Public Plaza’s Future Under Review
Beaumont Crossing, the public plaza on NE 44th at Fremont Street, was dismantled in late September at the conclusion of its three-month trial period. For a period of two weeks before the closing to two weeks after, PBOT conducted an online survey to understand the effects of the plaza. Survey results will be included in a report published by PBOT (not yet released at the time of this writing). A summary of the report and a link to the full version will be included in the January-February 2027 newsletter and our monthly emailed Community Updates. Subscribe at BWNApdx.org to receive them.
If the PBOT evaluation reveals widespread neighborhood support, there would be an opportunity to reinstall Beaumont Crossing as a full-fledged part of PBOT’s street plaza program in 2027.
Inner Eastside Zoning Online Survey Available
The Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) launched neighborhood outreach efforts this fall to get input from residents and businesses on the Inner Eastside Zoning Project. The project could potentially bring multistory residential and commercial buildings into our residential neighborhood. Register your opinions on land use and housing by taking BPS’s online survey at tinyurl.com/2s4bksjh. For more information about the project and to sign up for project updates, visit tinyurl.com/mswkwax6.
The study area extends roughly from 12th to 60th and from NE Fremont to SE Powell and encompasses a sizable portion of Beaumont-Wilshire. BPS will report its findings to Portland City Council in summer 2028.
BWNA’s (Awesome) New Website
BWNA has moved into the light ages with a new, recently launched website. Steve Avery, chair of BWNA’s Communication Committee, developed the new site. Enhancements bring greater functionality to the website, including full site searchability. Yes, you’ll now be able to search the newsletter archives and more! Also new is an events calendar, plus all Community Updates, emailed monthly to subscribers, can be found on the site. Check it out at BWNApdx.org.
BWNA Bylaws Review at November 9 Meeting
To allow public input on several BWNA bylaw revisions, proposed changes will be presented for a vote at BWNA’s Nov. 9 board meeting. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at Sylvan Learning, 4300 NE Fremont St. Proposed changes include clarifying who is eligible to vote in elections, when two-year board member terms start after an election, and removing the distinction between general meetings and board meetings. See what will change and why by visiting BWNApdx.org/bylaws/proposed-changes.
Film Crew Lights Up Neighborhood
Black tents lining the east side of Wilshire Park on NE 37th Avenue accommodated a crew filming the movie “Hasaan Hates Portland” earlier this fall. Production of the feature film occurred south of the park at a residence on NE 37th and Alameda. “Hasaan Hates Portland” began as a web series in 2024 and won Best Web Series at the Oscar-qualifying Hollyshorts film festival.
Have (Too Much) Fruit Every Year?
Do you hate the waste that comes when plums, peaches, or apples are too high in the tree to pick easily so they later rot on the ground? Over abundance of grapes and berries? Fruit trees need pruning, but you don’t know how to do it? The nonprofit Portland Fruit Tree Project can help solve these problems.
Portland Fruit Tree Project board member Michelle Haberlach spoke at the Sept. 14 BWNA board meeting, telling those in attendance that the organization’s volunteers pick fruit for you, donate that which you don’t want to area food banks, and even send trained folks out to prune your trees or teach you how for easier picking in the future and better productivity. Harvest help is free; for tree services, inquire about their sliding-scale pricing options.
So don’t wait. Tree pruning needs to be done in the winter months. For more information or to register your fruit trees for harvest, visit portlandfruit.org/services or email treecare@portlandfruit.org.
COVID Learning Pod Returns as a Permanent In-Home Montessori Preschool
After five years leading large classrooms in two established local Montessori schools, Beaumont-Wilshire resident Sarah Anderson recently opened Seedpod Montessori, a small learning community for children ages 2½ to 5 in her home in B-W. Sarah cofounded Seedpod with another mom as a homeschool for their children during Covid. According to a press release, she’s made her home a light-filled, welcoming space for young learners.
Sarah holds a MEd degree in Montessori studies and an AMI Primary diploma from Montessori Northwest. If you are looking for a small, home-based learning environment for your child, you can find more information at seedpodmontessori.com.