FINAL FINDINGS and DECISION by the DESIGN COMMISSION RENDERED on August 20, 2020
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FINAL FINDINGS AND DECISION BY THE DESIGN COMMISSION RENDERED ON August 20, 2020 FINAL DECISION BY THE DESIGN COMMISSION The Design Commission has approved a proposal in your neighborhood. This document is only a summary of the decision. The reasons for the decision, including the written response to the approval criteria and to public comments received on this application, are included in the version located on the BDS website http://www.portlandonline.com/bds/index.cfm?c=46429. Click on the District Coalition then scroll to the relevant Neighborhood, and case number. If you disagree with the decision, you can appeal. Information on how to do so is included at the end of this decision. CASE FILE NUMBER: LU 19-246279 CCMP AD PC # 19-147103 USPS Broadway Corridor Master Plan BUREAU OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES STAFF: Hillary Adam 503-823-3581 / [email protected] GENERAL INFORMATION Applicant/Owner: Sarah Harpole 503-823-3337 Prosper Portland Portland Development Commission 222 NW 5th Ave Portland, OR 97209 Owner’s Representative: Julie Bronder 503-863-2289 ZGF Architects LLP 1223 SW Washington St, Suite 200 Portland, OR 97205 Site Address: 715 NW HOYT ST Legal Description: BLOCK 113&114&129-132&147&148&192&193&T&Z TL 100, COUCHS ADD; BLOCK 114&129&132&147 TL 200, COUCHS ADD Tax Account No.: R180210240, R180210300 State ID No.: 1N1E34BC 00100, 1N1E34BC 00200 Quarter Section: 2929 Neighborhood: Pearl District, contact Reza Farhoodi or David Dysert at [email protected]. Business District: Pearl District Business Association, contact at [email protected] District Coalition: Neighbors West/Northwest, contact Mark Sieber at 503-823-4212. Plan District: Central City - Pearl District Final Findings and Decision for USPS Broadway Corridor Master Plan Page 2 Case Number LU 19-246279 CCMP AD Other Designations: Master Plan Site Zoning: EXd – Cenral Employment with Design overlay Case Type: CCMP AD – Central City Master Plan with Adjustment Request Procedure: Type III, with a public hearing before the Design Commission. The decision of the Design Commission can be appealed to City Council. Proposal: The applicant requests Central City Master Plan Review for the 14-acre former site of the United States Postal Service. The Central City Master Plan will establish the framework for future development proposals within the Master Plan boundary (NW Hoyt, NW 9th, NW Lovejoy, NW Broadway). The site will ultimately be home to approximately 4 million square feet of new commercial, employment, and residential development, as well as open space. The Green Loop will run through the center of the site alongside public open space, which includes an extension of the North Park Blocks. The following Adjustments are requested: 1. 33.510.225 Ground Floor Active Uses – to relocate the Ground Floor active Use Requirement from NW Lovejoy and NW Hoyt Streets to NW Johnson and to NW 8th and NW Park between NW Hoyt and NW Johnson. A Central City Master Plan Review is required because this site was identified in Map 510-19 of the Portland Zoning Code as requiring a Central City Master Plan Review prior to development of the site. Relevant Approval Criteria: In order to be approved, this proposal must comply with the approval criteria of Title 33. The relevant approval criteria are: . 33.510.255.H [Central City Master Plans] Approval Criteria . Oregon Statewide Planning Goals ANALYSIS Site and Vicinity: The subject property is a 14-acre site, formerly owned by the United States Postal Service (USPS) and is bound by NW Hoyt Street at the south, NW 9th Avenue on the west, NW Lovejoy Street and bridge ramp on the north, and NW Broadway bridge ramp and NW Station Way on the east. The USPS Broadway Corridor Master Plan area consists of half the area encompassing the larger 28-acre “Broadway Corridor” redevelopment area which includes Union Station, the old Greyhound bus Terminal, PNCA, and other contiguous sites. The USPS site is currently occupied by the former USPS mail distribution facility as well as a multi-level parking garage, surface parking and vehicle storage areas. A portion of the existing building is still used for USPS retail services while all mail distribution functions have been relocated off- site. The site is located within the Pearl subdistrict of the Central City Plan District and is surrounded by condominium, apartment, and other mixed-use buildings to the south, west, and north. At the north end of the site, the Lovejoy Bridge ramp rises from grade at NW 9th to an ultimate height of approximately 30’ above grade. Below the Lovejoy ramp is a private surface parking lot and immediately beyond the ramp is a multi-level parking garage. There is no access to the site from NW Lovejoy. At the east end of the site, the Broadway Bridge ramp connects to the Lovejoy ramp, approximately 30’ above grade, down to grade at NW Hoyt Street. Below the Broadway ramp, NW Station Way runs north-south before angling southeast in front of the landmark