New round of large subdivisions proposed

Is the recession over in Cedar Mill? Developers seem to think so, as some large projects are now moving forward. Neighborhood meetings are one of the first steps in the Washington County Land Use and Transporation Department’s (LUT) development process, and neighbors’ comments are taken very seriously by Washington County planners as they review and create conditions for subdivisions.

While notices are only sent to the immediate neighborhood, anyone is welcome to attend these meetings. They will affect roads, schools, and neighborhood livability. This early stage is a good time to find out about the plans, ask questions and voice your concerns.

At a typical neighborhood meeting, the developer or their representative will present preliminary plans, including proposed new roads, approximate layout of lots, drainage and utilities, and plans for any natural areas and parks. A CPO 1 representative usually attends meetings for the larger developments, and the CPO can be helpful in suggesting effective ways to work with all parties to achieve a good outcome.

Prior to the neighborhood meeting, the developer meets with county planners in a “pre-app” meeting. At that time, planners will point out any constraints on the land—roads on the county’s long-term plans, zoning, and other issues that will affect the development.

Those who attend are asked to sign in, and they, along with the residents in the immediate vicinity, will receive all future public communications from the county related to the development. Comments are recorded, and the minutes of these meetings are included in the packet that the developer submits to the county when they turn in their final application.

The Washington County Board of Commissioners (BCC) recently voted to extend the current 5% discount on the Transportation Development Tax (TDT) for another year. Some of these developers may be speeding up their plans to get in on the discount, which could amount to $500,000 to $1 million in road taxes the county won’t collect this year.

Several applications have been turned in already for North Bethany, now that all the regulatory ordinances have been adopted. These include a 318-unit Planned Development, and a 176-lot subdivision . Here's a list of the ten neighborhood meetings in CPOs 1 and 7 that are scheduled for May, 2013.

Saltzman Road project

Neighborhood Meeting: May 9, 6:30 pm, Findley Elementary School, 4155 NW Saltzman Road

Several lots belonging to one owner are being proposed as the site of an 80-85 lot single-family-home development. The neighborhood meeting will be conducted by Otak, for West Hills Development/Arbor Homes, which will ultimately develop the subdivision.

The nearly 19-acre property is in the roughly-designated corridor that the county has been studying as a way to make the upper end of Saltzman safer. (See article in the January 2005 issue).

Andrew Singelakis, head of LUT, says, “We don't determine specific requirements or conditions until after an application is submitted and accepted. That said, any development on this site would need to address the Saltzman Road Extension Study Area. Addressing the study area could lead to dedication of ROW and possibly construction of a portion of a north-south Collector.” The road is not currently funded through MSTIP or TDT. There has been some discussion of connecting the realigned Saltzman to Skyline or Highway 30, but LUT says they haven’t heard that Multnomah County has any strong interest in making the connection north of Laidlaw. “The issue of what to do north of Laidlaw may be further clarified in the update of the TSP (the second phase in 2014),” says Andy Back, LUT Planning and Development Services Manager.

Jerry Offer of OTAK says, “We are unsure what Washington County will require as far as actual road improvements or financial participation in future road construction. We had a meeting with the County planners last week. They are currently working on our request for information as to what will be required and will be preparing a Transportation Impact Statement that will tell us what to expect as County staff recommended road improvements.”

The north edge of this parcel is steep, so it remains to be seen how many buildable lots will ultimately be created. Offer notes, “The north facing steeper sloped areas and the wetland/water-quality sensitive area adjacent to the creek will be set aside as permanent open space.”

The subject property is in the R-6 zone—5-6 lots per acre, which is the least-dense zone in the current code. Offer says, “The lots will meet the minimum lot size requirements and minimum density standards of the R6 district, which some may view as small lots. It is what is required to be built. The home plans for subdivision have not been decided at this point. The houses will likely be of sizes typical of homes in the area, which some might view as big houses on small lots but which the purchasers/residents will likely view as perfect houses on perfect sized lots for the purposes of their families.”

The pre-app meeting was only a few days before the neighborhood meeting, which is a little unusual. Developers usually spend a bit more time after the pre-app to decide how to approach the issues that are raised.

THPRD Park Planner Hal Bergsma says that since it’s close to the parcel that the district recently purchased at the southwest corner of Thompson and Saltzman, the district won’t likely ask for any land to be set aside for a park. All new developments are required to annex into the district, and the building permit fees will include System Development Charges to cover the new residents’ impact on the park district.

Melody Lane project

Neighborhood meeting: May 16, 6:30 pm, Cedar Hills Recreation Center, 11640 SW Park Way

A 50+ lot subdivision is proposed for land between NW 119th and NW 113th near Melody Lane. The subdivision would combine seven separate lots into an 11.25 acre development. A tributary of Cedar Mill Creek runs through the area in a steep, wooded stream corridor. NW Melody Lane extends to the area on the east, and several of the current parcels have homes near 119th at the west end of long narrow lots.

One neighbor, who lives on NW Maple Hill Lane, has already expressed concern that this new influx of residents will put an additional burden on Cornell during morning and evening commutes.

In our experience, it’s nearly impossible to stop a properly created development application. Showing up at the neighborhood meeting, asking good questions, and making sure that the county and the developers are aware of the neighbors’ concerns, is the best way to mitigate the impact that development inevitably will bring.

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