Not Wal-Mart, but WHAT??

By Steve Kaufman, chair, Save Cedar Mill

Last August, the Beaverton City Council decided unanimously to deny an application to build a Wal-Mart at the corner of Barnes Road and Cedar Hills Boulevard. The Council cited concerns with traffic, safety, and design that the project would introduce, as well as its conflict with the property’s transit-oriented zoning (the proposed Wal-Mart would have been very automobile-centric).

With Wal-Mart’s decision not to appeal the Council’s vote to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals, the question that dogged the campaign from its inception came to the forefront: what kind of development does the community want on that property? To that end, Save Cedar Mill, the citizen group that led the campaign against the Wal-Mart, surveyed its members in September with that question.

To date, more than seventy responses have been received. Several key themes have emerged. Chief among them is the strong desire to create a development that fosters a strong sense of community: a place where people can gather and shop locally in an environment that emphasizes the uniqueness and special character of the Cedar Mill area. Second, people want places to eat—not chain restaurants and fast food but the kind of locally-owned restaurants that are sweeping across the Portland region. Third, citizens want a development that does not overwhelm the area with cars, but is local in nature, so that bike, bus, and foot are the primary modes of transportation to and from the site.

In nearly all the responses, citizens acknowledge the balancing act between the need for the landowner to develop their property commercially and ensuring that the development does not overwhelm the local area. At the same time, many citizens are looking for a development that generates the kind of excitement that was seen with the Beaverton Round, Streets of Tanasbourne, and other innovative, mixed-use projects. As the tabulation process continues, Save Cedar Mill looks forward to sharing the community’s vision in hopes of creating a development that every citizen can take pride in.

Ed. Note: This property is owned by the Peterkort family, and of course it is their decision what type of development will happen here, within the constraints of zoning and other regulations. The Wal-Mart controversy has focused so much attention on the corner, however, that many in the community have come to see it as a community asset. We hope the family will appreciate hearing about the kinds of businesses area residents would welcome into this strategically located spot.

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