Northeast cyclists rally against big-box proposal

“We are gravely concerned about this issue… This would impact many cyclists who enjoy riding to and around Rocky Butte.”
-Resident Mike Loftus

Some outer northeast Portland residents are worried what a proposed development might mean to bike safety in their neighborhood.

Avid cyclists and neighborhood residents Amy and Mike Loftus say a Canadian-based land developer is hoping to sell property to a big-box retailer that could bring a 240,000 square foot Wal-Mart (or similar) store to the corner of NE 82nd Ave. and NE Siskiyou (see map below).

Red dot marks site of proposed 240,000 square foot retail development. A coalition of neighborhood residents oppose the development and are planning a rally ride this Saturday (8/18) from 9-2 at the top of Rocky Butte Natural Area.

They say the area is heavily used by pedestrians and bicyclists and that an estimated additional 9,000 car trips every day would have a major negative impact.

To rally opposition to the plans, they’ve organized a ride and rally to Rocky Butte Natural Area.

Mike Loftus says, “We are gravely concerned about this issue and are hoping to get Portland area cyclists concerned also. This would impact many cyclists who enjoy riding to and around Rocky Butte, so we are organizing an opportunity for cyclists to get involved.”

The Loftuses, along with the Save Madison South neighborhood group have organized a ride and rally at the top of Rocky Butte this Saturday (August 18th).

They’ll be setting up a table where people can sign letters of protest, donate money to the opposition, and/or just ride to show support for their efforts.

Cyclists who donate $10 or more to the Save Madison South Coalition will qualify to win a prize package of Pearl Izumi bike clothing valued at $150.

Learn more, get involved, and sign up for the Save Madison South Action List at SaveMadisonSouth.org.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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Matt Picio
16 years ago

This is a great action items to get your non-cycling car friends into supporting as well: that area in general and 82nd Avenue, Sandy and Halsey in particular are not going to handle the extra trips well. It\’s going to add congestion, and there is no simple way to modify the existing roads in the area to accommodate it.

a.O
a.O
16 years ago

Yeah, great to see local organization like this. Another suggestion: Look for donations from conservation groups. Offer to buy the parcel from the developer and make it into a park.

Ivy
Ivy
16 years ago

I bike this area regularly on my way to Rocky Butte. It\’s hard to imagine what a big box store would do to the area. 82nd already has way too much traffic.

Plus, as the map shows, this development would occur right opposite a large high school (hundreds of students) and a new skateboard park (500+ kids skate there EVERY DAY, so we hear!).

Can you imagine all of those impatient car drivers vying to get to the big-box store to buy cheap socks and Dream Whip paying much heed to the children just trying to cross the road to get around their neighborhood? Nope, neither can I.

Why not put good quality, medium-density, affordable housing on this site, with mixed use fronting the street? Maybe this is just me, but *THAT\’S* what Portland needs in 2007. Not another frickin\’ Wal Mart or CostCo.

Ironhorse
Ironhorse
16 years ago

I cannot believe that someone wants to build on that land. We should have a big rally of bicyclists to protest, and support the neighborhood! Isn\’t Madison South right across the street for pete\’s sake? What about the Tillamook bike route? Don\’t these developers have any shame??????????????????????

A.L.L.
16 years ago

I\’ve thought of that, make it a mtn bike skills park or urban single track! Almost anything would be better then a \’big box\’ though.

john
john
16 years ago

Ivy,

You know that area so you know darn well why housing won\’t work there. Who the heck wants to look out onto that stretch of 82nd?

As to the \”children\” crossing the street, this is a high school, and 82nd is 5 screaming lanes right there. No one in their right mind would cross the street now.

If you\’re opposed to all big boxes, ok, but if you think they have a place (and I bet a lot of pent up demand in that area), this seems like a pretty reasonable use of that location.

BURR
BURR
16 years ago

That site is a closed municipal solid waste landfill in a mined out gravel pit, I believe it operated until the late 70s or early 80s.

A.L.L.
16 years ago

This is not a reasonable use of the location at all. There is a Wal-Mart 3 miles south, off 82nd, from the proposed location. Demand for bike accessibility and neighborhood livability trump the need for any \’big\’box retailer. There is also a shopping center (Asian-American) between the site and 82nd so housing would be set back from 82nd. This location is smack in the middle of a very long-standing stable Portland neighborhood. It is quiet, safe, and deserves better then to have rich land-owners selling it off to the highest bidder!

mtmann
mtmann
16 years ago

You\’re right on the original uses of the land. Let me digress and I\’ll come back.

First, my neighbor and I were out Friday on 82nd (we live 2 blocks off, in what\’s actually a relatively quiet neighborhood) and driving past all the car lots south of Glisan (up by Rocky Butte it tends to be hour-rate motels, adult videos, and massage parlors) and talking about what can be done about 82nd. I mean, it was the big joke last year when the city of Portland officially declared it \”The Avenue of Roses.\” – they gave free rose bushes to local businesses (look closely) and added the slogan to the streetsigns. And that, apparently, was it – it\’s now official. The punchline was, \”You can call them roses but they still look like prostitutes to me.\” Some of the ideas we came up with were adding islands to the street, limiting the square footage of signage a business can display, and eliminating the damn balloons and streamers – I mean, are you more likely to buy a car from a dealer with color-coordinatred balloons?!?!

The point being, from a native Portlander, 82nd is what it has always been (does every city have a street like this?) and unfortunately, Wal-Mart has done their research well, they know who lives and shops there, and their lawyers and bean counters are banking on little resistance.

