October 14, 2026 · Report · 2026-347

Consider an appeal by the Hillsdale Neighborhood Association requesting to add conditions of approval to the Hearings Officer’s decision to approve the rebuilding of Ida B Wells High School (LU 26-026160 CU AD)

Plain-language summary

Council leans toward rejecting neighbors' added conditions for Ida B Wells rebuild

Portland Public Schools plans to rebuild Ida B Wells High School and improve its campus, and a city hearings officer approved the plan with conditions. The Hillsdale Neighborhood Association appealed, asking for more conditions: bike and walking lanes on the path through campus, pedestrian improvements on SW Burlingame Ave., and public use of fields, track and tennis courts without reservations when the school is not using them. Council tentatively said no to those added conditions but kept the hearings officer's approval and added one condition offered by the school district.

Decision: Tentatively denied the appeal, 12 to 0. The hearings officer's approval and conditions stay, plus one condition proposed by the school district. Staff will write updated findings (the written reasons for the decision).
Who it affects: Students, families and neighbors near the Ida B Wells High School and Rieke Elementary School campus in Hillsdale.
Money: No cost to the City. The school district's application fees cover the city's review work.
Next: Council returns November 5, 2026, at 2:30 pm for a final decision with the updated findings. No more public testimony will be taken.
Official record

Written by AI from the official record and checked automatically. October 14, 2026

Document number: 2026-347
Introduced by: Mayor Keith Wilson
City department: Permitting & Development
Requested council date: November 5, 2026
Purpose and background: The request is not for a legislative action. The request is to consider an appeal by the Hillsdale Neighborhood Association of the Hearings Officer's decision on a Type III quasi-judicial land use review to rebuild Ida B Wells High School. The Hearings Officer's decision was approval with conditions. Staff will be presenting the Hearings Officer's decision at the hearing. Quasi-judicial procedures described in Zoning Code Chapter 33.730, commonly known as land use reviews, are handled by Portland Permitting & Development. Quasi-judicial procedures assign the City Council as the decision-making body for appeals of Type III land use review decisions, per 33.730.030.G.
Financial and budgetary impacts: This is not a legislative action. There are no costs to the City associated with this quasi-judicial land use review. The City resources necessary to process land use review applications are covered by the land use review fees paid by the applicant.
Economic and real estate impacts: As noted above, this is a Type III quasi-judicial land use review, not legislation. It affects one location within the city, rather than the city at large.
Community impacts and community involvement: The standard public involvement procedures for a Type III land use review process have been followed. Prior to the initial public hearing conducted by the Hearings Officer, public notice was mailed to recognized neighborhood and business associations that are within 1,000 feet of the subject site and to property owners within 400 feet of the site. In addition, signs notifying the public of the initial hearing were posted at the subject site. The Hearings Officer then held a public hearing for this application on July 22, 2026, and issued a written decision of approval with conditions after the public record for the hearing was closed. The Hillsdale Neighborhood Association filed an appeal of the Hearings Officer's decision within the appeal period following the issuance of the Hearings Officer's decision.
100% renewable goal: This is an appeal of a Type III quasi-judicial land use review, not legislation. This is not applicable to the agenda item.

Full text

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide a brief description of the land use review appeal that will be presented to you in a public hearing on October 15, 2026, at 2:00 PM (case file # LU 26-026160 CU AD). Location: The subject site is a 35-acre Portland Public Schools property in the Hillsdale Neighborhood of Southwest Portland containing Ida B Wells High School and Rieke Elementary School. The address is 1151 SW Vermont Street. About: Portland Public Schools proposes to rebuild Ida B Wells High School and make various improvements to the school campus. The proposal requires approval of a Type III Conditional Use Review. The Hearings Officer held a public hearing for this application on July 22, 2026, and issued a written decision of approval with conditions after the public record for the hearing was closed. The Hillsdale Neighborhood Association filed an appeal of the Hearings Officer's decision within the appeal period following the issuance of the Hearings Officer's decision. In this appeal, the Hillsdale Neighborhood Association is not asking the City Council to overturn the Hearings Officer's approval of the project. Rather, they are asking the City Council to modify the Hearings Officer's decision to include the following conditions of approval: To require the north-south public access easement through the center of the site to designate the driveway for cyclists and the pathway next to the driveway for pedestrians, and to require shared lane markings ("sharrows") on the driveway. To require the school district to construct frontage improvements on SW Burlingame Ave. for pedestrians. To require the school district to provide public access without the need for reservations to open areas and recreational facilities on the campus, including the athletic fields, track, practice field, courtyard, and tennis courts, during non-school hours when those areas are not reserved for school activities, athletics, maintenance, or other authorized uses. The full case file and an audio recording of the Hearings Officer hearing are available online at LU 26-026160 CU AD.