City Auditor - City Recorder - Council Ordinance - 176742 Marquam Hill Plan Vol. 2 Revised Design Guidelines

7. Enhance Relationships with Adjacent Forested Areas and Terwilliger Parkway 46

Organization of the Marquam Hill Plan Documents

The Marquam Hill Plan is presented in three volumes. Volume 1: City Council Revised Marquam Hill Plan contains the main components of the plan. These include the vision, policies, objectives and actions items as well as amendments to the Comprehensive Plan, the Comprehensive Plan Map and Zoning Map, and Title 32 and Title 33 of the Portland City Code. Volume 2: City Council Revised Marquam Hill Design Guidelines contains the design guidelines that will apply in the Marquam Hill Design District. Volume 3: Background Material contains background information about the plan area as well as key reports referenced throughout the planning process. These reports were released over time and are included in Volume 3 for the reader’s ease of reference. The chapters included in each volume are outlined below.

Volume 1: City Council Revised Marquam Hill Plan:

Organization of the Marquam Hill Plan Documents provides an overview of the Marquam Hill Plan documents.

Project Process and Overview includes sections that cover:

◻ A summary of the project;

◻ a summary of the study area’s existing conditions, which are described in detail in Volume 3;

◻ information about other relevant planning activities, the applicable public policy framework, and the project’s planning process; and

◻ an overview of the project’s process, key analyses, and conclusions.

The next six chapters are:

◻ Comprehensive Plan amendments

◻ A Vision for Marquam Hill

◻ Policies, Objectives and Actions

◻ Comprehensive Plan Map and Zoning Map Amendments

◻ Special Features of the Plan

◻ City Code Amendments

Volume 2: City Council Revised Marquam Hill Design Guidelines:

Marquam Hill Plan Project Overview repeats the Organization of the Marquam Hill Plan Documents chapter and the Project Summary section of the Project Process and Overview chapter from Volume 1 and provides a brief explanation of the document.

Introduction describes where and how the design guidelines are applied as well as the structure of the guidelines.

Marquam Hill Design Guidelines includes the recommended guidelines.

Volume 3: Background Material:

Existing Conditions includes a range of background information on Marquam Hill and its surroundings.

Marquam Hill Institutions provides key facts and details relating to Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Shriners Hospital for Children.

Newsletter and Open House Survey Results contains responses to the Marquam Hill Plan newsletter and surveys conducted at the Marquam Hill Plan open houses.

Pedestrian Study Results contains a summary of responses to the pedestrian intercept surveys and the trip logs conducted as part of the planning process.

Marquam Hill Plan Pedestrian Connections Vision Plan is a report produced by the Bureau of Planning that describes the suggestions for pedestrian access improvements developed by the Pedestrian Connections Working Group and is summarized in the Special Features of the Plan chapter.

Marquam Hill Plan Alternative Location Analysis is a report produced by the Bureau of Planning that evaluates the suitability of alternative Central City locations for OHSU’s expansion.

Building Bioscience in Portland is a report produced by the Battelle Memorial Institute that provides an assessment of Portland’s potential to establish a bioscience industry and the synergy that occurs between OHSU’s primary activities – education, patient care and research.

Transportation Analyses includes all of the reports on transportation related issues that were developed for or relied upon in the Marquam Hill Plan.

Transportation Peer Review Panel Report was produced by a panel of experts assembled through a contract with Kittelson & Associates. The report examines the accuracy and efficacy of the transportation data, analyses, conclusions, and recommendations provided by OHSU in the following reports:

◻ OHSU Master Plan Transportation and Parking

◻ OHSU Inter-Campus Transportation Connector

◻ Public Transportation Alternatives Feasibility Study

◻ OHSU Aerial Tramway Preliminary Engineering Study

Volume 1 and 2 are adopted, in whole or in part, by City Council ordinance. Volume 3 contains key portions of the record associated with development of the City Council Revised Marquam Hill Plan.

Project Summary

The City Council Revised Marquam Hill Plan and City Council Revised Marquam Hill Design Guidelines are the outcome of a legislative planning effort to guide the future of Marquam Hill. The City Council revised the plan following a series of public hearings on the Planning Commission Recommended Marquam Hill Plan and Design Commission Recommended Marquam Hill Design Guidelines. The Planning Commission and Design Commission recommendations were developed following deliberation and public testimony on the Bureau of Planning’s Proposed Marquam Hill Plan and Proposed Marquam Hill Design Guidelines.

Marquam Hill is located directly south of Portland’s Central City and about half a mile west of the Willamette River. The Homestead neighborhood area encompasses Marquam Hill, and the Corbett-Terwilliger-Lair Hill (CTLH) neighborhood is located to the east. The neighborhoods are known for their diverse array of housing types and high quality of life. Marquam Hill is also notable for the location of three medical institutions: Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), and Shriners Hospital for Children. The institutions currently occupy about 4.25 million square feet of building space devoted primarily to patient care, research, teaching and administrative functions.

Planning for the Marquam Hill area was initiated in late 2000 largely based on OHSU’s desire to pursue opportunities for growth in Portland, specifically on Marquam Hill and in the North Macadam District of the Central City. OHSU aims to become a top 20 nationally ranked academic medical research institution and recognizes that this success is dependant on the continued synergy of frequent interaction between its core functions of patient care, teaching and research. OHSU’s planning recognized that Marquam Hill couldn’t entirely accommodate the growth necessary to achieve its goals. North Macadam was selected by OHSU as its preferred location for expansion, in part, because of the close proximity to Marquam Hill. The institution envisions North Macadam and Marquam Hill functioning as an integrated Central Campus connected by an aerial tramway to maintain the existing synergy between
functions.

The City desired to examine the potential economic development and job benefits of institutional expansion, particularly those associated with the bioscience field. The assessment and mitigation of potential impacts on the residential neighborhoods, large tracts of undeveloped land and parks and open space surrounding Marquam Hill were also a central part of the project scope. The Marquam Hill planning effort explored opportunities for attracting the bioscience industry and related jobs to Portland and the need for a suspended cable transportation system connecting Marquam Hill and North Macadam. Close coordination of the Marquam Hill planning activities and the North Macadam planning project, which stems from City Council’s acceptance of the North Macadam District Framework Plan in August 1999, has been an ongoing factor in both efforts.