But it\’s my neighborhood and I\’m willinng to fight for cleaning it up, even if it\’s an uphill battle. And if the City of Portland is serious about improving 82nd, they\’ll take a long critical loook at whether Wal-Mart is a step in the right or wrong direction.

Ivy
Ivy
16 years ago

Oops, almost forgot. I read a great article about this here –

http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2007/08/362935.shtml

BURR
BURR
16 years ago

\”does every city have a street like this?\”

Yes.

Bjorn
Bjorn
16 years ago

#6
Actually the students from the high school regularly jaywalk across the 5 lanes of traffic by the high school. It can be done fairly safely if you look both ways at the current traffic levels, I cross there sometimes too because the signal takes a long time to change when you push it to walk…

An important thing to note is that the property is not currently zoned for this type of development. The developer is trying to change the zoning so they can build something that would really not fit in the neighborhood due to the traffic it would bring. There are good reasons why the zoning is the way it is and most of us who live in the neighborhood do not want to see it changed.

Bjorn

Matt Picio
16 years ago

\”And if the City of Portland is serious about improving 82nd, they\’ll take a long critical loook at whether Wal-Mart is a step in the right or wrong direction.\”

Definitely a step in the wrong direction. If they put a Wal-Mart there, we\’ll have 3 Wal-Marts along 82nd Avenue – I really don\’t think that\’s necessary. It certainly doesn\’t help when trying to revitalize that area.

I\’d much rather see that property become a large park and a community center. (sure, Montavilla\’s community center is only a mile away, but it\’s up the hill and beyond Halsey and I-84. The Madison South area could use more public space.

BURR
BURR
16 years ago

Hopefully Sam Adams will also oppose this proposed WalMart, just like last time.

VR
VR
16 years ago

We won a fight against WAL-MART in Hillsboro (Cornelius Pass and Baseline) so it can be done here too.

82nd does not need 3 WAL-MARTs.

(Heck, Portland does not need 3 WAL-MARTs)

I\’ll sign on to fight. 🙂

toddistic
toddistic
16 years ago

i heard, like, you can get really good deals on bikes at walmart!

I\’ll sign any petition opposing the Walmart or any other \’big box\’ store. Portland needs small businesses. If it has to be developed into commerical real estate it should be for small businesses.

rixtir
rixtir
16 years ago

Portland needs small businesses.

Absolutely. Small businesses keep money circulating in the community. Big box stores kill small businesses, and suck money out of the community.

Disco D
Disco D
16 years ago

I was gonna say (but some others beat me to it) that would make 3 wallyworlds on the same damn street.

Maybe one day they hope to have one super mega walmart that spans from clackamas town center all the way to the airport?

Martha S.
Martha S.
16 years ago

Well bloody heck, sign me up because I\’m not sitting around and letting another walmart anywhere near me.

Ironhorse
Ironhorse
16 years ago

gosh it looks like the save madison south group is already mobilized. They can use some help – so biking community unite! (I just signed up) http://www.savemadisonsouth.org to sign up. then get on your ironhorse and participate this saturday at rocky butte. hell, i\’m on board to try and win some new gear! (10 bucks is cheap!)

Cpt. Soggyfoot
Cpt. Soggyfoot
16 years ago

The support is exciting. This is just why we are organizing this event because we knew the Portland bike community would support the effort. This is a reminder that this is a no-host ride so show up at your leisure at the top of Rocky Butte between 9am – 2pm. Stop by, show your support, sign a letter, and hopefully win some cool gear. Thanks again, our neighborhood needs all the support it can get to fight this.

Per-Ola
Per-Ola
16 years ago

Living outside Seattle (Kirkland) but loving portland for its \”quirkyness\” and more low key profile than its big sister up north, I hope you can fight this off.
WalMarts are everywhere, and does not help \”cleaning up\” a neighborhood.

Apart from rallying and making noise, talk to your elected officials at the city council, actually make them come to your meet-ups, since you most likely have to have the zoning rules changed for the area. Otherwise, the land will go to the highest bidder with the worst idea (WalMart).
Go fighting!

marc
marc
16 years ago

i thought big boxes were supposed to be located out by the airport – big parcels of land, easy to get to and out of the neighborhoods. we gave bechtel that sweetheart deal we need to make sure it gets used for what the public wanted it used for.

joeb
joeb
16 years ago

East County needs a Powell\’s Books.

DK
16 years ago

Across from a high school no doubt! Why is Portland and the outlying areas getting so inundated with these big box proposals? We need to get some zoning change organization and regulations throughout all areas…now!

Chris
Chris
16 years ago

…in addition to being across the street from a high school, the property is just down NE Siskiyou from Gregory Heights (now Roseway Heights K-8 school) and west of Lee Elementary School. A proposal for change in land use to accomodate a 240,000 sq. ft. development would increase traffic on all the roads through the neighborhoods that kids walk along to get to schools and parks. It would also increase cut through traffic on popular bike routes NE Tillamook and NE Siskiyou. A project like this is NOT a good fit for the neighborhood. Roseway Heights and Madison South Neighboorhood Associations are against this proposal. Check out their web sites for more info.

Cpt. Soggyfoot
Cpt. Soggyfoot
16 years ago

Just in case anyone is checking this thread I wanted cyclists to know KEEN footwear has sweetened the pot, for those who donate $10 or more two people will be drawn at random to win a free pair of shoes.

Hope to see you at the top of Rocky Butte tomorrow!