iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 2h

Every removed post always references a rule that has absolutely no relevance

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 2h

I wish that Stevie Nicks Fajita Roundup were a real restaurant

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 8h

After October, Oven & Shaker’s only remaining location will be at the airport. Sizzle Pie will only have one location outside the airport. www.wweek.com/food/2026/10...

wweek.com

Sizzle Pie Shrinks to Just Two Locations

At its peak, the pizza chain had slice shops in New York, Seattle, Eugene and across Portland and Beaverton.

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 10h

Oh don’t tell me you don’t see it

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 11h

Are pole mounted traffic lights like on the original MAX alignment allowed for new installations?

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 11h

Here’s a thread bsky.app/profile/macc...

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 12h

I can’t decide if this is better or worse than Portland announced single stair apartments up to four stories tall are now legal, except on almost every actual site in the city.

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 12h

As someone else on Reddit said, their statement is "Facebook level vague posting". They would not have to release personally identifiable details to give people some idea as to why BRO's position has changed.

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 13h

Democratic politicians are often ahead of the voters. A statewide vote in Oregon to remove the death penalty from our constitution probably wouldn't pass, but thanks to Kitzhaber, Brown and Kotek, we effectively don't have the death penalty here.

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 14h

They completely lost my trust after the joke that was the ballot measure we should be voting on this November

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 14h

This… does not give me as a voter any useful information. And especially for a ranked choice election where the winner will almost certainly win due to second rankings, it doesn’t tell me who they think I should rank second after Singleton.

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 14h

Basic Rights Oregon is such a joke

In an open letter published this summer, they accused her of being a micromanager in the extreme, equal parts ruled by political ambition and profound suspicion, even as they allowed — publicly and privately — that she was politically savvy, hard-working and dedicated to public education. And this week Basic Rights Oregon announced it had rescinded its endorsement of her while declining to say why.

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 15h

Washington Square Uniqlo will be 13,475 SQ FT on one level. Downtown Portland Uniqlo will be 19,846 SQ FT on two levels. bsky.app/profile/macc...

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 15h

Building permit for Uniqlo at Washington Square was issued on Wednesday tigardor-energovweb.tylerhost.net/apps/SelfSer...

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 16h

There's at least four high rise buildings that have been built along Franklin Blvd in Eugene in the last decade

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 16h

The cities of Eugene and Corvallis seem to be in love with these high FAR but relatively low height buildings. If Type I / high rise construction pencils, why not get a skyline out of it?

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 16h

I'm probably happy just to let the process play out here, but if you want you can contact the planner (see info in the linked document) to join the virtual meeting as an attendee.

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 16h

Per Portland Permitting & Development's interpretation of the Zoning Code, Amazon's proposed drone delivery facility would be classified as a “helicopter landing facility”, required to go through a Type III Land Use Review (appealable to City Council) www.portland.gov/ppd/zoning-l...

Your narrative describes a proposed drone delivery operation from an order fulfillment center at
1001 N Schmeer Rd. An order fulfillment center is classified as a Warehouse and Freight
Movement use (Zoning Code Section 33.920.340), and this type of use is allowed outright
under the zoning designations that apply to this site.
However, the Zoning Code has additional regulations for a “helicopter landing facility” as
defined in Zoning Code Chapter 33.910:
Helicopter Landing Facility (HLF). Any area used for the landing and take off of
helicopters including heliports, helipads, and helistops. Peripheral areas, hangars,
parking pads, passenger terminals, and helicopter service areas are also part of such
facilities.
Since “helicopter” is not defined in the Zoning Code, we must refer to the dictionary definition
(Zoning Code Section 33.910.020). The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “helicopter” as
follows:
Helicopter. An aircraft whose lift is derived from the aerodynamic forces acting on one or
more powered rotors turning about substantially vertical axes.

Since the drones described in your submittal are aircraft powered by rotors on substantially
vertical axes, they must be considered helicopters under zoning regulations, and the place
where they take off and land must be considered a helicopter landing facility.
Regulations for helicopter landing facilities are in Zoning Code Chapter 33.243. Per Zoning
Code Section 33.243.030.A, Table 243-1, helicopter landing facilities as accessory uses must
be approved through Conditional Use Review.
Per Zoning Code Section 33.243.050.A.1, the Conditional Use Review for a new helicopter
landing facility must follow the Type III land use review process. The Type III land use review
procedure is described in Zoning Code Section 33.730.030, and the first step is a required PreApplication Conference (Zoning Code Section 33.730.030.A). To schedule a Pre-Application
Conference, please review the information and instructions at
https://www.portland.gov/bds/zoning-land-use/early-assistance/pre-application-conferences.
Under the current fee schedule, the fee for a Pre-Application Conference is $9,628.
The approval criteria for a new helicopter landing facility are in Zoning Code Section
33.815.210.A:
The following approval criteria apply to all helicopter landing facilities reviewed through
a Type III procedure.
1. The facility meets the safety standards required by state or federal agencies. The
facility must be approved by State Aeronautics and the FAA;
2. The facility is located so that the flights may take advantage of existing natural
flight corridors. Locations close to natural flight corridors such as freeways
are preferred;
3. Consolidating the HLF with other existing nearby HLFs is not possible or feasible;
4. In C, E, I, or CI zones, the facility will not have a greater impact than allowed uses.
If the facility will have significantly greater impacts, then it must be found that the
public benefits of the HLF outweigh the harm of the impacts. Locations more than

