Bullards to drop project (5/27/04)

A re-zoning request that generated stiff opposition from residents of a southeast Portland neighborhood is being dropped.

Jason Bullard, who along with his brother Jeremy had proposed building several duplex units at the northwest corner of Boundary Pike and Floral Avenue, said the request to change the zoning to R10 (multi-family) from R8 (single-family) is being dropped due to the ensuing controversy.

“I don’t feel the project’s worth creating all the worry for the people,” Bullard said this morning. “I see more and more people putting signs (stating Stop R10 spot zoning) up. We figure we’ll just try to be good neighbors and put some new housing in there for them.”

Opponents of the request had packed a city council meeting last week, and had been behind an effort that planted many red and white signs along Portland’s streets stating opposition to R10 and spot zoning.

Jason Bullard said his brother planned to live in a home that would be constructed on the lot. Jason Bullard also said that one or two other homes could be built on lots the brothers own at that location.

Doug Mast, who served as a spokesperson for opponents of the project at several meetings, did not know that the Bullards were withdrawing their request until contacted this morning by The Commercial Review.

“I think it’s great that (Bullard is) seeing what the community wants ... I wish him the best of luck,” Mast said. “What I don’t want to see is apartment complexes where they don’t belong ... the R8 is what we’re fighting for. We’d love to have him as a neighbor, and we’d back him 100 percent. It wasn’t personal for me, it was just the concept.”

Because there were questions about the way the request was handled procedurally by the Portland City Council, the director of the Jay/Portland Building and Planning Department said he will ask the Bullards to write a letter to the council formally withdrawing their petition to re-zone the property.

Bill Milligan, who said this morning he had not been told by either of the Bullards they were dropping their re-zoning bid, said that if the petition to rezone the property is not withdrawn, it could take effect because it was never correctly rejected by the council.

Milligan said this morning that he believes the maximum number of homes that would fit on the lot owned by the Bullards is three.

Bullard said final plans for use of the lot are not complete, but that that any homes constructed will be of the single-family variety.

“We don’t want to create anything negative. It’s not that I felt the project was negative, but I know the neighbors were concerned that maybe something negative would come out of this,” Bullard said.

After hearing from several opponents at a hearing May 6, the Portland Planning Commission voted 5-3 to recommend that the request for R10 zoning be approved.

On May 17, members of the city council voted 5-1 to send the request back to the planning commission. Under Indiana law, members of the council should have either approved or denied the request; they could not legally send the issue back to the planning commission.[[In-content Ad]]