Hi PNA Members,
Thank you to the 21 folks who showed up in person and the 7 who were online in our first ‘hybrid’ general meeting using Zoom! The Zoom meeting mostly went well; although, we did have some issues with the sound. We plan to replace our sound system with a better speakerphone and several wireless microphones.
A recording of this meeting is available at:
https://piedmontneighborhood.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/video1820030183.mp4.
The meeting minutes can be found here:
https://piedmontneighborhood.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023_11_16-minutes.pdf.
We had two informative presentations during the meeting. Fred Neal and Lory Hefele (City of Portland Transition Engagement Coordinators) gave a PowerPoint presentation (available upon request) and fielded questions on the City’s upcoming transition to a dramatically new structure of governing and voting.
The other presentation was by Trell Anderson and Ray Hackworth of Northwest Housing Alternatives, a 501(c)3 organization and the current owner of the Rosemont Commons. Trell began with a comprehensive history of the deadly Legionnaires disease outbreak, the ongoing displacement of the 90+ low-income elderly residents, and the countless measures they’ve taken to try to rectify the problems. (More meeting details are included in the attached Minutes, and a recording of the meeting is available; see link above.) What is needed now is $6 million to replace the entire water system and make other essential improvements. NHA has an application for these funds that’s pending with the Portland Housing Bureau. Prior efforts to secure funding with the county and state have not been successful, so this may be the last straw before a possible sale of the property.
Over two years has passed since the tight-knit community of elderly Rosemont residents were suddenly displaced and separated. Most have been in limbo in temporary housing with much uncertainty and anxiety about the future.
In the early 2000s, PNA was actually instrumental in working with the Portland Development Commission to plan the redevelopment of the Rosemont site into an urban village for all ages, and incomes. Once again, I think the PNA can play a vital role by actively advocating for the approval of critical funds to fix the structural problems at Rosemont Court, so the former residents can return to a place they used to call home. I’m considering forming a new PNA committee called the Save Rosemont Court Committee. Please let me know right away if you’d like to help with this worthy endeavor.
Thank you!
Don Robinson
Chair
Piedmont Neighborhood Association
don.robinson.pdx@gmail.com
Piedmont Neighborhood Association 