After nearly a year-long process to address residents’ concerns about the lack of neighborhood-serving commercial development along the SE 122^nd Avenue corridor, the Portland City Council will consider a rezoning proposal to create more neighborhood-serving businesses for the community.

On Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012, Council will hold a public hearing on The SE 122^nd Avenue Rezone Project – Recommended Draft, which includes changes to support more commercial activity in a historically underserved neighborhood. Led by the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, this action will help create a more complete neighborhood as described in the Portland Plan’s Economic Prosperity and Affordability Strategy and Healthy Connected City Strategy.

This project implements portions of The SE 122^nd Ave Study: a Pilot Project of the Comprehensive Plan, which was endorsed by the City Council in February 2011. The proposed recommendations will change the zoning applied to numerous properties along the SE 122^nd Avenue corridor between Powell Blvd and Foster Road from multi-dwelling residential designations to commercial designations.

The project also incorporates zone changes requested by the Portland Parks Bureau. Four parcels of property under their ownership and included within the Leach Botanical Gardens will be rezoned from low-density residential to open space, thus bringing these properties’ zoning into conformance with current and anticipated future use. No new development is proposed for this part of the project area.

Comprehensive Plan Map changes will also be made to eight lots with frontage on Powell Blvd. This intersection has been identified by the Oregon Department of Transportation as one of the top-5% Safety Priority Index System locations in the state, an indicator of safety concerns that require additional consideration when potential new development might affect traffic and pedestrian safety. Future zone change applications for these properties will be made through a quasi-judicial process, allowing the Portland Bureau of Transportation to outline required traffic safety improvements and allocate the cost of these improvements.

For more information on the SE 122^nd Avenue Rezone Project, please contact John Cole, Senior Planner, at (503) 823-3475 or john.cole@portlandoregon.gov.