A proposal to create a new business district in Northeast Portland — which sticks a hefty fee on property owners — has divided an often overlooked neighborhood.
Portland City Council is considering creating a new “enhanced service district” in the Parkrose neighborhood, an area in Northeast Portland bordered by the Columbia River, Interstate 205, and the city of Maywood Park.
An enhanced service district, or ESD, is an area where property owners — both residential and commercial — in a certain geographic area must pay fees that are collected by the city. That money goes back into the district to pay for trash cleanup, private security teams, marketing programs or any other projects selected by a community board meant to improve the neighborhood and attract local business patrons…