"Salem River Crossing Integrated Land Use Plan for the Bridge District - Request for Letter of Support– Julie Warncke, Transportation Planning Manager"
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| Third Bridge outside UGB |
So that's my guess.
In any case, if you live or work in West Salem, it's another opportunity to say "no" to this costly, risky, and unneeded giant bridge and highway.
The West Salem Neighborhood Association meeting is at Roth’s West, Mezzanine level, at 1130 Wallace Rd NW on Monday, May 19th at 7pm.
Update, May 20th
N3B posted this from the WSNA meeting:
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| TGM concept |
There will be a more extensive discussion of the TGM concepts later, probably keyed to the Council meeting at which they are approved. But for the moment, consider what the State has to say about the TGM program:
A partnership between the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), the Oregon Transportation and Growth Management Program (TGM) supports community efforts to expand transportation choices for people. By linking land use and transportation planning, TGM works in partnership with local governments to create vibrant, livable places in which people can walk, bike, take transit or drive where they want to go.Two thoughts: 1) The TGM program is designed to create solutions in earlier stages of growth that eliminate the need for giant bridges and highways in later stages, and 2) A back-filled "mitigation" for a giant bridge and highway is antithetical to the stated aims of the TGM program.
CAN-DO - Downtown on Tuesday
The downtown Neighborhood Association, CAN-DO, meets on Tuesday. They look to talk about the proposed update to food cart ordinances and possibly about tree ordinances (SRC chapter 86).
In addition to discussion about downtown trees, the minutes from last month also include some park notes:
Suggestions [for the Boise "park parcel" the City purchased] consisted of an off-leash dog park; a skatepark that would not duplicate the features of the one in Marion Square Park; a food pod (grouping of food carts that would require amending the SRC to allow year round leasing); farmers’ market concession area; tennis, basketball or pickle ball courts; crossfit or military workout area or obstacle course; chess and checker tables; overflow parking (a portion only).The repair station will be a great addition to the park!
During the Communications Funds segment of the meeting, the Chair announced that the Salem Parks Foundation had approved CanDo’s grant application for funds to install a bicycle repair station at Riverfront Park. Erma Hoffman is continuing to oversee the project.
CAN-DO meets Tuesday the 20th, at 6:00 p.m. at First Christian Church on 685 Marion Street NE.
NEN - Northeast Neighbors on Tuesday
The NEN agenda itself doesn't appear to have any items of interest, but last months' minutes do.
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| Ice Cream Plant and Wood Church at 17th/18th on State Street No bike lanes and lots of possibility here for improvement! |
As details arise, there will be more to say!
NEN meets Tuesday the 20th, at 6:30pm in the Salem First Church of the Nazarene, 1550 Market Street NE.
10 comments:
If you live in West Salem you must attend this meeting and vote 'no.' This will be the fourth time that the West Salem NA has held a vote on supporting the 3rd Bridge. The last vote resulted in a tie and the motion to support failed. The proponents of the bridge are relentless, aren't they?
I don't think a food cart pod would work down by the waterfront. Just not enough foot traffic. I like this location- http://tinyurl.com/kp6q2qp
Lots of foot traffic, state workers, Willamette kids, and close in neighbors could easily bike or walk there. Plus I think we're lacking in quality food options east of the tracks.
I cannot find the agenda anywhere online for West Salem meeting tonight. WSNA website last agenda posted is from last July. Do you have link?
Thanks.
This link is continuously refreshed with the "current" agenda, so in a month's time it will no longer work, but it's good for now -
http://www.cityofsalem.net/Departments/CommunityDevelopment/NeighborhoodEnhancementDivision/neighbor/associations/documents/agenda/west.pdf
I think it would be better for downtown to spread the food carts out instead of clustering them in one big bunch. One on each block, or a couple in each parking lot, or ??? On a related note: Look what Denver is doing http://www.civiccenterconservancy.org/event-civic-center-eats-2014_74.html
How about trying this once a week in the summer in the woefully underused Peace Plaza or Convention Center courtyard--or even Riverfront Park? A great way for new vendors to get discovered, maybe develop a following for the non-summer months, and it's something else to draw people downtown when it isn't Wednesday or Saturday Market day.
Attended the West Salem NA meeting tonight. The vote was not on whether to support the bridge, but whether to send a letter of support for a grant to do more study of the impact on the neighborhoods at the bridgeheads. Apparently Highland is next on the list of NA that staff will try to get a letter of support.
Interesting to see a lot of people who came to the meeting had less than up to day information about the current proposal. Staff, Julie Warnke answered a lot of questions, but it was kind of frustrating that she did not have a lot of facts at her fingertips.
She announced that there would be a Public Open House on the recent plans on June 11 4-6:30 p.m. at Marion County Courthouse Square in the Senator Hearing Room.
When asked if this would be an opportunity to give comment and would it make any difference, she admitted that it was just for information sharing and no comments would not be taken. She did say there might be an opportunity down the road to comment to the committee, but she did not think it would make much difference there either.
So, what it looks like is that we are on an unstoppable train..that is heading no where.
I did ask the WSNA to make it part of their mission in the coming months to education the West Salem residents about the bridge and what impact it might have on them.
The vote was 25 to 20 to send the letter of support, which by the way was written by staff for the NA. Something that I thought was not appropriate, but oh well....
I also asked what the WSNA position is on this alternative and learned that they voted against Alternative D, but have never voted on this version.
The West Salem NA plan that was adopted in 2003 before this current process was begun says that they will support 'a bridge' but it does not say where it will be located. The plan also says they have a policy to support bridgehead improvements as interim measures to reduce congestion. I was a bit dismayed to learn that even some of the WSNA board members did not seem to know the content of their own plan.
Some of the proponents of the bridge seemed to imply that if we did not vote to get this grant, that we might get left out of the discussion about the bridgehead impacted areas. I kind of doubt that, but I did get the impression that no matter whether they got the grant, the process would go forward. It was just a matter of whether they could get some 'free' federal pass through dollars, or if they might have to get SKATS partners to pony up more from their own coffers.
In October the WSNA will have their annual meeting where they elect new board members. Might be a good next step for people who want to make an impact on what happens at these meetings in the future.
Good summary, Susann. It was interesting to learn that this was really about a piddly $150K grant. There is no way they can do justice to the kind of neighborhood planning that is needed with $150K. The urban design and land use consultants the City plans to retain will chew through that in no time, I'm afraid.
Thanks for the discussion! Just a brief note for now (perhaps more later) - and updated with details on TGM grant concept from WSNA meeting. See N3B and Susann's commentary for more.
A note for clarification: Written comments will be accepted at the June 11 Open House, as well as through the project website at www.salemrivercrossing.org.
Thanks for the note and info, Julie!
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