500 feet from land with residential zoning will be viewed more favorably by the
review body;
5. In OS, R, CR, CM1, CM2, CM3, and IR zones, the facility will not have a significant
negative impact on the livability of the area or a significant detrimental
environmental impact;
6. The facility meets all development standards contained in 33.243.040; and
7. The facility meets all noise regulations of the State of Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality and Title 18 of the City Code.
At the Pre-Application Conference, City staff would discuss these approval criteria with your
team and advise on next steps.
This analysis is based on information provided by you and our review of zoning regulations.
Please note that zoning regulations change over time, and these changes may affect the use
and/or development of the property. Please contact me at 503-823-7046 if you have additional
questions.
Sincerely,
Andrew Gulizia
City Planner
Enclosure: zoning map

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 17h

These comparisons were picked up in the Headlines podcast this morning as well

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 17h

I’m so sorry. He sounds like he was a great person who will be missed.

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

They do… but its a fairly tight cone on alignment with the runway and so the further north you go in Downtown the less it matters.

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

A city whose tallest building rises to 150’ now has no height limit in its downtown—and a number of other key sites. Many neighborhoods that are today mostly postwar suburbs are now zoned for 75’ tall apartment buildings. Even the lowest intensity zoning allows for midrise walk up apartments.

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

When I first saw a draft of Vancouver’s new zoning code, I had to email the staff working on it to confirm that I wasn’t misinterpreting what I was reading

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Is "Big Pink" now the official name of the U.S. Bancorp Tower? US Bank is no longer a tenant in the building; their branding (still visible in streetview) has been removed; and the leasing website is at www.bigpinkpdx.com

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

A “We're All Trying To Find The Guy Who Did This” moment from the NW Examiner

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Right, but under the examples I’m trying to game out… under the same pre-tax profits at two stores, the tax owed in Portland would be higher, right?

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Yes, sorry, net income but nonetheless the point remains… right?

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Wait, what’s the first paragraph in reference to? 😂

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

The way an accountant has explained it to me is that it’s based on where the business activity takes place, not where the employees are. A company that has 20% of its sales in Portland and the rest elsewhere pays the same tax, regardless of whether its employees are in Portland, Tigard or Seattle.

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

But it could affect their decision making over where to open a retail store, because they’d pay higher taxes on revenues generated in say, Downtown Portland vs Washington Square.

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Just thinking this through… Portland business license taxes are based on revenue within the City of Portland only, so [theoretically] the Fair Share Tax shouldn’t affect a large company’s decision on whether to open or a expand an office here.

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

They're not really competing goals, but yes, if I had to choose between service to Mexico City or Paris I'd choose Mexico City in a heartbeat.

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

In searching my own posts, I see the Port was talking to Air France as of February. Maybe a summer 2028 goal? bsky.app/profile/macc...

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

This is a chart from a presentation in February, with number thru October '25. There's unmet year round, but the total market drops of a cliff in the winter. I guess the big thing AF offers over KLM is Paris itself (#1 unserved destination). For other European destinations, mostly another option.

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

MAX Yellow Line felt busier than post-pandemic normal this morning, even though I-5 southbound has now reopened. Hopefully there’s a sustained increase in ridership.

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

The Port of Portland’s primary targets for international service are Asia and Mexico City, but there is also unmet demand for service to Europe in the summer. If it’s not already, it should definitely be talking to Air France.

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Do you know if anyone has built such a structure yet?

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

What an experience. I love that film.

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Went to see “Bad Education” at the Hollywood Theatre this evening. Even though it was the film that inspired to me to start learning Spanish back in 2020, I had somehow forgotten just how dark it is.

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Oregon can’t control federal immigration policy, but it could change its occupational licensing laws so that immigrants who were educated in other countries can work here in the fields in which they were trained.

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Oh, I read “have you” to mean “require you” to

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Reposted by iain

David Binnig @binnig.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

I'm not sure what the intention is when groups like Portland for All tell people not to rank any of the moderate candidates in D3/4, but the *effect* is that it's telling progressive voters to throw out whatever influence they have over which moderates get elected.

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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

There may be places that require this, but it's certainly not universal; see this ballot from Glasgow (taken from here en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Sc...)

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Reposted by iain

Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Fair to compare these priorities but that’s a one-year deficit for PPS. So, one Moda Center every 7 years even if local birthrates hadn’t already fallen 30% since today’s 4th graders were born, which they have. Not for oversubsidizing the Blazers, but we’re not gonna avoid closing some schools :(

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