NEWS HOME

Cedar Mill downtown zoning surprises neighbors

Recent development proposals for properties in the Cedar Mill Town Center, south of Cornell, brought concerned folks out to the Neighborhood Meetings to protest the growing urbanization of their area. Those areas were “up-zoned” in 2000, when County Ordinance 536 established the rules for the Cedar Mill Town Center. There was extensive public involvement leading up to the adoption of the Ordinance, but it mainly focused on Cornell Road improvements.

It’s unclear when and how the residents of the neighborhoods were informed that their land was rezoned. Zoning information is disclosed during real estate transactions, but many of the residents may be renters, or may have been in their homes prior to 2000.

It’s evident, though, that many of them were unaware that their single-family neighborhood is zoned for either high-density housing (24-40 units per acre) or Retail/Commercial. So when Western Oregon Dispensary’s Sheri Ralston bought the house on Dale, just south of Java Lounge, and proposed to establish a marijuana dispensary, it came as a shock to many that not only that house, but several surrounding properties could be developed as commercial buildings. Ralston’s Development Application has now been submitted to the county. A copy of the application will be available at the Cedar Mill Library’s newly organized CPO section, in the northeast corner of the reading room mezzanine area.

Last month we wrote about the Neighborhood Meeting for a proposed commercial building across the street, on what is now a vacant lot. We incorrectly said that the lot belonged to the owners of Foot Traffic. One of the owners of Foot Traffic, David Pietka, is a partner in the ownership of the lot being proposed for development. We regret that error. (Pietka and his partners were required by the previous owners to buy both parcels, which had formerly been owned by the family who ran Apollo Pools.)

In any case, neighbors were upset about increasing traffic in their neighborhood. Foot Traffic co-owner Sean Rivers points out that the neighbors already live, “smack dab in the middle of a very dense commercial/residential area,” and should expect increased traffic as the area develops.

The Town Center plan envisions that the properties on both sides of Cornell and several properties up all the adjoining streets will develop as commercial buildings, with dense housing on adjacent properties. But knowing that they can eventually sell their lots at a higher price for urban development isn’t much comfort to people who like things the way they were, and we can see their viewpoint.

It’s all part of the plan to create a “Transit-Oriented” downtown area. Some people embrace the transition to an area with a much more urban feel—a mix of ages living in denser housing, with shopping, restaurants and other amenities nearby—while others resist that vision. As the economy improves and developers start to look for investment opportunities, however, it’s unlikely that the trend will stop.

Previous article

NEWS HOME