Read all about it here!

The Portland African American Leadership Forum and the North/Northeast Business Association are gathering community members, including residents and those who have been displaced, of all backgrounds and perspectives, to develop a community-based development plan for the site.

NEW DATE AND LOCATION
 
Date: March 4
Time:  6pm-9pm 
Location: NNEBA Building -  311 N Ivy Street, Portland

The Portland African American Leadership Forum and the North/Northeast Business Association are hosting a community meeting to discuss the issue of gentrification and how it has impacted various community members’ position on the topic of what to do with the empty lot at MLK & Alberta.

This meeting was originally scheduled for February 18, but had to be postponed due to the teacher's strike, which made the meeting facility unavailable.

NEW DATE AND LOCATION
Date: February 25 
Time: 6pm-9pm 
Location: NNEBA Building - 311 N Ivy Street, Portland

OPB News reporters and Think Out Loud producers will be in Northeast Portland to hear from the community about stories that OPB should cover in the area. Meet with Think Out Loud Senior Producer Allison Frost, OPB News Blogger Lizzy Duffy, OPB Reporter Amelia Templeton, and OPB’s Public Insight Journalist Amanda
Peacher, as they ask:

• Is your neighborhood experiencing gentrification?
• What positive stories should we know about in your community?
• What other stories would you like to see OPB cover?

Upon arriving, individuals need to sign up for a time slot with a reporter or producer. Each person will then get a few minutes of one-on-one time with an OPB News staffer to share experiences, tell them what stories they’re missing, and help shape OPB News’ coverage.

For more information about this event, visit our Facebook Event Page.

WHEN: Wednesday, February 26 2:30 - 5 p.m.

WHERE: McMenamins Kennedy School Library - 5736 NE 33rd Avenue, Portland, OR

Questions? Contact Amanda Peacher at [email protected] or 503-445-1882.

Thirty-five people living in Sabin have joined a new social network called Nextdoor, which is designed to connect neighbors. It's a free service, similar to Facebook, but based on neighborhood.

From the company website: "Nextdoor is the private social network for you, your neighbors and your community. It's the easiest way for you and your neighbors to talk online and make all of your lives better in the real world. And it's free. Nextdoor’s mission is to use the power of technology to build stronger and safer neighborhoods."

Watch this ABC News report about Nextdoor or read this article. Join here.

As of January 2014, the median home value in Sabin is $407,000, up 10.6% from a year ago.

The list price per square foot is on an upward trend, as well.

Data courtesy of Zillow Home Values.

The East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District is offering free classes on naturescaping, rain gardens and native plants. Come and learn gardening practices that reduce pollution and conserve water while saving you time, money and energy. Perfect for all levels of do-it-yourselfers, these workshops offer simple gardening tips & resources that will help you bring your vision to life. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. For more information, call 503-222-7645.

View the full schedule here.

NECN is pleased to offer five grants of $1,000 each for collaborative projects that improve the quality of life in our 12 inner north/northeast Portland neighborhoods.

Applications are due by March 14, 2014. 

An info session will be held on Wednesday, February 19, 7-9pm at the NECN office at 4815 NE 7th Ave.

For more details, see the NECN website.

It's trendy to say that we want a sustainable neighborhood, but what does that really mean? We tackled this question at our first Sustainable Sabin/King meeting on Jan. 21. While we didn't end up with a slick vision statement, we did find some common ground. We agreed that it's about working together to create a resilient, diverse and integrated community with affordable housing, access to healthy food and safe streets. It's about knowing our neighbors and being connected with each other.

We recognize that there are many nonprofits and community organizations already working on issues we are concerned about. The question is, how can people living in Sabin and King partner with these organizations to help build a stronger community?

After brainstorming some ideas, we narrowed the field to three potential projects:

— Create street paintings, build an earthen bench and plant bee-friendly habitat in parking strips as part of Portland's Village Building Convergence on Beech Street from 9th to 14th avenues.

— Expand Sabin’s annual cleanup day so unwanted items could be adopted and reused by other neighbors, rather than have all items taken to the city dump.
  
— Work with the Sabin Community Development Corporation (Sabin CDC) to increase the stock of affordable housing for families with moderate incomes through a land trust.

We're excited about all of these projects and hope you will be, too. If you're interested in participating or just want more information, please contact Diane Benson at [email protected] or Clay Veka at [email protected], and we'll connect you with the leaders.

A stretch of three empty lots and one home site on Northeast 14th Avenue just south of Beech and behind Whole Foods market have been rezoned as R-2.5 (2,500-square-foot lots) in preparation for development
into eight new single-family homes. Some could be ready for occupancy as early as fall.

Firenze Development Inc. owner and builder Peter Kusyk has met with Sabin’s Land Use and Transportation Committee as well as the Sabin Community Association’s Board to discuss his plans for building six homes on three of the former R-5 (5,000-square-foot) lots, which he purchased between August 2012 and September 2013. Kusyk says older homes on those lots were in “a definite state of disarray,” and he had them torn down.

Kusyk’s six lots will be the first phase of the eight-lot subdivision he is in the process of having platted under the proposed name of Lincoln Heights Estates. The remaining two R-2.5 lots, at the southwest corner of 14th and Beech, are occupied by a single-family home, which is being rented. The property owner also had her former R-5 lot rezoned for future development into two smaller lots.

Kusyk expects to begin building sometime this spring and may put up two homes at a time. Homes are expected to take between five and six months to complete. Exteriors will blend with the surrounding homes
and should look similar to a home Kusyk recently built at 4515 N.E. 14th  Ave, except the six new homes will have a narrower street frontage.

Prices for each of the six new three-level, 2,580-square-foot homes could range in the mid-$500,000s, depending on market value at the time of sale, Kusyk explains. Homes will include a garage on the bottom floor with storage and wine cellar. The main floor will contain living areas, and the top floor will have bedrooms and baths. Rooms will have detailed woodworking and built-ins consistent with the area’s older homes. Hardwood, tile and stone will cover floors, and amenities will include fireplaces, stainless appliances and stone countertops. For more information on the proposed development, contact Kusyk at [email protected].

“The Land Use & Transportation Committee has been very encouraged by Mr. Kusyk’s willingness to talk to the SCA about his plans for the lots,” says committee Chair Rachel Lee. “We supported his successful effort to rezone these lots because we believe that higher density development at this location will make efficient use of land that is close to a neighborhood commercial center, served by two bus lines, and is very compatible
with pedestrian and bicycle transportation.”