Portland City Council Rejects Appeal of Hyatt Place Hotel in Pearl District

Patricia Cliff said the council’s rejection of the appeal was “an indication of the preference that the new City Council will be giving to developers rather than interests of the community in these stressful and tenuous times.”

Waiting at a Biketown rack in the Pearl District. (Alex Wittwer)
By Nigel Jaquiss

In one of the most contentious issues to come before the new Portland City Council, commissioners voted unanimously Jan. 14 to reject an appeal by Pearl Neighbors for Integrity in Design to block development of a 23-story Hyatt Place hotel at Northwest 12th Avenue and Flanders Street.

PNID objected to the building's height and its impact on the Flanders Greenway, and said the project would conflict with design guidelines and an adjacent historic district.

Related: A proposed Pearl District tower could block a long-awaited bikeway.

Mayor Ted Wheeler noted the height is allowed under the Central City 2035 plan and is part of the city's commitment to land-use planning. "The deal we've struck is increased density within the urban growth boundary," Wheeler said.

PNID president Patricia Cliff said the council's rejection of the appeal was "an indication of the preference that the new City Council will be giving to developers rather than interests of the community in these stressful and tenuous times."

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