Briefings for the Planning Commission on the Marquam Hill planning efforts began in April 2001 and continued through March 2002. During these briefings the Planning Commission identified three issue areas:

◻ Portland’s ability to develop a bioscience industry and the influence of OHSU’s activities and expansion on that potential;

◻ Feasible locations within Portland’s Central City for OHSU’s expansion; and

◻ Transportation, including traffic impacts on Marquam Hill, options to link Marquam Hill with the Central City and the reliability of the transportation data, analyses, conclusions, and proposals provided by OHSU.

The Bureau of Planning examined these issues and the resulting reports were submitted to the Planning Commission. These reports can be found in Volume 3 and are titled:

◻ Building Bioscience in Portland – An Assessment of Oregon Health & Science University’s Research Prospects and Portland’s Economic Potential

◻ Marquam Hill Plan Alternative Location Analysis – Land Availability Assessment

◻ Transportation Peer Review Panel Report

The Bureau of Planning’s Proposed Marquam Hill Plan, which was published March 22, 2002, was shaped through several sources of public input. A Community and Technical Advisory Group (C/TAG) made up of a broad range of community interests met almost 20 times over a 14-month period in 2001-2002. In addition to the C/TAG’s input, the proposed plan was informed by surveys distributed at two MHP open houses and newsletter responses, all of which allowed project staff to gather neighborhood ideas and concerns about institutional expansion and the impacts of future growth. The public involvement activities also allowed the community to gain an understanding of OHSU’s mission, expansion needs and the economic development opportunities associated with that expansion.

Planning efforts for Marquam Hill occurred in the context of state, regional and local planning regulations. Specifically city policies and plans that apply in the Marquam Hill area include:

◻ Portland Comprehensive Plan

◻ Marquam Hill Policy Plan (1977);

◻ Southwest Community Plan

◻ Terwilliger Parkway Corridor Plan

◻ Scenic Views, Sites and Corridors: Scenic Resources Protection Plan

◻ Southwest Hills Resource Protection Plan

In developing their recommendation, the Planning Commission considered the Proposed Marquam Hill Plan, information from prior planning documents and analyses, as well as the copious public comments received during two hearings on April 2 and April 9, 2002. The Planning Commission also received written testimony until April 22, 2002. During their deliberations, the Planning Commission requested additional materials from project staff such as a survey of pedestrian travel behavior at Marquam Hill institutions, an analysis of Portland’s transportation policy, an analysis of the 1977 Marquam Hill Policy Plan and other items.

Finding opportunities to avoid, limit and mitigate adverse impacts on the surrounding areas while providing a framework for institutional expansion on Marquam Hill characterizes the Planning Commission’s overall focus in their deliberations and decision making. The Planning Commission considered the importance of OHSU to Portland, the region and the State and discussed the institution’s core functions of healing, teaching and research, acknowledging that each function provides benefits to the City. The Commission recommended that OHSU be allowed to grow in its present location on Marquam Hill but also stressed that this growth should be limited and that the adverse affects on the nearby residential neighborhoods, natural and open areas, and Terwilliger Parkway be controlled and monitored. The Commission also recommended that OHSU expansion in North Macadam is appropriate and added a plan objective to encourage institutional expansion off of Marquam Hill to the greatest extent possible.

The Planning Commission’s deliberation included discussion of the Bureau of Planning’s proposal to include policies and regulations to allow development of a suspended cable transportation system linking Marquam Hill and North Macadam. The Commission also discussed a process proposed by the Portland Office of Transportation (PDOT) for further consideration of technology and alignment options of a suspended cable transportation system. The Commission concluded that further work is needed on the practical and policy implications of such a system before policy or regulatory support for the idea should be included in the Marquam Hill Plan. Commission members felt that the next steps to examine the technology and alignment choices should look at a number of different options specifically including “no-build” and shuttle bus alternatives in addition to aerial tramway and gondola systems. The Commission believed that a review of mitigation efforts must be part of the evaluation so that the option selected provides the greatest benefit, the fewest negative impacts, and the best options for mitigation.

The Planning Commission’s recommendations concerning the process for consideration of a suspended cable transportation system were provided to the City Council at a hearing on May 23, 2002. After the hearing, the City Council adopted a resolution for PDOT’s proposed process. The adopted process reflected Commission members’ notion of a separate policy and regulatory development phase and called for this phase to occur once conclusions regarding technology and alignment options are reached. PDOT sponsored two open house events to generate and evaluate options for connecting Marquam Hill to the North Macadam District in June 2002. A report – Marquam Hill to North Macadam Connector Study – was published by PDOT on June 20, 2002. For more information on this process, please contact Matt Brown at 503-823-7027.

The preparation of the Design Commission Recommended Marquam Hill Design Guidelines occurred in a similar timeframe as the development of the Planning Commission Recommended Marquam Hill Plan. The Design Commission received the Proposed Marquam Hill Design Guidelines on April 26, 2002 and held a public hearing on May 16, 2002. Work sessions were held on May 23 and June 6, 2002.

The City Council held public hearings on the Planning Commission Recommended Marquam Hill Plan and the Design Commission Recommended Marquam Hill Design Guidelines in June and July 2002. The first hearing was held on June 26, 2002 and allowed Council to receive public testimony on the two documents. The City Council also received an update from PDOT concerning the Marquam Hill to North Macadam Connector Study’s recommendation on a suspended cable transportation system connection between the two areas. The City Council discussed the public testimony from the June 26^th hearing the following day, June 27, 2002, reviewed the requested amendments to the Planning Commission and Design Commission recommended documents. The Council also selected specific requests for further consideration and directed staff to develop amendment language for those items. The Council heard public testimony on their requested amendments at a hearing on July 3, 2002.

The City Council’s deliberations focused several key components of the plan. The City Council directed that the Bureau of Planning’s proposal to amend the Comprehensive Plan Goal 5 – Economic Development be reinstated with some modification. The City Council amendment to the Comprehensive Plan calls for the establishment of a Science and Technology Quarter as the core of the region’s biomedical, bioscience and bioengineering industries by capitalizing on the strengths of Portland’s academic and medical institutions and the region’s technology sector.

