City Council Rejects Neighbors’ Aesthetic Complaints Over Affordable Housing Development

The Buck-Prager building on NW Hoyt will be transformed into an affordable housing complex. CITY OF PORTLAND

Members of the Northwest District Association (NWDA) wanted to make one thing clear at Thursday’s Portland City Council meeting: They aren’t against building more affordable housing in their Alphabet District neighborhood.

They just don't like this particular affordable housing project.

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The neighborhood group had filed an appeal against plans to transform the historic Buck-Prager building on NW Hoyt into a multi-building affordable housing development. Their appeal stated that the planned development, which the city's Historical Landmarks Commission approved in September, wouldn’t properly blend in with the historical district or meet zoning requirements. (NWDA member and attorney Tony Schwartz filed a separate appeal that listed similar concerns.)

The city council, however, didn't agree. Commissioners overturned the appeals in a 4-0 vote (Commissioner Nick Fish was absent) Thursday afternoon.

Although the NWDA’s appeal is based on aesthetic worries over the development's appearance, the group brought a different concern to the council meeting: that the development might not actually offer affordable housing.

“Any developer or landowner can come in and build this design, and it can be market-rate, two-bedroom, et cetera,” said Jessica Richman, a member of the NWDA and neighbor of the Buck-Prager building, when presenting the appeal.

Richman also cited her worry that the planned development for Buck-Prager—expanding the building to house 148 affordable housing units—would change the look and feel of her neighborhood.

“I’m hearing a lot that Portland’s changing, it’s not Portland anymore, we’re losing our special character,” she said. “To keep that special character, we ask that you deny this proposal or ask for significant revisions.”

During their own presentation, representatives from project developer Northwest Housing Alternatives (NHA) and architecture firm Carlton Hart Architecture refuted both of Richman’s claims.

“We’re not new to this,” said Trell Anderson, executive director of NHA, “and we’re committed to historic preservation.”

Michelle Black of Carlton Hart said her firm had taken special consideration to ensure the development blend in with the building styles found in the Alphabet District.

“There is a vast variety of architectural styles, sizes, types in this neighborhood,” she said.

Commissioner Amanda Fritz attempted to negotiate a deal in which NHA and Carlton Hart would include language in their plans that would guarantee housing that wouldn’t rise above 60 percent median market value. Anderson and Black pushed back on this request, arguing that such a concrete requirement would make it difficult to secure funding, and that it was more severe than what most affordable housing plans in the city are held to.

No projects NHA is involved in exceed 80 percent median market value.

“If this is a concern for you, I understand that, but this is not out of keeping with what other multifamily projects are getting allowed,” said Black.

Fritz ended up voting in favor of moving the project forward without the 60 percent requirement, saying she felt “very confident” the end result would be affordable.

Before also voting in favor of the project, Commissioner Chloe Eudaly attempted to bridge the gap between those in favor of the affordable project, and those worried about changes to the neighborhood’s aesthetic.

“Like a lot of Portlanders, I am overwhelmed by the rate of change in the city, and I don’t like a lot of it,” she said. “But in this case, I actually think that this is a much more attractive new development that I am seeing on our streets, and the developer and architect have really gone to great lengths to meet the criteria.”

City council will make its final vote to reject the appeal on December 19.