This entry contains the two letters the CPO 1 Connecting Neighborhoods subcommittee wrote addressing Ord 718 and MSTIP.

1. Letter from the CPO 1 Connecting Neighborhoods subcommittee regarding Ord 718.
2. Letter from the CPO 1 Connecting Neighborhoods subcommittee regarding in inclusion of alternative transportation into the next round of MSTIP.

Read both letters below:

 Letter from the CPO 1 Connecting Neighborhoods subcommittee regarding Ord 718.

To:        The Board of Commissioners of Washington County, Oregon

From:    Members of the Connecting Neighborhoods Subcommittee of CPO

Re:       Ordinance 718 and St. Vincent’s Hospital Development Application (CASEFILE: O8-356.AN,P/MOD)

We are the Connecting Neighborhoods sub-committee of CPO1. Our sub-committee identifies and seeks to improve (and/or eliminate barriers to) paths, trails and other means for people to travel through the neighborhoods and commercial areas of CPO1 without cars.

We endorse the spirit of the section of Ordinance 718 that changes 95^th/Baltic to a Collector because it will ultimately result in better pedestrian and bicycle connectivity for the neighborhood. However, we would like the Board of Commissioners to consider the following when impementing the Ordinance:

• Require traffic calming measures on the St. Vincent’s portion of the road (Baltic to Springcrest) including street parking, dense trees and medians. The portion of the road north of the St. Vincent/Peterkort property will be steep and will result in high speeds coming into the neighborhood unless traffic-calming measures are in place. If these features conflict with the Collector designation, then it should not be implemented.
• Do not build the 95^th/Baltic/Springcrest connection until the rest of 95^th connects through to Morrison/Washington with pedestrian/bicycle facilities (County owns right-of way, currently informal trails through several blocks)

OR

• Ensure that Westhaven and 90th, which will otherwise bear all this new traffic, contain safe and dedicated pedestrian and bicycle paths the full length from 95th to Leahy

In addition, we urge the Board to protect the remaining natural area that the road will bisect by:

• Building a bridge or box-culvert to protect a sensitive riparian wildlife area (this is a Protected Goal 5 and Significant Natural Resource Area as per the Cedar Hills Cedar Mill Community Plan).
• Creating a plan for an east-west trail through this riparian forested area, connecting Catlin Gabel School and the new Merritt Orchard Park trails.

We are concerned that designating only this short section of road as a "Collector" doesn’t represent good long-term planning. Most Collectors shown on the 2020 Transportation Plan provide a connection between Arterials/Freeways. A Collector should connect, not just stop/drop in the middle of a neighborhood—especially an established neighborhood like Westhaven with narrow rights-of-way and serious lack of pedestrian walkways, ill-equipped to deal with the level of auto traffic that is expected on this new north-south short-cut to/from the 26 and 217 freeways.

Transportation connectivity here needs to be part of community-wide planning. We've seen piecemeal changes to the 2020 plan over the years. We would like to see thoughtful long-range planning for the transportation needs for the rest of the community (auto/bike/pedestrian). Is the longer-term vision to extend this Collector all the way north through to Leahy... or Cornell? Perhaps this designation should be applied to the rest of the road at this time.

We note that within our committee, and in the community, there is a minority opinion that the County should not build this road at all due to the impact to the Goal 5 Protected and Significant Natural Resource Area between Baltic and Springcrest. Also, many in the affected neighborhood do not agree with the Collector status change.

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Letter from the CPO 1 Connecting Neighborhoods subcommittee regarding in inclusion of alternative transportation into the next round of MSTIP.

September 24, 2009

To the Washington County Board of Commissioners,

Connecting Neighborhoods is a sub-committee of CPO 1. We identify and seek to improve (and/or eliminate barriers to) paths, trails and other means for people to travel through the neighborhoods and commercial areas of CPO1 without cars. We work with citizens, landowners, and public agencies to coordinate efforts to achieve these goals.

For safe and healthy communities, we need access to transit options (bus stops and light rail), safe pedestrian and bicycle travel facilities, and trails for recreational walking and cycling. A high-functioning system of pedestrian and bicycle facilities cuts congestion and greenhouse gases and improves the health of our people and the livability of neighborhoods and communities.

The Connecting Neighborhoods sub-committee understands that planning has begun for the 2012 MSTIP funding cycle. We believe the next MSTIP should include non-vehicular improvements on certain county roads that would not otherwise qualify for sidewalks or other non-vehicular amenities. MSTIP funding comes from all property taxpayers, not just those who rely on automobiles, so including funding for alternate transportation needs is fair.

As part of the County’s recognition of its responsibilities to people in Urban Unincorporated Areas (UUAs)—to provide urban amenities—we encourage you to fund non-vehicular facilities on selected urban-area roads (minor collectors or greater), independent of road improvements or development.

We request the county to:

• Add funding for sidewalks and bike-paths to the next round of MSTIP project funding,
• Classify pedestrian and bicycle routes as essential services when considering development plans and ensure that any plans include adequate neighborhood circulation—pedestrian easements; bicycle paths; ways to access TriMet routes, etc.,
• Direct county staff to work with CPOs to make a feasibility study of collectors within the UUAs that need pedestrian and bicycle facilities,
• Define and adopt standards that would allow interim solutions to be put in place (asphalt paths, etc., to allow deviation from codes to satisfy urgent needs with less expensive alternatives) if such standards are not already available,
• Seek ways to work with other service providers (Clean Water Services, TriMet, THPRD, etc.) to provide needed facilities,
• Investigate use of Metro and ODOT Bike and Pedestrian funding to leverage more funds
• Investigate use of public and private grants that are becoming increasingly available: such as Federal “Safe Routes to School” grants, grants for Healthy Living etc.
• Work more closely with TriMet to ensure that public transit is coordinated with development.

Thanks for your consideration,

CPO1 Connecting Neighborhoods sub-committee