The City Council also directed that the policy framework and regulations to allow a suspended cable transportation system between Marquam Hill and North Macadam be reinstated in the Marquam Hill Plan. Specifically their amendments included:

◻ the plan vision, objectives and action items;

◻ expansion of the plan district and plan area boundaries to include a portion of Terwilliger Parkway;

◻ Zoning Code amendments to allow suspended cable transportation systems in the Open space (OS) zone within the plan district; and

◻ an interpretation that suspended cable transportation systems fall within the Basic Utilities use category of the Zoning Code.

Throughout the Marquam Hill planning process a great deal of attention has been given to crafting regulatory language and policies, objectives and action items that minimize the impacts of institutional development and provide appropriate land use reviews. During their deliberations, the City Council carefully refined a number of the plan’s objectives and action items relating to transportation and open space and natural resources. The City Council also refined regulations included as part of the Marquam Hill Plan District, Marquam Hill Parking Review, and Marquam Hill Design Review.

The City Council Revised Marquam Hill Plan includes changes to Portland’s Comprehensive Plan, Title 32: Signs and Related Regulations, Title 33: Planning and Zoning Code, and the Comprehensive Plan Map and Zoning Map. Specifically, the Marquam Hill Plan:

◻ Includes a vision, policies, objectives, and action items that apply within the plan area boundary.

◻ Repeals the 1977 Marquam Hill Policy Plan.

◻ Amends the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Maps to rezone the institutionally developed area within the plan district boundary to Central Employment (EX) and apply the Design (“d”) Overlay Zone.

◻ Amends the Comprehensive Plan Map and Zoning Map to zone the area directly south of the plan district to Open Space (OS).

◻ Amends the Portland Zoning Code to create the Marquam Hill Plan District.

◻ Creates the Marquam Hill Design District and applies design review to areas within the design district.

◻ Amends the Portland Sign Code to include special sign regulations in the Marquam Hill Plan District.

The City Council Revised Marquam Hill Design Guidelines:

◻ Implement nine design guidelines that are mandatory approval criteria within the Marquam Hill Design District.

◻ Provide background information and examples of how the design guidelines can be met.

The package of items that City Council will consider on July 10, 2002 includes:

▪ City Council Revised Marquam Hill Plan

▪ City Council Revised Marquam Hill Design Guidelines

▪ Adopting ordinance for the above documents

▪ A resolution adopting the actin charts in the City Council Revised Marquam Hill Plan

▪ A resolution reaffirming the Terwilliger Parkway Corridor Plan and its implementing measures, including the Terwilliger Parkway Design Guidelines

In addition, the Bureau of Planning proposes that the City enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Oregon Health & Science University regarding specific actions for the implementation of the Marquam Hill Plan. This document was not be considered by City Council during their review of the Marquam Hill Plan but the Bureau sought advice and direction from the Council on the general content of the agreement. A revised list of ideas for inclusion in the MOU was provided to the City Council on July 8, 2002.

About This Document

This document includes information (and is formatted) to help link it thematically to documents described on the preceding pages. Upon adoption by City Council, this will become a “stand-alone” document. This section, Section I, Marquam Hill Plan Project Overview, will be deleted, and Section IV, Appendices, will be edited – the Terwilliger Parkway Design Guidelines will be removed, and a copy of City Council’s adopting ordinance will be inserted. Additionally, there will be minor changes to the overall format.

Marquam Hill Design Guidelines

1. Enhance Views of Marquam Hill 24

2. Develop Integrated Building Rooftops 28

3. Maintain and Enhance Existing Views from Marquam Hill 32

4. Develop Successful Formal Open Areas 34

5. Strengthen the Pedestrian Network 38

6. Support the Pedestrian Network with New Development 42

7. Enhance Relationships with Adjacent Forested Areas and Terwilliger Parkway 46

8. Strengthen Connections to the Village Center 48

9. Further the Implementation of the Site Development Concepts 50

1. ENHANCE VIEWS OF MARQUAM HILL

BACKGROUND

The collection of institutional buildings that makes up the majority of the built environment on Marquam Hill creates one of the most visually arresting sights in Portland. These buildings are visible from distant points such as Oaks Bottom Park and the Pittock Mansion, and even as far away as the St. John’s Bridge. Views to the hill that the City is primarily interested in enhancing are from the east side of the city, along the downtown waterfront (or Tom McCall Waterfront Park), and from the southern end of downtown.

The visual prominence of the institutional development on Marquam Hill is due not only to its location above much of the city, but also to its contrast with the forested landscape, including Terwilliger Parkway, that surrounds it. A primary challenge facing the design of new, visually-prominent development will be addressing the visual contrast between the natural and the built environments. In addition, there is the potential to strengthen the “Italian hilltown-like” quality that the diversity and juxtapositions of the current collection of buildings begins to suggest. The primary topography supporting the landscape of Marquam Hill consists of two ridges and a valley. Proposed new development located at or near the top of either ridge is likely to be visually prominent, and can enhance views from afar by addressing the exterior expression of the building’s internal programs or functions.

The programmatic demands of a large institutional or medical building typically necessitate boxier building forms that often explicitly express the internal horizontal nature of the building on its exterior. Emphasizing a building’s verticality, creating multiple buildingmasses, and articulating visible facades are examples of design techniques that can support a building’s internal functions while decreasing thevisual prominence of large institutional development.

View from Downtown

A building’s verticality can be emphasized in a variety of ways. Vertical banding/orientation (as opposed to horizontal) of windows or changes in exterior materials that reflect vertical building systems (such as column structures) are relatively simple methods of achieving this result. Changes in façade plane that create vertical shadow lines (such as projecting window bays), and/or the exaggerated articulation of necessary vertical building elements such as stair towers and/or elevator shafts, are larger moves that could significantly affect the building’s overall design. Expressing a vertical orientation in new buildings would also help to reflect the surrounding natural context, made up of mostly conifer trees that are inherently vertical by nature.

