Hillsdale 
Neighborhood
Association

The Meeting was called to order at 7:32 by President, Wes Risher.  The agenda was approved with one addition.  The minutes of the last meeting were approved.  

Neighborhood Liaison Officer was not present.  However, Richard Garfinkle  gave a brief  police report.  A brick was thrown through his office window, at a time when his cleaning man was working.   The man called the police.  The burglar got away with $100, but was caught at a nearby bus stop.  Good police work.  

Bob Williams, Project Manager with Oregon DEQ, who has a grant for targeted brownfield assessment, has been working at Bertha Triangle.  He has put in four wells and several test holes.  He did not find buried storage tanks, but found miscellaneous metal (not surprising, since it was an auto wrecking  shop in the past), and evidence of pollution, some of which may have come from a dry cleaning shop on the east side of Bertha Ct.  He will have a final report in April.  

Eli Spevack from Portland Housing Development Center presented elevation drawings of a proposed development on the Bertha Triangle site when the pollution mitigation is satisfactorily taken care of.  It would be a mixed use development with commercial opportunities on the ground floor and affordable housing for seniors on the upper two or three stories.  Parking for the commercial uses, as well as for the residents is under consideration.  Nothing about the project is an anywhere near a final state.  It  depends partly on what the pollution mitigation and the water table make possible in the way of below-grade building.  There was general agreement that a large mixed-use building on the site, especially one with an attractive tower structure such as Spevack’s plans proposed,  would make a nice entry to Hillsdale, and that the site would be very suitable for senior housing since it is close to services, and close to good public transportation.  Parking and street access were discussed, but since it is very far from when the final  footprint of the new construction will be decided, no conclusions were reached.  

Amalia Alarconn-Gaddie from Community Partners for Affordable Housing , told us about grant money for projects for Building a New America.  The grants are for $2,000 or less for projects that will increase participation in the neighborhoods by new immigrants.  Portland in one of three demonstration cities in the US where these grants will be made.  Russian, Ukrainian and Black immigrants are being especially targeted, but any immigrant group may be the target of a grant.  Proposals must be submitted by Feb. 22, 2002 and the project must be completed by Sept. 30.  Results of the projects will be presented in Oct. at a conference.  

Jeff Lann from MJCC spoke again about the plans to cover the existing tennis courts with a “bubble” for up to 10 years. The roof will be opaque white.  The structure will be fenced.  A screen of poplars, already there, will shield the view of the structure from the street.  A new bus stop, information board, and entry way will be constructed at the sidewalk entrance to MJCC from Capitol Highway.  Landscaping along Capitol Highway will be improved.  Don Baack moved that the Hillsdale Neighborhood Association support the proposed plan with the provisions that the agreement include a 10 pm closing time for the Center; there be no backup generator (noise factor); and that the “bubble” structure will be there for not more than 10 years.  The motion passed.  

There was a short discussion about where the final entrance to MJCC should be.  MJCC, PJA, and PJF all share the property and all three, and the Hillsdale Neighborhood Association, need to sit down with PDOT and reach some conclusion.

OHSU is moving ahead with plans for an overhead route between the  hospitals on the hill and the proposed new facility on Macadam.  The Hillsdale Neighborhood Association is concerned about increased traffic through Hillsdale, and about commuters parking on the Hillsdale neighborhood streets to commute to the OHSU facilities.  If the proposed Macadam facility goes ahead, Hillsdale deserves some mitigation to the problems it will cause our neighborhood.  Some suggestions included: a pedestrian path over the hill to Fairmont; better timing for the traffic light at Terwilliger and Capitol Highway: OHSU renting a lot to accommodate park and ride autos.  It was pointed out that there are no plans to provide parking at the new OHSU site on Macadam.  Don Baack moved that we  send a letter opposing the plan to put 900 new parking spaces at the top of the hill unless equal parking is provided on Macadam.  He distributed a paper  (attached) outlining the suggestions.  It was decided that items 3,4,&5 be placed before items 1 &2 in the letter we sent.  The motion passed. 

Glen Bridger received a call from a Wilson Park resident who seeks the Neighborhood Association’s support for a complaint about a remodeling that does not conform to the Wilson Park Restraints and Covenants.  After some discussion it was concluded that the City has neither rights nor obligations in this matter.  It is up to the residents covered by the Restraints and Covenants to enforce them.  Don Baack moved that the Hillsdale Neighborhood Association send a letter to the SWNI Land Use Committee about this.  Motion passed.  

On Feb. 20 people are invited to a no host supper at Mucho Grande to discuss a Farmers Market.  Supper at 6, discussion at 7, come when you can.  

On March 16 there will be the Third Annual Neighborhood Summit.  One of the workshops will be New to the Neighborhood – how to get new people active  in the neighborhood.  It will be nice if someone goes and reports back to us.  

Wes Risher announced that he will be leaving on Feb. 28 for 90 days in Saudi Arabia with the Air National Guard.  

Don Baack announced that the Lake Oswego City Council supports the SWTrails Committee trail to Lake Oswego.  

Meeting adjourned after 9:30.

Keturah Pennington, today’s note taker