N/NE QUADRANT PLAN AND THE I-5 BROADWAY-WEIDLER FACILITY PLAN
Non-Binding City Policy
NCP-ENB-11.52
Link to Exhibits, Appendicies and related documents (through Auditor's Office Efiles)
PURPOSE
WHEREAS, the Central City is the economic, cultural, and transportation hub of thePortlandmetropolitan region; and
WHEREAS, the Central City plays a critical role in fulfilling the vision of the Portland Plan for a prosperous, educated, healthy and equitable city; and
WHEREAS, the Central City Plan, adopted by City Council Ordinance No. 160606 and Resolution No. 34417 on March 24, 1988, is the guiding City policy document for the Central City; and
WHEREAS, the City of Portland is undertaking a needed update of the Central City Plan through a project called Central City 2035, part of the update of the City’s Comprehensive Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Central City 2035 project includes the CC2035 Concept Plan and specific plans for the four quadrant of the Central City, and the N/NE Quadrant Plan is the first of these quadrant plans to be completed, and these integrated components will serve as the basis for updating the Central City Plan through future amendments to the City of Portland Comprehensive Plan and Map, and Zoning Code and zoning maps; and
WHEREAS, there is a history of gentrification and displacement in the N/NE Quadrant area; and
WHEREAS, Interstate 5 is a critical component of the Interstate Freeway System and plays a vital role in the local, regional, state and national economies; and
WHEREAS, the section of Interstate 5 in the N/NE Quadrant is a documented high-crash corridor, with the highest crash rate in the state, and the Broadway/Weidler interchange area has high pedestrian and bicycle utilization and is also a documented high-risk area for bicycle-car and pedestrian-car conflicts; and
WHEREAS, the I-5/405 Freeway Loop Advisory Group Final Report, accepted by City Council Resolution No. 36448 on October 19, 2006, with participation from the State of Oregon and the City of Portland, identified urgent long- and short-term capacity, operations and safety issues in the I-5/405 Freeway Loop and recognized the need to improve operations and safety on Interstate 5 between the Fremont Bridge and Interstate 84 as a short-term priority; and
WHEREAS, the N/NE Quadrant and I-5 Broadway/Weidler Plans project represents a unique collaboration between the State of Oregon and the City of Portland to integrate long-range land use, urban design and local transportation planning for the N/NE Quadrant of the Central City with planning for freeway improvements that address safety and operational issues on Interstate 5; and
WHEREAS, the N/NE Quadrant and I-5 Broadway/Weidler Plans project included the development of the N/NE Quadrant Plan and the I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan as two integrated and mutually supportive plans that together provide a vision for the future of the N/NE Quadrant of the Central City; and
WHEREAS, the N/NE Quadrant Plan, attached as Exhibit A, contains specific goals, policies, urban design diagrams and implementation actions to guide future decision-making, physical development, and public and private investment within the Lloyd District and Lower Albina; and
WHEREAS, the I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan, attached as Appendix C to Exhibit A, contains a planning-level concept for improvements to Interstate 5 between the Fremont Bridge and Interstate 84, including the Broadway/Weidler interchange, which will improve freeway operations and safety while also improving safety and connectivity for all transportation modes, including bicycles and pedestrians, using the freeway over- and under-crossings and surface streets in the area; and
WHEREAS, land use and transportation analyses conducted jointly by the City of Portland and the Oregon Department of Transportation as part of the N/NE Quadrant and I-5 Broadway/Weidler Plans has produced sufficient technical information to determine whether the N/NE Quadrant area meets the characteristics of a Multimodal Mixed-Use Area (MMA) as defined in the State Transportation Planning Rule in OAR 660-012-0060; and
WHEREAS, the I-5 Broadway-Weidler Facility Plan identifies implementation actions for the next phase of project development, including a public process led by the City and State for addressing community design issues, phasing, construction, and financing; and
WHEREAS, the N/NE Quadrant and I-5 Broadway/Weidler Plans Stakeholder Advisory Committee, with representation from a diversity of neighborhood, citywide and regional interest groups, met on 19 occasions and held 14 subcommittee meetings to discuss planning issues, develop alternatives and make recommendations; and
WHEREAS, public involvement and outreach to residents, property owners, business owners, community organizations and concerned stakeholders included: public walks; workshops and charrettes; public surveys; open houses; community group and stakeholder meetings; public commission briefings and hearings; opportunities for public comment at Stakeholder Advisory Committee meetings; a project web site; postal and electronic mailings; and newsletters; and
WHEREAS, the N/NE Quadrant and I-5 Broadway/Weidler Plans Stakeholder Advisory Committee recommends the adoption of the N/NE Quadrant Plan and the I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan as an integrated package, as described in the Stakeholder Advisory Committee Recommendations, attached as Exhibit B; and
WHEREAS, the Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission held a public hearing on September 11, 2012 and recommended on September 25, 2012 that the City Council adopt the N/NE Quadrant Plan and that the Oregon Transportation Commission adopt the I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan;
POLICY
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council adopts the N/NE Quadrant Plan and its appendices, attached as Exhibit A, as Non-Binding City Policy; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the recommendations of the N/NE Quadrant Plan will be implemented following the completion of the additional quadrant planning work outlined in the Central City 2035 Concept Plan, as part of the final Central City 2035 Plan package, which is anticipated to be completed in 2015; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability will evaluate whether requirements as well as bonus incentives should be applied when intensification in zoning designations or height map changes are made, so that all new residential development will include a range of housing affordability; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council supports the proposed improvements to Interstate 5 and related freeway crossings and surface streets in the vicinity of the Broadway/Weidler interchange described in the I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan, and recommends that the Oregon Transportation Commission adopt the facility plan; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Bureau of Transportation is directed to work with the Oregon Department of Transportation to secure funding to implement the I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan and, as funds become available, to allocate resources between improvements to freeway operations and to local circulation projects, including bicycle and pedestrian improvements; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Bureau of Transportation is directed to work with the Oregon Department of Transportation and with property owners and stakeholders to refine the freeway improvement concept through preliminary engineering and a mutually agreeable phasing strategy, and to address remaining issues and potential property impacts identified in the facility plan; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Bureau of Transportation is directed to work with the Oregon Department of Transportation, property owners and the public to fund and implement, as a first phase, near-term safety-enhancing improvements to surface streets in the vicinity of the Broadway/Weidler interchange to improve safety and connectivity for all transportation modes, such as closing the off ramp slip lane onto N Broadway, adding new traffic signals, closing N Flint Avenue at Broadway and adding a new connection across I-5 to N Dixon Street and a new pedestrian/bicycle path; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Bureau of Transportation is directed to report to Council on progress toward near-term safety-enhancing improvements in the vicinity of the interchange and towards developing a phasing strategy and securing funding to implement the I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Bureau of Transportation and the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability are directed to prepare a report with required findings and recommended amendments to the Transportation System Plan (TSP) as part of the next TSP update process to designate the N/NE Quadrant as a Multimodal Mixed-Use Area (MMA) consistent with the State Transportation Planning Rule in OAR 660-012-0060; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council gratefully acknowledges the dedication and hard work of the N/NE Quadrant and I-5 Broadway/Weidler Plans Stakeholder Advisory Committee and the many community organizations and members of the public who participated in the planning process.
Link to Exhibits, Appendicies and related documents (through Auditor's Office Efiles)
HISTORY
Resolution No. 36972, adopted by City Council October 25, 2012.