De-emphasizing a large building’s mass reduces its potentially monolithic character. This de-emphasis is especially important where visually-prominent institutional development interfaces with the surrounding areas. Consideration should be given to the orientation and design of new buildings to avoid the creation of a “wall” of buildings facing the out-lying areas, both near and far. Building mass can be made visually distinct and/or separated by accentuated stair towers, reveals in the façade plane, different site orientations, the stepping-back or terracing of heights, or a change in exterior materials. These methods would also enhance the “village-like” qualities that views of the development on the hill suggest, by developing more diversity in building sizes and orientations.

Building facades can be articulated in a variety of ways to enhance views of the hill. Changes in façade plane that create vertical shadow lines reduce the flat appearance of exterior facades. Rougher exterior materials reduce glare from the building facades and add another layer of visual texture to prominent building facades. Incorporating windows that are inset from the façade-plane provides some visual relief to large building facades by creating opportunities for the development of shadows.

View from the Ross Island Bridge

The emphasis of this guideline is directed at the façades of buildings that are visually-prominent from distant locations in the city, as well as Terwilliger Parkway. The façades of new buildings that are not visually-prominent, (they either face the adjacent neighborhood or are oriented into the campus), do not need to address this guideline. For example, the inward-facing, campus-oriented building façades of a visually-prominent development could exhibit more of a formal, wall-with-window-openings type of treatment, while its visible, outward-facing façades would be subject to the issues described here.

GUIDELINE

Enhance views of Marquam Hill in visually-prominent new development by emphasizing verticality, de-emphasizing a building’s overall mass, and/or articulating building facades.

This guideline may be accomplished by:

1. Developing articulated building facades.

The Hatfield Research Center has developed folds in the building’s façade that create vertical shadow lines. The design of the central bay window/transom panel combination creates a visually-prominent vertical focal point running almost the entire height of the building.

This guideline may be accomplished by:

2. Exaggerating vertical building components.

The volume of primary stair and elevator core at the 1900 SW Fourth building has been given an exaggerated vertical treatment, differentiating it from the rest of the building’s mass. This prominent expression also serves to divide the building’s façade into three sections, adding another layer of texture to the primary visible facade.

3. De-emphasizing the horizontality of the building.

The design of the BIC Center and Library, de-emphasizesits horizontality by incorporating multi-story, recessed window openings along its campus-facing façade.

2. DEVELOP INTEGRATED BUILDING ROOFTOPS

BACKGROUND

It is common practice in the development of multi-story buildings to locate necessary building functions such as heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, elevator penthouses, and various antennae on the tops of buildings. The presence of this equipment on rooftops can affect both close-in and distant views of the buildings. Visual impacts of this equipment can be mitigated by a holistic design concept that includes parapets, screens and other elements.

The dramatic topography of Marquam Hill and the scale of institutional development there have created a unique situation where there are almost as many views from, across, and through the buildings as there are views of them. For example, views east from the neighborhood to the west through the institutional development, or views from one ridge to the other, can be enhanced by the integrated consideration of visible rooftops in the design of the building. Rooftops of new buildings and parking structures offer many opportunities for the development of “green” roofs, or roofscapes that enhance views of the buildings from elevated vantage points.

Some green roof strategies include the development of additional open spaces, such as rooftop gardens or terraces, and/or the integration of roof-level stormwater management systems, such as “eco-roofs”.

Rooftop gardens or terraces provide open spaces that may offer views across the central valley/canyon and to the Village Center, North Macadam, the east side of Portland and Mt. Hood. The incorporation of seating, landscaping, play structures, artwork and other amenities significantly enhance the character of rooftop gardens or terraces.

Eco-roofs are a type of permeable roofing system that use vegetative and lightweight soil layers to retain the majority of the building’s stormwater on-site. When incorporated, these permeable roof systems are effective stormwater management tools, enhance views onto the building’s rooftop, increase the life of a building’s roof system, reduce the “heat island” effect, and significantly enhance the development’s overall sustainability.

Given the topography of Marquam Hill, rooftops of new buildings or parking structures may even include access roads, to improve connectivity on the hill. Where practicable or important to the connectivity of the pedestrian network, these facilities could include urban streetscape treatments such as sidewalks, striped crosswalks and street trees.

GUIDELINE

Size and place rooftop penthouses, mechanical equipment and related screening elements to mitigate their impacts on views of the buildings.

Consider the incorporation of rooftop gardens and/or roof-level stormwater management systems to enhance views of and views onto the rooftops of buildings and parking structures.

This guideline may be accomplished by:

1. Designing multifunctional rooftop mechanical penthouses.

The design of the KOIN Center tower in downtown Portland has integrated the rooftop mechanical equipment in the building’s pointed cap. The cap is multifunctional, resolving to the building’s rooftop design while at the same time screening the mechanical equipment. Considering the design of a proposed building’s rooftop element(s) early in the process has the highest potential to result in a rooftop design solution that is well-integrated with the rest of the building.

This guideline may be accomplished by:

2. Developing rooftop terraces or gardens.

The upper image shows the rooftop terrace at the Yamhill Market building in downtown, while the lower image shows a roof garden at PacWest Center, also in downtown. Both examples offer unique spaces in the building where people can gather with other people, or perhaps find a quiet spot to read a book.

3. Integrating eco-roofs, or similar permeable building roofing systems.

This is the eco-roof at the Hamilton West apartment building in the West End of downtown. Eco-roofs offer not only something pleasing to the eye when viewed from nearby locations, but also a significant reduction in the amount of stormwater allowed to enter the city’s storm sewer system, and eventually, the river.

This guideline may be accomplished by:

4. Integrating rooftop screening with the building’s overall design.

The cylindrical volumes on the roof of the Doernbecher Children’s Hospital are screening the building’s mechanical penthouse equipment. These screens use a white-metal-panel system that is similar to the exterior cladding system used on the majority of the building, helping to integrate the rooftop elements with the building’s overall design.

5. Developing rooftop screening elements that are considered early in the design process.

This is a diagrammatic drawing of a potential research building for the Mission Bay development in San Francisco. The diagram illustrates how research buildings typically have larger building mechanical equipment demands, and therefore larger rooftop penthouse requirements. Recognizing these functional requirements at the early phases of the design process could yield unified building designs and create dramatic roofscapes.

