City sets steps for Pearl shelter site
Sturgeon Development Partners is linked to new facility
More details are spilling out on the proposed homeless shelter at Northwest 15th and Northrup streets that we reported on yesterday.
Today, Robert B. Layne II, a communication strategist with Humanitarian Operations | Portland Solutions, City of Portland, emailed this information:
“The 1435 NW Northrup is a potential City of Portland shelter site that is in early-mid stages of evaluation and assessment. This includes a conditional-use permit that is in the approval process by the City of Portland Fire Marshal. No other building permit or land-use process is necessary for overnight emergency shelter usage based on prior acceptable uses of the location.
“As the site moves further in the process, the City will follow the established Community Engagement Plan for Overnight Emergency Shelters. This will include community notification with information about the site as well as prioritized livability services for those around the site.”
The Northrup building is owned by North Pearl LLC, of which Vanessa Sturgeon’s Sturgeon Development Partners is a director/officer.
Sturgeon apparently abandoned an attempt to site a homeless services and housing facility in the former Premier Gear building at Northwest 18th and Thurman streets last year.
Everyone needs to sleep somewhere.
Well done, Allan. That link to the Community Engagement Plan is exactly what neighborhoods need to know are the maximum requirements of the city for operators of overnight shelters to inform and field their neighbors regarding said plans. A review of that plan and it's obvious the City understands the negative impact of litter, loitering, domestic conflicts and overnight camping that said operation can draw into the neighborhood. According to the plan, roughly speaking of 1,000 feet, notification of their intent to open such a facility need only be to property owners approximately two blocks in all directions of the proposed location. That pretty much excludes the whole neighborhood association footprint or it's board members. It is nice to see that operators are required to make two litter-related perimeter checks a day (while the plan carefully avoids describing that perimeter - still 1,000 feet?) and respond to neighborhood disruption issues related to the shelter in coordination with several city social services - including Portland Police - to obtain assistance from them - when available. Now we know the City set limitations of disclosure and response and local neighbors can set their expectations accordingly. Or better yet, campaign for more aggressive alerts and responses, as they think best.