Thursday, April 9, 2015, 4:30 - 6:30 pm
Lakeridge Jr. High (formerly Waluga Jr. High)
This is a public meeting - the public is welcome and may make comments
Read the consultants' report prior to the meeting for a view of planning so far.
As the name suggests, the land use plan for the SWEA is intended to be about creating an area conducive to more employment other than existing, low intensity industrial. Development would presumably be geared toward manufacturing, office and retail services, though it's starting to look like a mixed-use world just as so many other places these days. If Metro gives grant money for planning, you know what to expect.
Mixed-use is the new land use theory in style today. Imagine every commercial area of Lake Oswego awash in 3+ story buildings with residential units on the all floors or just the upper floors, then you have an idea of what the planners have in mind for our city. That includes all of Kruse Way where building heights can go up to 150 feet, all of Lake Grove, all of the SW Employment Area and Foothills Mixed-Use Area (industrial zones are so un-cool and with a low-tax base), and all of downtown and Old Town. There are also the Neighborhood Villages like Roaewood and Palisades where dense commercial and housing uses can occur.
I don't think residents of Lake Oswego are aware of, or are ready for, this kind of change to their city. Even the single family neighborhoods will be under assault from builders dividing large lots into two or more for big homes, and altering forever the suburban character of the town. What was and st ill is a predominately family-oriented, small, suburban town, is poised for dramatic change. Other cities still have discrete zones that keep multifamily, commercial and industrial uses in separate zones, but the New Urbanist mixed-use, compact form has quietly crept into Lake Oswego development codes and zoning. Hello Smart Growth.
Back to SWEA. The consultant's report says the Transportation Plan (TSP) has plans for sidewalks along Lakeview Blvd. south of Pilkington. This is curious because during the creation of the TSP, it was revealed that the traffic level on Lakeview was low and the road did not rise to the level of an upgrade that would need sidewalks or other improvements. Kittelson and Associates advised that Lakeview Blvd. was not a good candidate for elevation to a higher level with wider lanes and sidewalks. Lakeview has a 38' ROW when the plan calls for 60',
The homes abutting the industrial land flood during heavy rains due to un-permitted paving on the former Pacific Lumber site that allows water to run off to private homes rather than drain on site. Increased traffic, parking, expanded ROW with sidewalks would greatly impact the livability of the Rosewood neighborhood. Is anyone paying attention? The city can't or won't address basic sanitation (effluent seepage) and water drainage issues caused by property in the city. No doubt the city is waiting for a wholesale urban improvements before they touch the problems of county residents, but this is immoral and it is easy to fix. The property owner is the responsible party - the city should enforce its codes.
This is just ONE of the many problems that are evident in the SWEA plan. While consultants,
planners, property owners and developers make their grand plans, they need to consider conditions here on Earth, and the effects on real people living in the area and in the city as a whole. Can we afford their plans? Watch and see how the plan develops over the next few months. Is this what the citizens of LO want? Are they staying true to the city goal of making this a functional "Employment Area" with a lot of new, well-paid jobs?
Who is going to pay for all of this? I sense another Urban Renewal District coming... Noooo! Will the RR allow one more at-grade crossing at Jean Rd.? Probably not.
The alternatives presented so far seem to concentrate on the intersection of Jean Rd. and Lakeview Blvd. The entire area has not been fleshed out, but you can get an idea of where they are going. Time to get your 2-cents in. See the full report for detailed explanations of the draft plan.
ALTERNATIVE 1
ALTERNATIVE 2
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