3. MAINTAIN AND ENHANCE EXISTING VIEWS FROM MARQUAM HILL

BACKGROUND

The natural topography of Marquam Hill affords the institutional development with many special views of the surrounding area. Currently, there are three viewpoints on Marquam Hill that are designated in the Scenic Views, Sites and Drives Inventory as VM 31-21, VM 31-26 and VM 31-25. All three are views of mountains, but two of them, VM 31-21 and VM 31-26,.are on the Veterans Affairs Medical Center property, and have been effectively obscured by the growth of adjacent vegetation. The third, VM 31-25, is currently at the gazebo just north of the OHSU’s South Hospital building. This is a view of Mt. Hood that includes North Macadam, Ross Island, and eastside neighborhoods in the foreground.

Maintenance of these views ensures the ongoing public benefit derived from Marquam Hill’s unique vantage points. The intensity of the existing institutional development on the hill and the similar scale of proposed new facilities present some challenges to the maintenance and/or enhancement of these views. New development should be sized and placed to preserve or even enhance the designated view. Where new development and/or remodeling to structures will affect the position or view from a viewpoint, the physical viewing location should be relocated to offer roughly the same view.

The public nature of these viewpoints is important. New development that incorporates a viewpoint should locate it where it is clearly visible and identifiable from the primary public movement system(s). Public access to the viewpoint should not be restricted, and where possible, linking viewpoint locations to the pedestrian network on (and through) the hill will strengthen the system by contributing additional variety to the experience.

GUIDELINE

Maintain and enhance views from existing designated viewpoints.

This guideline may be accomplished by:

1. Maintaining good public access to the viewpoint.

This is part of the current view from viewpoint VM 31-25 at the edge of the South Hospital building on the OHSU campus. The view is a spectacular one of Mt. Hood and takes in many of the southwest and southeast Portland neighborhoods. The viewpoint has strong visual and physical connections to Sam Jackson Park Road, a busy bus stop for the campus, and a primary entry into the South Hospital building.

2. Relocating existing viewpoints to maintain the view.

These two images show the current state of the views on the Veterans Affairs Medical Center property. The upper image is taken from viewpoint VM 31-21, and the lower image shows a view from VM 31-26. Both views have been significantly obscured by the growth of adjacent vegetation, but could be potentially relocated as part of future development proposals.

4. DEVELOP SUCCESSFUL FORMAL OPEN AREAS

BACKGROUND

“Formal Open areas”, (or open spaces), are crucial amenities within any densely-built urban environment. The scale and density of the institutional development on Marquam Hill necessitates the design of proposed open areas that should be able to provide both visual and physical relief from the built environment. Formal open areas—including grassy quads or plazas, along with informal pocket parks —can accommodate a variety of uses that range from contemplative pursuits to active recreation, such as frisbee.

The orientation and articulation of adjacent buildings and building elements—building entries and/or lobbies, ground-floor windows and active-use areas—in addition to other possible components such as public art, water features, and diverse mixtures of plant species , can significantly impact the desired function of a proposed open area. Other amenities such as seating, exposed and covered picnic tables, children’s play areas, bike parking, and weather protection can also enhance the quality and functionality of the open area.

One of the most critical components for successful open areas is access to sunlight. While access to direct sunlight is readily available during the summer months, it is during the winter months that access to the warmth of the sun is most desirable. Designers of proposed new buildings adjacent to formal open areas should consider the building’s orientation, height, and bulk relative to sun angles to help maximize the sunlight reaching open areas during the winter months. Where existing site and/or building development might not allow direct solar access, the articulation of proposed new buildings should maximize and enhance the available natural light. This could be accomplished through the strategic incorporation of reflective or light-colored materials on adjacent building facades that are generally south- or north-facing.

Open areas can also benefit from the consideration of views to, through, and between buildings. The density and topographical responses of the institutional development on the hill has created many opportunities for dynamic views, both long and short, to and through often dramatically juxtaposed buildings. The careful coordination of these views can be used to link one open area to another and/or building access points.

“Pocket parks” are small open spaces that also provide nearby students, workers and patients with opportunities to relax and socialize. Pocket parks function best when they augment adjacent pedestrian paths and building functions. Given their relative small size, pocket parks could potentially emphasize different functions, based on the time of year. For example, a heavily-landscaped pocket park that primarily offers visual relief during the winter, could offer shaded seating during the warmer summer months. Proposed adjacent buildings should orient entries, and/or ground floor active-use spaces to these small open spaces to increase the potential for activity and interaction.

GUIDELINE

Orient formal open areas to take advantage of available sunlight, existing and potential visual connections, pedestrian movement, building entries, and adjacent active uses.

Ensure that formal open areas provide visual, spatial, and tactile relief from the density of Marquam Hill’s institutional development.

Depending on their desired functions, consider the incorporation of public amenities in formal open areas.

This guideline may be accomplished by:

1. Enhancing visual connections from one open area to another.

This is a view looking south on SW 3^rd Avenue in the South Auditorium District. The open space of Lovejoy Plaza is indicated in the distance where the connected tree canopy breaks a little and lets more light in. This contrast of dark and light, augmenting the long views down the pedestrian path, creates a rhythm that leads people from one open space to another – in this case, from Pettygrove Park to Lovejoy Plaza.

This guideline may be accomplished by:

2. Organizing formal open areas around significant landscape features.

This is a Spanish Fir tree, the largest of its kind in Portland. This tree currently helps to frame a grassy open area adjacent to the Basic Sciences building. New open areas should consider significant existing landscaping as opportunities for focal points in the spaces.

3. Developing flexible, integrated seating arrangements within formal open areas.

The seating at Pioneer Courthouse square (upper image) is built into the site’s topography, creating a natural amphitheater space that can be used for a variety of functions. The seating is also pushed toward the edges of the square, providing those seated with good views of activities happening within the plaza space itself. The lower image is of a more intimate, integrated seating area at Pettygrove Park in the South Auditorium District

This guideline may be accomplished by:

4. Orienting building entries to adjacent formal open areas.

The addition to the Basic Sciences building has oriented is primary entrance to the plaza that it faces, encouraging pedestrian traffic through the open area to the entry. The building has also incorporated an arcade, offering some weather protection for the open area, and increasing the usability of the space. The sizable sculpture offers a focal point for the plaza as well as seating opportunities.

