Plus: A 'smart egg' to study California condors
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Today’s Forecast

49º | Showers | 84% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:50 a.m. | Sunset 4:40 p.m.

 
Time to put on your hard hat
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Though there are a few exceptions, the normal legal limit on skyscraper height in Portland is 460 ft. | Photo by @bdsportland
If you want to be a development detective but find yourself turned around by the terminology in various city releases and news reports, never fear.

Here are some definitions of common terms paired with ongoing projects and examples you might recognize in the Rose City.

Mixed-use

Projects that provide more than one purpose in the community, like a building with apartments on top and retail shops on the bottom. Expect to see combinations of housing, retail, parking, commercial, and industrial components.

Think: From the rubble of the former Pearl District post office, housing, offices, retail, and parks will rise as a major component of the Broadway Corridor Project.

Rezoning

Changing an area of land from the city’s designated use. Examples of rezoning requests might be developers looking to build a high-rise in a neighborhood with a certain building height restriction, or opening a business in a residential area.

Think: The Lower SE Rising Area Plan, which proposes bringing businesses and affordable housing to the Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood and surrounding communities.

A graphic shows the permit life cycle from the Portland Bureau of Development Services

Learn more about the permit life cycle.

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Graphic via Bureau of Development Services

Multifamily home

One building that contains multiple housing units. Multifamily is a type of zoning district in the city.

Think: In 2020, Portland expanded where dense housing could be built, opening up neighborhoods that had previously only allowed single-family homes.

Principal use

The primary activity or function of a site. A site’s principal use must be aligned with the zoning ordinances of the land it’s on.

Example: Living in a home within a residential zone is an allowable principal use.

Accessory use

An activity or function of a site labeled subordinate or incidental.

Example: In Portland’s tough housing market, many local residents and city officials are turning to Accessory Dwelling Units (or “tiny homes”) as part of a solution.
 
 
Events
 
Wednesday, May 24
  • From the Stands to the Sideline: Intro to Sports Photography w/ Howard Lao | Wednesday, May 24 | 7 p.m. | Pro Photo Supply Event Center, 1801 NW Northrup St., Portland | $35 | Learn how to catch the action in sharp detail and get a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on during game days.
  • Music of Led Zeppelin with the Oregon Symphony | Wednesday, May 24 | 7:30 p.m. | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, Portland | $29-$95 | “Ramble On” down to The Schnitz and show these performers a “Whole Lotta Love.”
  • The 8th Vanport Mosaic Festival | Wednesday, May 24-Monday, May 29 | Times vary | Various locations, Portland | Prices vary | Keep the history of the Vanport flood alive by experiencing exhibits, artistic tributes, documentaries, oral recordings, tours of the historic area, and more.
Thursday, May 25
  • Crochet Blossoms | Thursday, May 25 | 12:30-2 p.m. | Hoyt Arboretum, 4000 SW Fairview Blvd., Portland | $25 | With instruction from Ruth Williams, even novices will be able to craft a five-petaled flower out of yarn.
  • The Real Comedy Spot | Thursday, May 25 | 5 p.m. | Kelly’s Olympian, 426 SW Washington St., Portland | Free | The Real Hyjinx hosts this open mic where the laughs are on the house.
Friday, May 26
  • Reggae on the Patio | Friday, May 26 | 5-10 p.m. | Star Theater, 13 NW Sixth Ave., Portland | Free | Start your weekend off right with island rhythms and happy hour.
Saturday, May 27
  • Woods Memorial Park Volunteer Trailwork Event | Saturday, May 27 | 9 a.m.-12 p.m. | Woods Memorial Natural Area, 9550 SW Wood Pkwy., Portland | Free | Put in a little work to keep this natural area in the Ashcreek neighborhood looking pristine.
Sunday, May 28
  • Last Sunday Pop-Up | Sunday, May 28 | 4-8 p.m. | GC Wines (Local), 3450 N. Williams Ave., Ste. 7, Portland | Price of purchase | This space highlights wine labels that don’t have tasting rooms yet; this week, Donna Stoney from Stoney Wines will share her Willamette Valley pinot noir, chardonnay, and riesling.
Click here to have your event featured.
 
