Make it brighter

Hudson Family Park will be getting brighter.

Portland Redevelopment Commission on Friday approved Portland Park Board’s request for $40,000 to install lighting along the walking trail around the pond at the park.

The commission also heard a request for funding from a group that is working toward opening a performance and event venue.

Park board president Brian Ison visited the redevelopment commission to request funding for adding more lights at Hudson Family Park. He said he believes the lighting was in the original plans for the park, which opened in 2011, but that a lack of funding slowed the process. It was identified as a priority through the board’s process to create its five-year plan in 2021. Ison noted the importance of lighting for the safety of park patrons and to discourage vandalism, which has been a regular issue.

The park board invested $9,600 last year to run electrical service from the amphitheater to the gazebo at the park's east end. Ison presented a proposal from Coppersmith Electric of Portland that would add lighting along the trail around the pond for $39,800. He noted that the board planned to add electrical boxes at each light pole to allow for flexibility for additional projects and initiatives in the future.

Noting that the redevelopment commission had set aside $50,000 for park projects, Ison requested at least $30,000 to go toward the Hudson Family Park lighting.

Redevelopment commission members Rusty Inman, Dave Teeter, Reda Theurer-Miller and Joe Johnston voted unanimously to cover the full cost of the project up to $40,000.

Ison also briefly discussed the future of the lot where the Bailey Building previously stood at the southwest corner of Main and Commerce streets. (It was demolished beginning in November.) He noted that the site, which is owned by the city, has been discussed as a possible park space and said he has met with Portland Main Street Connect to begin talking about possible plans. He asked for a redevelopment commission member to join him and two Main Street representatives on a committee to continue the process. Theurer-Miller agreed to be a part of the group.

During the discussion, Teeter also mentioned the building that is scheduled to be torn down next month at 208 and 210 N. Meridian St. Inman pointed out that the property is currently under private ownership.

Dave Smyts, Treaver Schmit, Jamie Smith and Travis Smith of The Venue of Portland also visited the commission to seek assistance with creating a downtown event venue. The Smiths currently own the building at 105 W. Main St. via Coppersmith Property Management. Plans call to rehabilitate it, with Smyts and Schmit to rent it initially and potentially buy it in the future for use as a concert venue featuring local, regional and national performers. Smyts explained that the lineup would likely include rock and country music as well as comedians.

Smyts, a Geneva resident, asked for any help that might be available to help move the project forward.

Redevelopment commission members asked several questions, with Smyts saying he plans to have The Venue open on Friday and Saturday nights though he may need to have more flexibility with performers in the first year. It would offer snacks and beverages, including alcohol, but not have a kitchen. Hopes are to have a balcony for concertgoers and an apartment area for performers.  

Explaining his background, Smyts said he hosts the Headbangers Vault podcast and has connections within the music industry.

Redevelopment commission members expressed a willingness to help with the project but asked for the group to return with a breakdown of specific costs. At that point, the commission could consider what part of the project it would be able to fund. (Inman also noted that some portions of the project could be eligible for other grant funding, such as a facade grant.)

Also, Friday, consultant Ed Curtin of CWC Latitudes presented the commission with a proposal from Rundell Ernstberger Associates regarding rewriting the city’s zoning code. The process, as proposed by the firm, would be completed in three phases with a total cost of $141,000. 

The redevelopment commission as part of its process of creating a downtown economic plan identified several areas of the code that could be revised to encourage investment in the downtown area. They included reducing the required lot size — most existing lots do not conform to the ordinance — and making upstairs apartments an accepted use.

City attorney Wes Schemenaur noted that in talking with John Hemmelgarn and Pati McLaughlin of Jay/Portland Building and Planning, the department also has identified various other areas of the zoning ordinance that need to be addressed.

Curtin suggested that the next step in the process would be to see if Mayor Jeff Westlake, who was in attendance, and Portland City Council are interested in moving forward with revamping the zoning code. Answering a question from Johnston, he said the revision process would likely take six to nine months.

In other business, the commission:

•Approved a revised declaratory resolution approving Portland’s Downtown Economic Development Plan and adding the creation of a new tax increment financing (TIF) stand-alone district around the Hood Building, 309 W. Main St., which the commission purchased in December. Curtin said it would simplify the process to handle the two pieces together. The resolution must be approved by the city’s plan commission and city council before returning to the redevelopment commission for final approval.

•Heard from Portland Mayor Jeff Westlake that he will retain all current members of the redevelopment commission.

•Re-elected Inman as president, Theurer-Miller as vice president and Joe Johnston as secretary.