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Development News April 2019

• Peterkort parking lot approved
  
• Life Time Fitness development application filed with Beaverton, public hearing scheduled
  
• Cornell-Murray low-income housing fully funded
  
• Ackerly funds crosswalk signal

Peterkort parking lot approved

The Beaverton Planning Commission approved the Peterkort Company’s application to build a 460-space surface parking lot on their property west of the Sunset Transit Center. 260 spaces would be built in Phase One, with the remaining 200 spaces built in Phase Two, with the *condition that permission would expire unless buildout of the development has begun.

Peterkort’s Planned Unit Development (PUD) was approved by Beaverton in 2014, as described in this article. It was to include a large urban-style commercial shopping and housing development adjacent to the Sunset Transit Center.

Peterkort applied for its second and final extension for the PUD in 2017, which expires in November 2019 if development hasn’t begun by then. Beaverton Associate Planner Jana Fox noted at that time, “This is the last time they can ask for an extension. If they do not commence development consistent with our code requirements within this extended window then the decision would expire and they would have to start over again.” Fox just let us know that, “In order for a land use approval not to expire there must be what is called 'Substantial Construction.' In [this] case…since a Land Division was not proposed with the parking lot, and a building is proposed (the guard structure) so long as the footings are constructed for the guard structure building prior to expiration of the PUD the PUD will be considered to be vested and the PUD would not expire in November 2019.” It’s a little more complicated than that, but this explains a lot!

During the March 13 hearing, members of the Commission discussed their concern about whether the proposed surface parking lot—as a principal use of the site—was consistent with Comprehensive Plan policies, which supportpedestrian-oriented mixed use areas, provide vertically mixed uses, limit auto-oriented uses, and promotewalkable areas for the Station area. The applicant explained that understanding total parking demand at the station site was integral to right-sizing the parking for future development phases, including dense mixed-use development.

The Commission found that by including a condition of approval ensuring that the conditional use was intended to help facilitate full buildout of the site, and was not a permanent principal use of the site, that the proposal met the Comprehensive Plan policies.

*They attached conditions of approval that include expiration dates for the Conditional Use as a parking lot:

Sunset Surface parking shall expire:

1. If Sunset Station & Barnes Road PUD expires
2. 5 years after issuance of a certificate of occupancy unless there is an active land use entitlement for a minimum of 80,000 square feet of non-residential floor area, or 200 dwelling units on the station site
3. 10 years after issuance of a certificate of occupancy.

Life Time Fitness development application filed with Beaverton, public hearing scheduled

Wednesday, May 8, 6:30 pm, Beaverton City Council Chambers, 12725 SW Millikan Way

Life Time Fitness and Peterkort Co. held a neighborhood meeting in April 2018 to begin the process of developing a large fitness center on Peterkort land near Barnes and Cedar Hills Bl. They originally proposed to put it north of Barnes, but in July we learned that they were now proposing to build on the southwest corner of Barnes and Cedar Hills Bl.(CHB).

The development application has now been submitted to Beaverton. The Planning Commission may approve the facility during the May 8 meeting. The developers are requesting approval for approximately 138,000 square feet of athletic facilities, 31,200 square feet of shared workspace/office, 10 indoor tennis courts, 37,000 square feet of outdoor pool area, a 619 space parking garage, and associated surface parking, landscaping, and storm water facilities. A “Major Adjustment” is requested to exceed the maximum building height.

A Tree Plan Two application for removal of community trees from the subject site as well as removal of approximately five (5) trees from a Significant Natural Resource Area (SNRA) on a property across SW Barnes Road to allow for storm sewer construction are requested. Sidewalks (10’ wide with trees in tree wells) will be installed all around the perimeter of the property, including along the new street that will be built. Because required transportation improvements will include widening CHB, the sidewalk there will be moved.

Many Cedar Mill residents have been anxiously awaiting further Peterkort development that would at least increase Barnes to four lanes west of Cedar Hills Bl. Jana Fox, Current Planning Manager, Community Development for Beaverton, says, “We have not yet fully determined what the transportation conditions of approval will be. The Applicant's Traffic Impact Analysis shows widening to 5 lanes of Barnes Road between Cedar Hills and through the 116th (the new street to be constructed) intersection. The applicant's plans can be found on our website here.

The Beaverton Facilities Review Committee will meet on Wednesday, April 17, to determine whether the proposal meets the technical criteria of Beaverton’s Development Code. That meeting is open to the public but doesn’t take public testimony. More information about road impacts may come out at that meeting.

Cornell-Murray low-income housing fully funded

Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH) was selected by Washington County in 2016 to develop the property at the southeast corner of Cornell and Murray. Since that time, they have been securing a funding package and refining the design. A history of the effort was summarized in our March 2018 article.

A splash pad will be part of a public minipark to be maintained by THPRD.

We have now learned that the $15 million project is fully funded. Jillian Saurage Felton, CPAH’s Director of Housing Development, says, “Most of the funding is the 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credit allocation from Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) which is approximately $9.5 million. Other sources from OHCS include about another $1 million.

Washington County Housing Authority is contributing $1.2 million in HOME funds. Beaverton is providing $300,000, of which $200,000 will be used to fund resident services at the property. Metro is providing $100,000 to $200,000.

About $1.6 Million in Permanent Debt from Network for Affordable Housing (NOAH) rounds out the package.

Heritage Bank is the construction lender, and the investor purchasing the tax credits is Enterprise. LMC Construction is the contractor.

Their website says, “Cedar Grove will provide quality affordable housing in a high opportunity, highly-walkable area, connect low-income individuals with excellent access to jobs, and serve as a gateway and gathering place for the larger Cedar Mill Community. The building will have 44 apartments, ranging from studios to 3-bedrooms, in four stories with an elevator. The project will also have a community plaza. We plan to begin construction in 2019, and be lease-ready in 2020.

CPAH is known for providing an excellent support system to its residents. Felton says, “Since there are 14 units of family housing we will likely have similar programs as our other family properties: after school programs, youth programs etc. We are also working with Community Action to provide services to families who were formerly homeless.”

Along the Cornell frontage, a “mini-park” will be open to the community. In one version of the plan, a community garden was planned. “Unfortunately,”says Felton,“we weren't able to have the community garden at this space due to Code requirements. However, the space that was to be community gardens is now a bioswale, which will allow us to treat all the stormwater on-site, which adds to the "green" nature of the building design.”

The site will be accessed by two driveways on Joy St.

Felton mentioned that the government shutdown this winter delayed some of the funding, so construction is now expected to begin this fall.

Ackerly funds crosswalk signal

A major safety improvement has been installed in the Cedar Mill and Timberland neighborhoods—a solar powered, light-up crosswalk on the corner of Cedar Falls Drive and 118th Street, crossing over to the Timberland Town Center.

Katie Smith, Sales Manager of the Ackerly at Timberland Leisure Care community, believes the addition is an instrumental step to building an active and safe neighborhood.

“The crosswalk will make a huge difference, not only for the Ackerly at Timberland residents, but for all members of the community.It gives everyone the opportunity to easily access everything the Town Center and neighborhood have to offer,” Smith says.

Timberland Middle School students, patrons and staff of the Town Center, and neighborhood residents are among the many that can count on a safer and easier passage to the Town Center and the Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District nature trails and walking paths.

The Ackerly at Timberland’s owner’s, Rembold Properties, sponsored this enhancement to provide a more secure route to amenities surrounding the Cedar Mill and Timberland neighborhoods, and hope it will have a lasting impact on the lives of residents.

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