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Finance
 
7 secrets comfortable retirees know about hiring a financial advisor
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Smart retirees know a thing or two — and you should, too. | Photo by SmartAsset
Research suggests people who work with a financial advisor could end up with about 15% more money to spend in retirement.1 Read: A lot of margaritas.

That’s because they know the seven secrets to hiring a financial advisor, like never hiring the first advisor you meet. (Rookie mistake.)

The ultimate tip? Answer a few questions in this free, five-minute quiz to match with vetted financial advisors serving your area who can help optimize a retirement plan for you.*
1“Journal of Retirement Study Winter” (2020)”. The projections or other information regarding the likelihood of various investment outcomes are hypothetical in nature, do not reflect actual investment results, and are not guarantees of your future results. Please follow the link to see the methodologies employed in the Journal of Retirement study.
 
News Notes
 
Community
  • Now is the time to make your voice heard on Portland’s Climate Investment Plan. Residents can contribute their feedback on how the city spends $750 million over the next five years by participating in today’s in-person briefing, an upcoming listening session, and by email. (Portland Tribune)
Concert
  • The lineup for the Oregon State Fair is giving us “Good Vibrations.” The Beach Boys, Bush, Vanilla Ice, and other lesser-known early 1990s hip hop, rap, and R&B acts will perform, along with country blues star Elle King. Reserve your tickets Thursday, May 25, at 10 a.m. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)
Drink
  • Portland State University students in search of more caffeine won’t have to go far, thanks to Ovation Coffee & Tea’s new location on Southwest Fifth Avenue. The shop, renowned for its Moroccan drinks and pastries, is the local chain’s sixth location. (KOIN)
Award
  • In our best Johnny Cash voice — He ran into the Timbers Ring of Honor. On Saturday, July 15, Diego Valeri will be the sixth person inducted into the hallowed ranks, reserved for the best to ever represent the green and gold. (Portland Tribune)
Outdoors
  • Shhh. Mt. Tabor Park has been named the nation’s first Urban Quiet Park by Quiet Parks International, a nonprofit focused on recognizing and elevating places around the world where you can enjoy silence and stillness. We would clap, but, you know...
Sports
  • The Carmelo Anthony era in Portland may have only lasted two years, but it was fun. The NBA legend, known best for his stints in Denver and New York, announced his retirement after 19 seasons. His prolific offense took him to No. 9 on the all-time scoring list with 28,289 points. (OPB)
Opening
  • Javi’s Breakfast & Lunch, a new eatery on Northeast Sandy Boulevard, promises abundant chilaquiles, absolutely loaded omelets, burgers, and more. Check out its grand opening tomorrow, Thursday, May 25, and get a free pancake.
The Buy
  • Turn misplaced keys into a thing of the past with the Apple AirTag. The button-sized tracking device can give you step-by-step directions to your lost keys (or phone…or wallet…) and has a battery life of one year. Pro tip: Put one in your checked luggage and never worry about lost baggage again.*
 
Tech
 
🐣 Hatching a brilliant idea
Alternating images show a smart egg and the California condors that it's used to monitor.
Rocks were glued to the inside of the shell to match a condor egg’s weight exactly. | Photos by Michael Durham/Oregon Zoo
The use of innovative technology at the Oregon Zoo’s Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation is no yolk. In a research effort that made national news, the Clackamas County facility known for its success in boosting California condor populations partnered with Texas A&M University to 3D print a “smart egg.”

Want to take a crack at what that means? Well, these electronic devices mimic a condor egg, recording sound, temperature, movement, and other data straight from the nest.

“We know unhatched chicks can hear their parents while they’re still inside the egg,” said Kelli Walker, the zoo’s senior condor keeper. “Playing them sounds they’d be hearing inside the nest is one more way we can provide the best space possible for them to grow.”

Two dummy eggs have been in use since mid-February. Read more about the “double clutching” process and how seabird field studies inspired this idea.
 
The Wrap
 
Ben McBee headshot Today’s edition by:
Ben
From the editor
Something arrived in the mail yesterday that has me buzzing with excitement. My mom gifted me leaf cutter bees from Crown Bees in Woodinville, WA, to help pollinate my garden and other flowers.

I keep reading that the bees are wild and may choose to ignore the home you provide for them to nest elsewhere. Maybe Mom is trying to tell me something...
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