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Portal neighbors petition planning commission to preserve Valco sound wall as Wolf/Valco projects proceed
Summary
A North Portal neighborhood representative presented a petition of neighborhood signatures asking the city and developers to preserve a long‑standing sound wall near Valco/Wolf developments, citing safety, privacy and parking concerns tied to nearby large mixed‑use projects.
Pamela Hershey, speaking for the North Portal neighborhood, presented a petition at the March 25 meeting asking the commission and project proponents not to open the sound wall that separates the residential neighborhood from the Valco commercial area and the adjacent Wolf housing project.
Hershey said the sound wall was installed when the Balcom Mall development began in 1974 and that neighbors view the wall as a covenant that protects the neighborhood's character and safety. She said her group collected 525 signatures in three days representing 297 homes in the Portal neighborhood and requested the city "reject any proposal to open the sound wall and instead explore alternative solutions that support connectivity without compromising the neighborhood, safety, and character."
Hershey described the scale of nearby development and potential impacts: the combined Wolf and Valco projects will add thousands of housing units and a sizable amount of office and retail space adjacent to the neighborhood. She told the commission that the new projects "could be 9,000, 12 thousand, residents living in that area" depending on household sizes and noted that Wolf housing is short on on‑site parking; she asked how additional traffic and parking demand would be managed if the wall were opened.
Hershey recommended routing new connectivity to existing trail access points and preserving the wall to limit cut‑through traffic, preserve privacy and protect neighborhood security. She asked the commission and developers to provide formal documentation confirming that the long‑standing covenant preserving the wall would be enforced.
Ending note: Commissioners acknowledged the public comment; no action was taken on the petition at the special training meeting. Any formal consideration of sound‑wall openings or amendments to development agreements would occur in future, noticed hearings or through project‑level review.
