Public hearing tomorrow for N/NE Quadrant and I-5 Broadway/Weidler plans

The Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission is hosting a public hearing on the Draft N/NE Quadrant and I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plans. This is the major, two-year public process to figure out how to deal with this crucial central city area — from both a zoning/planning perspective and from a transportation perspective. The I-5 plan, as we’ve covered in the past, is a $400 million proposal to add a lane to I-5 through the Rose Quarter and do a host of other local street projects. See the hearing notice below:

Over a nearly two-year period, the N/NE Quadrant Stakeholder Advisory Committee worked with interested community members and staff to develop the N/NE Quadrant Plan, a long-range plan for the Lower Albina and Lloyd Districts of the Central City. The committee also helped develop a recommended concept for freeway interchange improvements, called the I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan. The public is invited to testify about the plans at the upcoming hearing before the Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission.

Public Hearing – Testimony Welcome
Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
2:30 – 4 p.m.
1900 SW 4th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Room 2500A

View the agenda: www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/psc
Instructions on submitting testimony: http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/383906

Download Project Documents:
Stakeholder Advisory Committee Recommendations Report
N/NE Quadrant Plan – Proposed Draft
N/NE Quadrant Plan Summary
I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan

Interactive Map
View an interactive map to see how your property could be affected by proposed changes to zoning and maximum building height regulations.

Next Steps
Following the public hearing on September 11, the Planning and Sustainability Commission will hold a work session on the N/NE Quadrant and I-5 Broadway/Weidler Plans on September 25. The project will go before the Portland City Council for adoption by resolution in October and the Oregon Transportation Commission in December. Specific recommendations in the N/NE Quadrant Plan will go into effect once the entire Central City 2035 Plan (the update of the 1988 Central City Plan) is complete, expected in 2015.

More About the N/NE Quadrant and I-5 Broadway/Weidler Plans
The N/NE Quadrant and I-5 Broadway/Weidler Plans (N/NE Quadrant Project) is a collaborative effort by the City of Portland and Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to provide detailed planning for the Lower Albina and Lloyd District areas. It is part of Central City 2035, the City of Portland’s effort to update the 1988 Central City Plan. Working jointly with ODOT, this project also addresses safety and operations issues on the I-5 Freeway and the local transportation system near the Broadway/Weidler Interchange.

N/NE Quadrant Plan
The N/NE Quadrant Plan is a land use, urban design and local transportation plan that will help direct and manage growth for the Lloyd District and Lower Albina over the next 25 years. Key proposals in the plan include:
Preserving and enhancing Lower Albina by protecting the working harbor and increasing land use flexibility that promotes a mix of uses on historic Russell Street and greater employment densities.
Protecting historic neighborhoods and cultural resources.
Concentrating high density development in the Lloyd District, with a focus on new residential development that will add activity and vibrancy to the district.
Providing amenities, such as parks, street improvements and green infrastructure to support and encourage new development.
Improving regional access and local street safety and connectivity for all modes.
Encouraging sustainable development that supports the Lloyd EcoDistrict and goals for improved environmental health.
Future changes to zoning and building height regulations that implement the plan goals.

I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan
The I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan contains a planning-level concept for improvements addressing longstanding safety and operations issues on and around Interstate 5 and the Broadway/Weidler interchange. Key elements include:
Adding auxiliary lanes and full-width shoulders (within existing right-of-way) to reduce dangerous traffic weaves and allow disabled vehicles to move out of traffic lanes.
Rebuilding structures at Broadway, Weidler, Vancouver and Williams and adding a lid over the freeway that will simplify construction, increase development potential and improve the urban environment.
Moving the I-5 southbound on-ramp to Weidler to improve circulation and safety.
Improving conditions for pedestrian and bicycle travel by adding new connections over the freeway and safer pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the interchange area.

For more information about the N/NE Quadrant Project:
Visit the project website at www.portlandonline.com/bps/cc2035/nneq.
Call Karl Lisle at 503-823-4286 or Stephanie Beckman at 503-823-6042 regarding the N/NE Quadrant Plan.
Call Todd Juhasz, ODOT, at 503-731-4753 regarding the I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan.
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