5. Siting formal open areas to have good connections to the pedestrian network.

This small plaza adjacent to the Hatfield Research Center is visually well-connected to Sam Jackson Park Road, seen in the background. Good visual connections from one public area (the street) to another (an associated open area) increase the sense of security around the open area, and subsequently enhance its overall usability.

5. STRENGTHEN THE PEDESTRIAN NETWORK

BACKGROUND

The institutional development on Marquam Hill works as a set of different functional areas – education, research, and patient care – connected by a comprehensive pedestrian network that includes a series of trails in the adjacent forested areas. This network is another example of how the topography of Marquam Hill and the scale of the institutional development have modified what might have otherwise been a typical, (at-grade and external-only), pedestrian-movement system. Pedestrian movement is the primary method of travel among the functional areas, and it is organized around a “9^th Floor” concept; this floor level provides the best continuous connection among the various spaces and buildings.

To maintain this common-level connection, the pedestrian network on the hill moves from external spaces between and around buildings to internal halls and pathways WITHIN buildings. Designing new buildings to orient their internal movement systems to create direct, convenient, and safe connections to the external movement system (and extended 9^th Floor) will strengthen the overall continuity and functionality of the system.

The pedestrian network works with a series of trails (in the adjacent ravines and forested areas), to serve as an important connection between nearby and/or bordering neighborhoods. Developing new and/or enhancing existing connections to and through the ravines and forested areas enables workers, students, patients and visitors to access and enjoy the relief benefits that these areas offer. New access through these areas, in conjunction with the rest of the network, will enhance the overall system and help to encourage more pedestrian movement to and from the neighborhoods on either side.

The compact redevelopment of the institutional development on the hill creates some challenges for the safe separation of the transportation modes. Where new segments of the pedestrian network are intended to share space with other vehicular modes, a physical distinction should be developed that clearly identifies and (where possible) separates the pedestrian-use component(s) from those intended for motor vehicle use. This distinction could be a change in materials, the incorporation of bollards, or the development of a formal curb-and-sidewalk environment.

The use of a diverse overall palette of paving materials , an integrated set of amenities, and the development of a clear and consistent, wayfinding system -- a set of signs and/or other directional devices guiding pedestrians to the preferred routes -- are examples of items that will enhance the pedestrian network. Lighting oriented to the pedestrian network is a critical ingredient in the creation of a safe, 24-hour system. Enhancing the lighting system currently serving the network can also contribute to a consistent set of wayfinding elements. Other pedestrian-oriented amenities such as integrated landscaping (a mixture of groundcovers, shrubs and trees), seating, weather protection, and artwork add to the functionality of the network and the diversity of the experience.

This particular network must accommodate a variety of specialized uses, and new proposals for network segments should consider the provision of adequate width for simultaneous use by pedestrian and wheelchair traffic. Additionally, good visual connections from one area to another will help to bind the different functional areas together and continue to encourage pedestrian movement.

GUIDELINE

Strengthen and enhance the pedestrian network and trail system by developing new segments that are safe, well-connected (both physically and visually), and rich in their amenities and material qualities.

This guideline may be accomplished by:

1. Aligning primary internal pedestrian systems to link to the “9^th Floor” and the external pedestrian network.

This is a view looking down the skybridge that connects the South Hospital of the OHSU campus with the VA hospital. The skybridge connects at the 9^th Floor level and at either end provides easy access through each building to the street and external pedestrian network.

2. Enhancing the external pedestrian network.

This image to the left shows a section of the elevated pedestrian path along the western edge of the institutional development. The path provides a direct pedestrian connection from the southern side of the ravine to the northern side. The image to the right shows the bollards between the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall and the Portland Center for the Performing Arts along SW Main Street in downtown. The incorporation of elements such as bollards, that physically separate vehicular from pedestrian movement areas, significantly enhances the safety and operation of the overall pedestrian system

This guideline may be accomplished by:

3. Developing light fixtures that offer multiple types of light.

Light fixtures like these offer focussed light from the directional fixture component onto the ground below. In addition, the hood catches excess light from the fixture and spreads it indirectly over a slightly greater area, increasing the overall efficiency of the fixture, and softening related glare.

4. Implementing a consistent set of pedestrian-oriented infrastructure.

This pedestrian pathway system was developed as part of the South Auditorium District in the 1960s. The pathway and open space system use a consistent set of paving materials and finishes, adjacent landscaping, and light fixtures to create one of Portland’s truly unique public infrastructure environments.

6. SUPPORT THE PEDESTRIAN NETWORK WITH NEW DEVELOPMENT

BACKGROUND

The pedestrian environment is the area created by adjacent buildings that surrounds and gives form to the pedestrian network. The topography of Marquam Hill presents a rare challenge to building designers accustomed to relatively flat land, as the “pedestrian environment” may occur at multiple floor levels, depending on what side of the building one happens to be examining. Adjacent, “permeable” building facades that offer strong physical and/or visual connections to the network are the primary contributing components to an enhanced pedestrian environment.

Typical downtown solutions to enhance the pedestrian environment, such as incorporated ground-floor windows or awnings, may not be the best solutions where the proposed building has a variety of “ground floors”, or has facades that are not adjacent to pedestrian network paths needing weather protection. However, responding to enhance the external (and internal, where applicable) pedestrian environment by developing permeable adjacent building walls adjacent to the network, incorporating weather protection where necessary, and orienting building access points to directly connect with the network, will support and reinforce the pedestrian-orientation of the system..

Necessary building mechanical equipment that produces offensive odors, noise, and/or air movement should be located so as not to negatively impact the pedestrian environment. HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) systems, and/or other air-routing systems are examples of these types of equipment. Other necessary building elements that can have detrimental effects on the pedestrian environment, include natural gas, electric and/or water meters, loading areas, trash and recycling dumpsters, and parking access locations. All of these building elements are most successfully integrated in building and site designs when they are considered in the early stages of the design process.

