The Design Commission has upheld the staff level approval of the N Richmond Apartments at an appeal by the Cathedral Park Neighborhood Association. The project is being by SERA Architects for Mainland Northwest, and will include 96 residential units. 46 vehicular parking spaces are proposed in a partially buried garage.
The will be located on an approximately half block site at 6620 N Richmond Ave. The site is bound by N Richmond Ave, unimproved N Bradford and unimproved N Oswego Ave. The site currently has a Quonset hut and gravel parking on it.
The 5 story building is arranged in am L-shaped plan, oriented to N Richmond St and the unimproved N Bradford St.
Exterior materials proposed include cementitious panels in dark and light grey, wood siding, aluminum storefront and vinyl windows.
The project was approved on June 23rd, 2017 through a Type II Design Review, where the decision is made by Bureau of Development Services staff. The approval was appealed by the neighborhood association, who cited issues relating to height, ground floor windows and the fact that the unimproved rights of way will not be built out (due to rough proportionality issues).
The Design Commission considered the appeal on August 31st 2017 and September 28th 2017. The project was approved at its second hearing, with conditions that ensure wider stairs at the main entry and that artwork will be added in the recesses facing N Richmond Ave. In their Findings, Conclusions And Decision the Design Commission found that the project will be a “positive addition” to the neighborhood:
The proposed development blends into the Willamette Riverfront Subdistrict of the St Johns/Lombard Plan and adjacent residential area through the use of high quality, durable materials and appropriate building scale and setbacks, enhances the pedestrian realm, creates usable outdoor areas, minimizes the impact of onsite parking and loading, reduces opportunities for crime, highlights the importance of striking a balance between urbanized development and context sensitivity through the appropriate building massing, orientation and ground-level public amenity, and will be a positive addition to the St Johns neighborhood.
Building permits will need to be obtained before construction can begin on site.
Drawings
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- Plan – Site
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- Plan – Basement
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- Plan – Level 01
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- Plan – Levels 02 to 04
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- Plan – Level 05
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- Plan – Roof
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- Elevation – South
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- Elevation – West
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- Elevation – North
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- Elevation – East
Looks like a dated self storage facility. Is there a new code that mandates all new construction must be black and white?
So, who’s going to improve Oswego Street? Bradford St (even as just for walking)? And is the expectation that nothing will ever be on the other side of the RR tracks, like the Metro-owned green space there along the river, that anyone would want to walk to? Otherwise why is the sidewalk on Richmond relegated to a substandard design, pushed near the curb so not even street trees will fit, instead of being back near the building as the Ped Design Guide calls for? It looks like there’s about 4′ to squeeze by the few street trees. Sounds like a giveaway so the builders can count some of the ROW for their landscape requirements.