SW for email updates. Remember to share your comments with our neighborhood association in person at monthly meetings or by email to BridlemileTransportation@swni.org.

 

Nearer-term TriMet updates: As of March 1st, 2015, the two-hour transfer will be extended to two and one-half hours. No change in fare and this is for all category of non-monthly pass riders.   System-wide, service hours have now been restored to pre-recession levels. (This reflects the overall system level of service hours: some individual lines have more or fewer service hours.) The transit union and TriMet management have come to an agreement about the unionized employees health care benefits that ensures good employee benefits, while also protecting the future of TriMet.

  

Parks

Please join us for the Parks Budget Dialogue (Jan. 7, 6-8pm). Important public meeting to help determine the Portland Parks and Rec Budget priorities. Presented by Commissioner Amanda Fritz and Director Mike Abbat�. Where:    St. Philip Neri Church, Carvlin Hall,  2408 SE 16th Avenue , Bus Routes #10 and #14. Invitation here (pdf). See also, PP&R budget - Fiscal Year 2015-16
 

 

Land Use

 

Sharing community: short-term rentals and ride-share services: Traditionally, zoning laws are based on separation of uses, with things like single-family homes and apartments in "residential" zones and things like hotels in "commercial" zones, near major streets and services meant to support more intense uses.  The recent popularity of short-term small-scale rental services like Airbnb  and VRBO have the potential to cause concerns for neighbors in residential areas, but rather than outlaw the practice entirely, the city has chosen to regulate and require some limited permitting for such cross-over uses.  Before you or your neighbors consider renting your private house or apartment (or any part of it), you should make sure you know and comply with the requirements.  Learn more at this link:  https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bds/65603 .  The city is currently considering a regulatory framework for Uber ride-sharing services that bridge the gap between private vehicle loan programs (like ZipCars) and commercial taxi establishments, so make sure to check for those updates before offering or using any such services.

 

2035 Comprehensive Plan updates: The City of Portland is updating its Comprehensive Plan, a long-range 20-year plan that sets the framework for the physical development of the city. Portland's Bureau of Planning and Sustainability's 2035 Comprehensive Plan website has complete information on the proposed draft, as well as links to the public process.  

  

The city's hearings and comment periods for the various portions of the proposed comprehensive plan updates will continue for the next few months and possibly as much as the next year.  Due to the overwhelming amount of information to review, some neighborhood associations (including BNA) have requested an extension of the timeline.  Nonetheless, some important policy changes are proposed for the southwest hills areas, and the early comment deadlines are approaching.  First up is the impending comment deadline, January 9, for portions of the proposed transportation plan, including specific projects to improve pedestrian and bike safety in our neighborhood.  The city has put together an easy map, where you can zoom into specific areas and see which projects are proposed and then click on the projects and submit comments online, right from the map.  It's an easy and important way to make your views known.  Find out more at the Bridlemile Walkability page.

  

In addition, the Multnomah Neighborhood Association will be discussing the Comprehensive Plan changes at its Feb. 10th meeting (7 p.m. at Multnomah Arts Center, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy.) and invites all southwest area residents to attend.  

 

Housing demolitions: At past BNA meetings, residents have expressed concerns about a number of recent home demolitions in the neighborhood, often followed by lot splitting and replacement homes with a much larger footprint than the one being demolished.  Concerns about stormwater impacts and soil stability will only increase as this technique for achieving greater density in our area is implemented more widely.  Other neighborhoods are also expressing fears about loss of historic homes and neighborhood character and poor planning for increased traffic.  The city council held a hearing on these issues in December but ran out of time to hear from all those who had signed up to speak, so they will continue that hearing on February 12, 2015.  Although testimony will only be allowed from those already signed up at the December hearing, anybody can submit written comments before then.  Here are some links to background information from United Neighborhoods for Reform, hearing coverage from The Portland Tribune, and a list of demolitions throughout the city from Portland Chronicle: http://unitedneighborhoodsforreform.blogspot.com/ and http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/244741-111549-demolition-infill-foes-gather-steam#disqus_thread and http://www.portlandchronicle.com/.

 

Tree code updates: You may remember that, back in 2011, the city updated the tree code, but implementation was delayed while funding issues were worked out.  Now, finally, the new tree code is in place and effective as of January 2, 2015.  The link to the new code is here: http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/350786 but just be aware that there may be new requirements or permits (though some free) if you intend to remove or plant trees on your property.  The city's website has all the updated permit requirements here: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/trees/ .  In the southwest hills, where we rely on vegetation to perform important stormwater management and soil stability functions, trees are taken seriously!

 

To Bridlemile Friends & Neighbors ~  Come listen and reminisce this January 21st at the SWHRL History Forum!

 

Bridlemile Neighborhood Association's overlapping boundary partner, Southwest Hills Residential League "SWHRL" is hosting a storyteller's history forum Wednesday evening, January 21, 2015, 6:30-8:30pm in the Ainsworth School auditorium.

 

SWHRL former board chair and author Jim Thayer will speak about the 2004-05 highly publicized "Boundary Wars" when SWHRL sued the city thinking the boundaries they'd drawn impinged on the SWHRL boundaries. The settlement created overlapping boundaries with some adjacent neighborhoods such as Bridlemile.  FYI:  http://swni.org/bridlemile_neighborhood_association/history/swhrl_boundary_issue.

 

In addition to the "big kerfuffle," Jim will also share some regionally relevant Oregon history stories such as the fate of the Multnomahs, the Shoot-out at the Mozee Claim, the oversized condor that once circled in our skies, and how a 1905 railroad bridge irrevocably served ties along the Columbia.

 

The second guest speaker is Michael Munk, author of "The Portland Red Guide," a history of communism and socialism and the labor movement in Portland. Interviewer Jim Breithaupt's article is posted on the SWHRL website: http://swni.org/CMS-Uploads/Michael%20Munk%20Story-Sept%202014_0.pdf

 

January 14th Agenda

  

Our January meeting is Wednesday, January 14th, 6:30pm, at the Faculty Lounge, Bridlemile School.  

 

Introductions and welcomes

Committee reports, police report

Transportation:

Comprehensive Plan update: addressing walkability

Land Use: 

Comp plan

Update: Proposed self-storage units, 4322 BHH.

BNA governance update: bylaws revision, conflict of interest rules

 

We look forward to seeing you there!

 

Upcoming meetings, tentative agendas. January: to be scheduled. Please contact Steve Mullinax, BridlemileNAParks@swni.org for more information, or to suggest additional agenda topics.

 


 

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You are invited to join us for the regularly scheduled meetings of the Bridelmile Neighborhood Association, the second Wednesday of each month during the school year, September through June, 6:30pm at the Bridlemile School Faculty Lounge.

 

Sincerely,

 

Your Bridlemile Neighborhood Association Board

 

email:  BridlemileBoard@swni.org

web page:  www.swni.org/bridlemile