Posted on Aug 23, 2022
Oregon’s unique growth rules have preserved open space but also led to new fights
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"Anyeley Hallovà and I are walking in her inner Northeast Portland neighborhood on a drizzly spring day.
We stop in front of an old bungalow. She’s periodically stopped by as a second house was under construction in the backyard. She says she’s impressed by how seamlessly the new house was added to the existing property.
“You might not have noticed it if we walked by,” Hallovà says. “It’s set in the back, beautiful architecture, well-scaled has a beautiful garden in front of it.”
She sees a lot more on the walk that pleases her.
She praises a new eight-unit apartment building that is set back from the street so it doesn’t overwhelm the single-family homes on either side. She even defends an old apartment building that’s seen better days."
We stop in front of an old bungalow. She’s periodically stopped by as a second house was under construction in the backyard. She says she’s impressed by how seamlessly the new house was added to the existing property.
“You might not have noticed it if we walked by,” Hallovà says. “It’s set in the back, beautiful architecture, well-scaled has a beautiful garden in front of it.”
She sees a lot more on the walk that pleases her.
She praises a new eight-unit apartment building that is set back from the street so it doesn’t overwhelm the single-family homes on either side. She even defends an old apartment building that’s seen better days."
Oregon’s unique growth rules have preserved open space but also led to new fights
Posted from opb.org
Posted 2 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."One day, I was on our deck interviewing Robin McArthur. She is Hallovà's predecessor as the LCDC chair. She’s been working with Oregon’s growth system for decades.
I told her the empty hillside next door would be a good site for more housing. But we also enjoy this bit of nature.
“Yes, it would be pleasant for you to keep your view,” McArthur replied. “But it’s pretty unpleasant for the person that can’t find housing in your neighborhood and needs housing.”
She has a point. When our house was built, it screwed up someone else’s nice view. But I’m sure glad that my house is here.
I think of my walk with Hallovà. It was mid-day. The side streets in her neighborhood were quiet, the trees dripping from the intermittent rain. We talked about how neighborhood change isn’t easy. But in Oregon, she said, there is one consistent thing.
“One of the reasons we love Oregon so much,” she said, “is that clear access from where you live to the mountains, to the ocean — and not the sprawl, right? I think everybody enjoys the benefits of that. I think not everybody understands why it is that way. And it’s really there because of our land use system.”
As I listened, I could imagine Tom McCall — all 6-foot-5 of him — standing there saying, “See, this is what I was talking about.’”
..."One day, I was on our deck interviewing Robin McArthur. She is Hallovà's predecessor as the LCDC chair. She’s been working with Oregon’s growth system for decades.
I told her the empty hillside next door would be a good site for more housing. But we also enjoy this bit of nature.
“Yes, it would be pleasant for you to keep your view,” McArthur replied. “But it’s pretty unpleasant for the person that can’t find housing in your neighborhood and needs housing.”
She has a point. When our house was built, it screwed up someone else’s nice view. But I’m sure glad that my house is here.
I think of my walk with Hallovà. It was mid-day. The side streets in her neighborhood were quiet, the trees dripping from the intermittent rain. We talked about how neighborhood change isn’t easy. But in Oregon, she said, there is one consistent thing.
“One of the reasons we love Oregon so much,” she said, “is that clear access from where you live to the mountains, to the ocean — and not the sprawl, right? I think everybody enjoys the benefits of that. I think not everybody understands why it is that way. And it’s really there because of our land use system.”
As I listened, I could imagine Tom McCall — all 6-foot-5 of him — standing there saying, “See, this is what I was talking about.’”
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