On April 15th, the Portland City Council approved a resolution to expedite planning for a new Inner Eastside zoning map, from 12th through 60th from NE Fremont to SE Powell. Many Grant Park homeowners and neighbors felt blindsided and alienated by the council’s fast track “Inner Eastside for All” Resolution.
While we recognize and sympathize with the need for housing in Portland, the proposed transition from RM1 (low-scale multi-dwelling) or Single-Dwelling zones to RM4 or RX (high-density/central residential) is a significant jump with many potential negative consequences. There have to be other more scaled-down options to increase housing in Portland that don’t involve putting up to 5-story apartment buildings in this beautiful, residential, walkable neighborhood.
The proposed rezoning between 28th and 33rd Avenue, alone, would leave approximately 90 small to mid-size homes on Schuyler, Hancock and Tillamook vulnerable to purchase by developers who, given the proposed rezoning parameters, could outbid any new family seeking to move into a house.
Transitioning from the current low-density zoning to the proposed high-density development brings several distinct shifts across the neighborhood. Scaling building heights from today’s modest 30–35 feet up to 65–100+ feet significantly cuts down on natural sunlight and compromises yard privacy for existing residents. Pushing away from required on-site parking down to zero required spots(1) threatens to spill vehicle overflow onto residential side streets, while replacing permeable gardens and lawns with heavy concrete lot coverage increases both local stormwater runoff and the urban heat island effect. Finally, shifting the typical profile from long-term family households to shorter-term, more transient tenancy runs the risk of eroding overall neighborhood cohesion and long-term stability.
Three separate meetings with our District 2 City Council Members (Dan Ryan, Elana Pirtle-Guiney, and Sameer Kanal) were held this summer to clarify the process, hear their views, and express our concerns. Several Grant Park neighbors, separate from the neighborhood association itself, have pulled together to address this rezoning proposal. For more information, go to savenepdx.com.
by Michael Murphy, Grant Park Neighborhood Resident
(1) Oregon HB 2001 (2019) was the catalyst for state policy that led to the eventual elimination of the requirement for mandatory off-street parking for residential construction in Portland in 2023.
Editor’s Note: Murphy is a 39-year resident of the Grant Park neighborhood. His letter was published in the Grant Park Neighborhood Association’s fall 2026 newsletter. We have been given permission to share it here and have made no editorial changes, except to add a footnote. If you have a different opinion about the Inner Eastside Rezoning Project, we’d like to hear from you. Submit no more than 250 words by December 1 to Editor@BWNApdx.org to have your opinion piece considered for the January-February 2027 newsletter.