PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland’s green sheen is being put to the test these days as a steady stream of newcomers crowds into a city where popular land-use laws sharply limit the spread of city boundaries into the countryside.
The rub is a wave of large apartment complexes where the city doesn’t require parking spots. That means apartment dwellers putting their cars on the streets — to the dismay of homeowners nearby.
The city hoped these complexes, up to 40 units and more, would attract bicyclists and mass-transit users. It turns out most of the renters have cars anyway.
After an outcry from neighborhood groups, the city may back off a bit. Officials say they’re considering changing the rules to require the largest of the new apartment complexes to provide parking for some apartments.
