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It's baaack: Smaller Allegro applauded
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Fred Leeson
The Oregonian
Remember The Allegro? In August, the City Council rejected the proposed 21-story, 228-unit condo project in Goose Hollow as too bulky. The neighborhood opposed it. And property owners to the north said it blocked their development opportunities.
Well, it's back.
Different Allegro, different tune.
The revised version for 1715 S.W. Salmon St. stands 20 stories, but an eastern wing drops from 16 stories to two. Condos trim to 158. A bigger setback on the north makes it more attractive for adjacent owners to build a tower on their half of the block, too.
And the City Council's reaction?
There probably won't be one. The Goose Hollow Foothills League, whose appeal of the project prompted the council's unanimous rejection in August, has agreed not to appeal this time.
"In large part, you guys have done a great job," Jerry Powell, chairman of the league's planning committee, told the development team. "Thank you."
The revised plan also sailed though a Portland Design Commission hearing last month. The Allegro has been a four-year quest for development firm M. David Paul & Associates. The site, now home to a 76-car parking lot owned by TriMet, sits next to the Salmon Street light-rail stop, the least-used MAX stop in the central city. TriMet was willing to sell the land for $1 to a developer who would put high-density housing next to it and presumably stimulate MAX traffic.
Paul Krueger, the developer's representative, said the $1 deal comes with obligations: adding 76 underground public parking slots, replacing an old and deep Tanner Creek pipe and removing any remaining toxic substances.
The Allegro could be a harbinger for the narrow strip in Goose Hollow between Southwest 18th Avenue and Interstate 405. "This is the first building that's going to create a high-density neighborhood in an area that is in transition," said Jeff Lamb, an architect for Sienna Architecture Co., the tower's designer.
The next development could well be on the lot just north of The Allegro. Property owners Dan Petrusich and Bill Reilly have talked with Krueger about a joint venture. And Lamb said The Allegro was designed assuming that a building would go in next-door.
Not everyone in Goose Hollow is thrilled with The Allegro. Some residents west of 18th could have views blocked. Howard Glazer, a longtime resident and architect, called the tower "overwhelming and totally out of scale."
Others, though, think the condos will be popular. "There are a lot of people in the neighborhood who would love that location," said Wilma Caplan. Some residents who love the area, she said, become tired of climbing the steep hills.
Design Commission members like the revised plans and the location next to MAX. "It would be almost criminal not to go to greater density there," said Lloyd Lindley.
Michael McCulloch, commission chairman, said he appreciates the diligence the developer and Goose Hollow residents showed in forging a compromise. "It's proof that the design-review process works," he said. "I'm heartened by what we've seen here."
Fred Leeson: 503-294-5946;
fredleeson@news.oregonian.com
©2006 The Oregonian
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