PDC to sell land under Broadway Bridge for affordable housing, while residents of Bend are displeased with population growth.
OREGON NEWS
— The Portland Development Commission is selling two acres of property to a developer with the intent to build affordable apartments for nearly $9 million. The property, however, is located underneath the Broadway Bridge. The land is part of the urban renewal area and requires about $1.4 million in environmental cleanup before development could begin. If approved by the PDC, the apartments would rent up to $825 for residents earning up to 60% of the region’s median [about $31,000]. The Oregonian has more.
— Bend residents recently expressed their displeasure with the city’s growing tourism economy, but it seems residents are also displeased with the city’s growth overall. Many have taken to city council meetings to oppose affordable housing developments, and some have marked their cars with a “Bend sucks, don’t move here” bumper sticker. Since 1990, the town has grown from 20,000 to 80,000 residents, with an average of six new residents a day. City officials are now working to assure residents growth is a good thing. The Bend Bulletin has more.
— As President Barack Obama’s term nears a close, conservation groups are pushing for national monument designations — including the Owyhee Monument. Historically, presidents have waited until the last few months to designate monuments as a final act of legacy. Read more from OPB.
— Oregon pears were blocked from Russia in August 2014, forcing fruit growers to seek a new market. That market has been India. The Statesman Journal reports an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 boxes of pears are shipped to India each year, which could double or even triple in the future.
— Oregon and Idaho senators have joined forces to ask the federal government to change how it funds wildfires. Sen. Ron Wyden, alongside Idaho’s Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, asked to pay for wildfires from one pot that’s used for natural disasters, rather than diverting money from fire prevention and other programs to fund firefighting when needed. The solution isn’t new, OPB reports. It’s been proposed several times since 2013.
NATIONAL NEWS
— Rumors of a federal rate hike have surfaced once again. New York Fed President William Dudley said that interest rate hike cold occur as soon as September. Reuters has more.
— Apple is preparing to release its second generation of the Apple Watch. While the device won’t add cellular service, the Watch 2 is rumored to boast a faster chip, barometer and a GPS radio. The watch may also come with a waterproofing rating. Read more from Fast Company.
