Greg Kesich’s recent column calling for more housing in the city was an accurate and clear assessment of Portland’s needs.

The attack by letter writer Peter Monro, who argues that Kesich is “misguided” and who also implies that Kesich is a shill for big developers, is ludicrous (“Columnist overlooks what unbounded growth could do to Portland,” March 31). Kesich is routinely a champion for the least fortunate in our city.

Monro’s idea that Kesich, as well as everyone at City Hall, was asleep at the switch while Monro and his group, Keep Portland Livable, saved our beautiful, historic peninsula, is delusional. He claims his “urban design” expertise is what won the day, and therefore saved us from becoming Flint, Michigan.

Well, I don’t know a lot about “urban design,” but I know a lot about West Bayside. Its current “urban design” is a mishmash of trash trucks, homeless people (God bless them), social service agencies and a certain abandoned, contaminated railroad yard.

West Bayside is the most downtrodden neighborhood on the peninsula, and I’ve personally waited since 1980 for a game-changing development that would lift us up and be the impetus to bring more good developments.

Then, along comes the Federated Cos. with a once-in-a-generation proposal that would inject millions of dollars into Portland’s economy and build hundreds of new, badly needed apartments.

Hallelujah, I’m thinking. There can’t be a downside. We’ll rid ourselves of that eyesore of a toxic waste site, and the residents of West Bayside will finally outnumber the transients!

To my horror, I watched as Keep Portland Livable – a minority group of NIMBYs, few of whom, I’ll guess, even live in West Bayside – stacked the board meetings and used their aggressive tactics to drag out the process so long that I’m surprised it wasn’t scuttled.

Welcome to Portland, Federated Cos. West Bayside loves you.

Will Bartlett

Portland

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