SWEA plan swirls in debate

Southwest Employment Area struggles to figure out what it wants to be.  

"Maybe it's time to update my look.  Some people say I'm too shabby, though others still like my utilitarian use!  I'd really like to do both."  It feels good to be one of the last places working people can go in the city to make things."

"What I don't want is to become another boutique shopping or business area with a Lake Oswego address.  I think people are tired of that.  Even people with money want to see some meat and potatoes on their plate - no one can live on appetizers and desserts alone.  Except for Walmart and Safeway, the grocery shopping choices in town increasingly have people driving to Fred Meyer, Winco, or other places because food in Lake Oswego has gone upscale.  Real people actually live here, and our down-to-earth character is disappearing." 

My industrial history shouldn't be thrown

under the bus.  Real products are made here.  Most people don't know that the city's biggest employer, is located in my area, in part because the land has been inexpensive enough for them to expand their operations here.  I know they would like to see a more dress-up district, but it needs to be affordable.

"If the speculators got their way, no light industrial business will be able to locate here ever again.  There are speculators swarming about now, even looking at buying up the Les Schwab and old OTAK properties for more upscale development.  'Highest and best use' is what the real estate industry call it."

"What do I want you ask?"   

"What do I not want?"

"I want the city to play fair.  I don't want them to fix up some roads and leave others as is, because land prices will go up on the former and languish on the latter.  A form of crony capitalism.  The same goes for incentives like waiving fees or lowering parking requirements.  What about existing property owners - they would be at a disadvantage because the incentivized properties would be worth more due to government subsidies.  Let the market make the decision about what things are worth - incentives -subsidies- only make things worse - and unfair."

"I don't think the city can afford to do all that the designers have put forth without another urban renewal district.  If the City Council agreed to the plan, there would be a citizen revolt.  The city should look at a more modest plan that does the most with the money it has, and does it fairly."

"By keeping the plan more modest, the options for employment types will expand.  Isn't that what we want?  Jobs for all Lake Oswegans, not just the doctors and lawyers?"  

"Think twice, or three times about making this a mixed-use area.  That will invite a residential community with limited retail and shopping on the ground floor.  Retail and shopping are destination businesses and don't employ many people at high-wage jobs, and apartments are warehouses for people with very few employees per acre of land."

"Keep light industrial alive because that type of use is disappearing in close-in areas.  Add office too.  Keep building height low and that will keep necessary parking area lower too.  Lower building heights will also be more acceptable to the community. But overall, keep parking requirements high!  Don't repeat recent mistakes!"

"Consider the neighbors.  The residential neighborhoods need to be protected from traffic, parking and increased land use from zone changes."  

"And keep me REAL. Keep me vital and my purpose meaningful.  The land speculators who want to develop more intensely bought industrial land.  If they bet on something else, then deal with it!" It will still be a nice industrial-commercial area."