Goodwill Considering West Salem Site; NEN not sure about Looking Forward

Because of the holiday yesterday, the West Salem Neighborhood Association meeting was cancelled, but in the minutes for the last meeting was a very interesting note about Goodwill.

Possibility of a large retail store in a focus area

From the minutes:

They are planning on building a retail super on the se corner of Edgewater and Wallace Rd on 3.5 acres it will be the 43rd for them. We look forward to the final version of the project from Goodwill Industries and the proposed changes in 2nd street.

I'm struggling with the "se corner" part, which would put it in the ramp spaghetti for the bridges or perhaps where the Westside Station is.

I suspect it's more likely the southwest-ish corner, where there is an underwhelming cluster of buildings with a Goodwill donation drop as well as a computer store, a Thai restaurant, and a largely vacant strip mall on the equally orphaned Van Street.

This is a tricky area to reach - whether by car, by bike, or on foot. Wallace Road and the ramp spaghetti create more barriers than connections.

So what kinds of access changes will be in the plan?

Hopefully, it will represent a departure from the usual here.

Even though the thrift stores should serve people who arrive by bus, bike, and on foot, donations come by car, and lots of people thrift by car. Consequently, the stores are sited on very stroady arterials:

Lancaster Drive Goodwill

South Commercial Goodwill

Portland Road Goodwill

The Portland Road store is probably the most interesting, as it is set flush with the sidewalk and has a parking lot on the side rather than in front of the store. It looks, too, like a much older building.

It would be interesting if the early-concept underpass for Second Street could be incorporated in the planning here.

Make a car-walk-bike connection along the RR line - 2nd Street

Though it seems probable that the "proposed changes in 2nd street" will be smaller scale things, more oriented around on-street parking stalls and a swale or two.

NEN-SESNA "Looking Forward" Plan

NEN meets tonight, and in the minutes of the last meeting is an interesting note about a lack of consensus on the neighborhood plan. Consequently NEN as a body will take no position on the plan, which is up for a Public Hearing on the 26th at Council.

Opposition to "granny flats," duplexes, and other kinds of in-fill seemed most problematic, but it's hard to tell whether opposition comes from generic fear of change or from substantive debate.

NEN meets Tuesday the 20th, at 6:30pm in the Salem First Church of the Nazarene, 1550 Market Street NE.