Union Station, the City’s main regional rail station for passenger trains. One Final Findings and Decision for USPS Broadway Corridor Master Plan Page 3 Case Number LU 19-246279 CCMP AD block further east of the Broadway ramp is the former Greyhound bus station, anticipated for future redevelopment as part of the larger Broadway Corridor Framework Plan. To the south, across NW Hoyt Street is the landmark United States Post Office building, constructed in 1915 and currently serving as the home for the Pacific Northwest College of Art and the landmark Honeyman Hardware Lofts; between these buildings is a surface parking lot intended to be redeveloped as an extension of the North Park Blocks which run south between NW 8th and Park Avenues. West of NW 9th are mid- to and high-rise buildings, including the Ecotrust Building; NW Kearney Street, from NW 9th Avenue to NW 12th Avenue, is a pedestrian street. Jamison Square, a public park, is located one block west, between NW 10th and 11th Avenues and NW Johnson and Kearney Streets. While not yet constructed, the City’s Transportation System Plan has considered the future extension of NW Johnson between NW 9th Avenue and Station Way, the future extension of NW Park between NW Hoyt and NW Johnson, as well as the extension of the Green Loop trough the site. The site is located within a Bicycle District and a Pedestrian District. The City’s Transportation System Plan has identified the surrounding and proposed extended streets as follows: • NW 9th Avenue – Major City Bikeway, City Walkway • NW Lovejoy Street – Major City Bikeway, Major Emergency Response Street, Central City Transit/Pedestrian Street, Traffic Access Street, Major Transit Priority Street • NW Broadway – Major City Bikeway, Major Emergency Response Street, City Walkway, Traffic Access Street, Transit Access Street • NW Station Way – City Bikeway, City Walkway, Transit Access Street • NW Hoyt Street – City Bikeway, City Walkway • NW Park Avenue – Major City Bikeway, Central City Transit/Pedestrian Street • NW Johnson Street – City Bikeway, Central City Transit/Pedestrian Street • Green Loop – Major City Bikeway, Central City Transit/Pedestrian Street Beyond the site, the Willamette River is located two blocks beyond the northeast corner of the site and is accessible via a pedestrian bridge that crosses the railroad tracks at Union Station as well as an at-grade crossing three blocks north at the north end of NW 9th Avenue. Broadway Bridge at the northeast corner of the site connects the master plan area to the east side of the Willamette River, landing near the Rose Quarter. Streetcar lines run north and south on NW 10th and 11th, respectively, connecting the site to Northwest Portland, South Waterfront, and the Central Eastside. MAX lines run north and south on NW 6th and 5th avenues, respectively, and connect the site south to Downtown Portland, north to the Expo Center in North Portland, NE to the airport, east to Gresham, SE to Sunnyside, S to Milwaukie, and west to Beaverton and Hillsboro. Bus lines run west on NW Glisan (one block south), east on Everett (three blocks south), south on Broadway and NW 5th, north on NW 6th (terminating at Union Station), and north/south on NW Naito Parkway beyond the railroad tracks. Zoning: The Central Employment (EX) zone allows mixed-uses and is intended for areas in the center of the City that have predominantly industrial type development. The intent of the zone is to allow industrial and commercial uses which need a central location. Residential uses are allowed, but are not intended to predominate or set development standards for other uses in the area. The development standards are intended to allow new development which is similar in character to existing development. The Design Overlay Zone [d] promotes the conservation, enhancement, and continued vitality of areas of the City with special scenic, architectural, or cultural value. This is achieved through the creation of design districts and applying the Design Overlay Zone as part of community planning projects, development of design guidelines for each district, and by requiring design review. In addition, design review ensures that certain types of infill development will be compatible with the neighborhood and enhance the area. Final Findings and Decision for USPS Broadway Corridor Master Plan Page 4 Case Number LU 19-246279 CCMP AD Land Use History: City records indicate that relevant prior land use reviews include: • EA 19-147103 PC – Pre-Application Conference for the current proposal; and • EA 19-147114 DA – Design Advice Request for the current proposal. Agency Review: A Request for Response was sent on December 27, 2019. The following Bureaus have responded with the following comments: The Site Development Section of BDS responded, referencing comments submitted for EA 19-147103, and included in the record, which noted: “In order to evaluate whether the foundation design of the proposed structures comply with the Oregon Structural Specialty Code, at the time that each building permit application is submitted the applicant must submit a geotechnical report.