GUIDELINE

Support the pedestrian network by developing building facades that create strong physical and visual connections to the system.

Incorporate building equipment and/or service areas in a manner that does not detract from the pedestrian environment, including trails.

This guideline may be accomplished by:

1. Incorporating seating in adjacent parts of the building.

This is a view down Yamhill Street in downtown. The low wall of Central Library, to the right, has incorporated benches into its design that offer pedestrians with places to stop as they pass by.

2. Developing landscaping in areas surrounding the pedestrian path.

Fairly dense landscaping, at a variety of sizes, planted along the pedestrian path system creates an effective buffer against large adjacent development, and can help to frame the pedestrian network. This image shows densely-planted areas alongside a sidewalk in NW Portland.

This guideline may be accomplished by:

3. Developing adjacent building uses that connect physically and visually to the pedestrian network.

The esplanade in front of the RiverPlace development in the South Waterfront area is activated by the series of retail establishments that visually and physically open onto it. Adjacent spaces to the pedestrian path developed for stopping and gathering allow pedestrians to rest, socialize, dine, or simply take in a view.

4. Incorporating public art within the pedestrian environment.

The animal sculptures and water fountains along Morrison and Yamhill Streets in downtown add another layer of visual and tactile interest to pedestrians. Carefully designed artwork, regularly spaced within the pedestrian environment, provides multiple benefits, such as seating opportunities, attractions for children, and a key component adding to the overall coherency of the system.

7. ENHANCE RELATIONSHIPS WITH ADJACENT FORESTED AREAS AND TERWILLIGER PARKWAY

BACKGROUND

Institutional development on Marquam Hill is surrounded by a second-growth conifer forests that heightens the contrast between the natural and built environment. The forest is at its most prominent at the southern edge of Marquam Hill, where it stretches to the south for approximately 150 acres. Additionally, at the northern edge of the hill, the forest rises above Sam Jackson Park Road and creates a buffer separating development on the hill from the mixture of residential, commercial, and Portland State University-related buildings at the southern end of downtown.

Terwilliger Parkway is a unique part of the city that was originally envisioned as a centerpiece for the development of upper class homes. Today, the Parkway, (which includes the Boulevard and Trail), serves as a special amenity that allows residents, employees, and visitors to southwest Portland appreciate the natural environment in an urban setting. The institutions on Marquam Hill have the challenging task of balancing the scale of large-building development with the wooded character of the areas to the north, south, and along Terwilliger

Parkway, and striving to forge special relationships within them.

Designing new institutional building that respond to the value of these natural areas by striving to minimize site impacts will strengthen their relationships with the hill’s landscape. This can be achieved through careful site-design strategies that work to preserve existing mature trees. Reducing building-related air, noise, or light pollution directed into the forested areas reinforces the forests’ inherent tranquility, and eases the transition from building to open space. In addition, “less-refined” construction materials at lower building levels that reduce glare, such as rusticated stone, textured concrete, or patterns of darker bricks, would help to soften views through the trees and decrease the contrast between new buildings and the landscape.

GUIDELINE

Strengthen the relationships between new institutional development and adjacent forested areas or Terwilliger Parkway by working to reduce site impacts and enhance the integration of the built and natural environments.

Incorporate building equipment and/or service areas to strengthen the natural qualities of adjacent forested areas or Terwilliger Parkway.

This guideline may be accomplished by:

1. Incorporating darker, textured materials at lower building elevations.

Doernbecher’s Children’s Hospital uses large blocks of stone at its base fronting Campus Drive. The stone used is brown in color, and has been left very rough, enhancing the material’s textural qualities and creating an irregular, somewhat “natural” play of light and shadow across the surfaces. This material contrasts significantly with the smooth, reflective metal panels used on the exterior at higher elevations of the building.

2. Creating an organic diversity of “less-refined” materials.

This building at the Washington Park light rail station has used different types of stone in its construction. Rougher, rusticated types of stone exhibit a “less-refined” character, emphasizing the fact that humans have not altered the material that much. The use of this and similar non-reflective materials at building bases eases views through natural areas to buildings, and strengthens the idea of the buildings “growing” organically out of the ground.

8. STRENGTHEN CONNECTIONS TO THE VILLAGE CENTER

BACKGROUND

The Village Center is the name associated with the portion of the Homestead neighborhood that is made up of primarily residential buildings facing the western edge of the institutional development across Sam Jackson Park Road. Buildings in the Village Center provide housing opportunities for employees and students associated with the various institutions on the hill. These buildings are generally on small lots, limited in height to two or three stories, and represent a variety of architectural time periods and styles. New development in the Village Center is envisioned to be mixed-use, three to four stories with small-scale retail and services that cater more directly to local, student- and employee-based needs.

New institutional buildings and incorporated formal open areas will strengthen connections to the Village by creating an active, potentially retail-emphasis urban seam. The active character created by redeveloped portions of the institutional buildings in this area will organize itself around proposed student service buildings and associated neighborhood-serving commercial and/or retail uses.

New institutional development facing the Village Center should respond by helping to frame Sam Jackson Park Road and creating a sense of urban enclosure. Buildings (or those portions of buildings) facing the street should incorporate flexible spaces for active, commercial uses, such as retail sales and services, and large pedestrian-level windows. In addition, articulation of the street-facing building façade(s) to create rhythmic patterns of light and shadow suggest the breakdown of the building’s overall mass, easing the transition to the development character of the Village Center.

GUIDELINE

Create an active, urban interface with the Village Center by incorporating pedestrian-level spaces that can accommodate a variety of active uses.

This guideline may be accomplished by:

1. Providing opportunities for the development of active, urban building edges.

The ground floor of this building, part of the Portland State University’s Urban Center, has incorporated flexible ground-level spaces that can accommodate a variety of active uses, one of them being a coffee shop. The coffee shop faces the main plaza space, and gives an indication of what an active space might look like facing the Village Center. Uses like this retail example help to activate the open space and offer needed services to the students, employees, and visitors to the hill.

