Neighbors Mobilize Against Big-Box
Neighbors in the Roseway and Madison South neighborhoods are mobilizing against a new "big box" development planned across the street from Madison High School.
Canadian Developer SmartCentre has requested a conditional use permit from the City of Portland to build a 240,000 square foot commerical development on an old land fill. The land is currently zoned for a 60,000 square foot building - the size of your neighborhood Safeway or New Seasons.
Jeff shares neighbors concerns that such a large scale development would only worsen the dangerous traffic conditions on NE 82nd and that cars would spill into the surrounding residential blocks.
If approved, SmartCentre’s development would be the largest single development anywhere on 82nd Avenue. While the company is mum on its plans for an anchor tenant, its website boasts that SmartCentre develops “large-scale, unenclosed shopping centre[s] … the majority anchored by a Wal-Mart store”.
If you'd like to get involved in the fight against the big-box, join neighbors this Saturday at 3:30 in Glenhaven Park on 82nd and Siskiyou to help them spread the word.
Posted on July 25, 2007
Comments
(Note: Comments are the views of their authors, and no one else.)
Posted by: TR - August 18, 2007 01:32 AM
This particular piece of property, a former gravel pit, then garbage dump land fill, and then and now defunked golf driving range is currently blighted. Because the land is a former garbage dump land fill, methane gas exists under the property and must be ventilated and/or burned off. Structures must be built on pilings. This makes the property unacceptable for residential use. 82nd Avenue is a major traffic arterial that has good transit service and also works as a back up route for I-205. The 82nd Avenue Max Station is only a few blocks away. The City should be encouraging development on this property and a big box is a good fit. For example, if a Lowes were to locate there, it would save Northeast inner city residents driving clear out to Wood Village to shop. A WalMart would be no different than, and only add about the same amount of traffic as the Swedish WalMart, Ikea just off of 82nd Avenue a short distance to the North near the Airport. Per city code, a developer only must notify property owners within 150 feet of the development. Since there is a public park across 82nd Avenue to the West of the property, and if the developer were to leave a 150 foot buffer on the sides of the property that are residential, nobody is really affected (per city code) by the development making a big box store possibly the best option for this property and thereby removing the blight.
Posted by: hailbob - October 11, 2007 09:09 AM
TR, do you live in any of the surrounding neighborhoods?