2. Articulating building facades.

The southwest corner of the KOIN Center tower in downtown Portland steps back from the corner, while stepping down in height. Adjacent retail spaces in the building’s ground level, incorporated seating, and integrated nearby street trees work together to add variety to the pedestrian experience.

9. Further the Implementation of the Site Development Concepts

The redevelopment of the institutional campus on Marquam Hill will occur over the next several decades. This redevelopment will include new construction, additions to existing buildings, demolitions, the renovation or adaptive reuse of existing facilities, and the realignment and/or enhancement of vehicular and pedestrian routes. The design of each development proposal will be judged on a case-by-case basis, against the preceding eight guidelines. With each specific building proposal will be a set of improvements to public space(s) external to the building, linking the building to the rest of the existing development on the hill.

A critical component of the institutions’ growth on the hill will be the district-wide implementation of three Site Development Concepts. These site development concepts provide frameworks to guide the reorganization of functions, networks and users over the period of redevelopment. The three concepts address the rearrangement of functional areas, the interface of the internal pedestrian network with external pedestrian pathways, and the reorganized vehicular circulation system that efficiently disperses the workers, students, patients and visitors to their appropriate functional areas. As redevelopment of the existing facilities occurs, coordinated implementation of the three concepts will ensure the district’s ability to effectively cope with the anticipated increased densities.

The successful implementation of the concepts may require improving parts of the district that are not adjacent to a given development proposal, if a nexus is established between the required improvement and the impacts of the proposed development. It is important to note that every new proposal will not necessarily be required to implement components of the development concepts. The discretionary review process will determine the amount of additional improvements to further the site development concepts based on the scale, timing, and impacts of the proposal.

Overall, improvements made to help implement one concept should complement the implementation of the other two. For example, implementing the Functional Areas Site Development Concept by locating a proposed new research building (or buildings) along the southern ridge of the district should not preclude recommendations derived from the Pedestrian or Vehicular Circulation Site Development Concepts. The three development concepts are intended to work together, guiding district-wide improvements that will be necessary as the institutions on the hill redevelop over time.

Functional Areas Concept

The Functional Areas Site Development Concept provides a foundation for the deliberate reorganization of primary campus activities. Implementing this concept will encourage the rational siting of the hill’s primary activities; education, research and patient care, in a manner supporting the synergistic relationships among them. To implement this concept, new development should:

◻ Promote synergy by placing the institutional core functions (research, education, and patient care) in areas where these uses will interact with each other in an efficient manner.

◻ Establish a compact urban form that places dense institutional development within the core of the campus and lower intensities of development where the campus interfaces with adjacent parks, open space areas, and residential neighborhoods.

◻ Create an interface between the education functional area with the adjacent residential neighborhood to provide opportunities for local residents and campus students and staff to interact through the shared use of campus facilities and local commercial establishments. The incorporation of design elements that visually integrate the institutional area with the commercial/residential area can enhance this interface.

◻ Complement the Vehicular Circulation Site Development Concept.

◻ Locate patient care facilities including access to parking within the central area of the campus.

◻ Reinforce the use of SW Sam Jackson Park Road as the primary vehicle access route into the campus for employees, students, as well as freight and service vehicles by locating facilities, including access to parking, appropriately.

◻ Complement the Pedestrian Circulation Site Development Concept.

Pedestrian Circulation Concept

The Pedestrian Circulation Site Development Concept outlines a framework to ensure the efficient movement of pedestrians among the district’s functional areas, effective connections to regional pedestrian networks, and easy pedestrian access through the campus for residents, employees, and students of the Marquam Hill area. To implement this concept, new development should:

◻ Complement the Functional Areas Site Development Concept.

◻ Develop internal pedestrian connections between new and existing facilities within the campus.

◻ Support the interface between the campus and adjacent residential neighborhoods and open space areas by connecting pedestrian routes within the campus to those outside of the campus.

◻ Promote increased pedestrian connections with transit stops.

◻ Promote pedestrian recreation and commuter activities by students and staff through the development of trip end facilities in the central campus area.

◻ Promote the development of new pedestrian routes to improve connections between the institutional campus and local destinations, such as adjacent neighborhoods and Terwilliger Parkway, and more distant destinations, such as downtown and the North Macadam District.

◻ Enhance existing pedestrian routes to improve connections between the institutional campus and local destinations, such as adjacent neighborhoods and Terwilliger Parkway, and more distant destinations, such as downtown and the North Macadam District.

◻ Develop and enhance pedestrian connections between the campus and recreation destinations such as Terwilliger Parkway, Marquam Hill Nature Park, Council Crest Park, the 40-Mile Loop Trial, and the Willamette Greenway Trail.

Vehicular Circulation Concept

The Vehicular Circulation Site Development Concept provides a strategy for the reorganization of vehicular access to the different activities on Marquam Hill. A key component of this development concept calls for the separation of traffic depending on the intended destination, to improve the efficiency of the limited roadway system on the hill. To implement this concept, new development should:

◻ Support the Pedestrian Circulation Site Development Concept.

◻ Complement the Functional Areas Site Development Concept.

◻ Reinforce the intersection of SW Campus Drive and Terwilliger Boulevard as the primary vehicular access entry point for patients and visitors into the campus by locating patient care facilities including access to parking within the central area of the campus.

◻ Conveniently locate car and van pool parking spaces to encourage ride sharing over single occupant vehicle trips.

◻ Create a limited access road section of Campus Drive that prevents employees and students from accessing Terwilliger Boulevard via Campus Drive.

◻ Discourage the use of Homestead Drive/6th Drive as an access route by employees and students.

◻ Discourage through traffic along US Veterans Hospital Road between Gaines and Terwilliger Boulevard

◻ Promote the use of bicycle routes along SW Terwilliger Boulevard and the development of adequate bicycle parking and trip end facilities within the central campus to encourage student and employees to commute by bicycle, to reduce overall vehicle trips.

GUIDELINE

Further the implementation of the functional areas, pedestrian, and vehicular circulation site development concepts.

This guideline may be accomplished by:

1. Arranging the campus’s activities to support each other and the adjacent context.