MEMO
TO: State Street Corridor Plan Project Management Team FROM: Eunice Kim, Planner II, Project Manager Community Development Department
DATE: July 31, 2017
SUBJECT: Summary of Public Input 7.C Memorandum #8: Summary of Task 6 and 7 Public Input
This memorandum summarizes input from the third public meeting for the State Street Corridor Plan project held on July 25, 2017 at Court Street Christian Church. More than 85 people attended the meeting in addition to the City staff and project team members. City staff members included Eunice Kim, project manager; Lisa Anderson-Ogilvie, Interim Community Development Department Director; Kevin Hottmann, Traffic Engineer; Julie Warncke, Transportation Planning Manager; and Anthony Gamallo, Senior Transportation Planner. Consultant team members included Bridget Wieghart, project manager with WSP; Marcy McInelly, principal at Urbworks; and Kimi Sloop, associate at Barney and Worth. Naomi Zwerdling from the Oregon Department of Transportation also attended.
The public meeting began with a brief presentation by Eunice, who provided an overview of the project. This included a review of the project’s broad goals and the planning process that has occurred to date. The presentation can be found online here.
Eunice then described the three street design alternatives that have been analyzed since the last public meeting in September 2016: Improved Four Lane, Road Diet, and Hybrid. Detailed descriptions of the alternatives can be found online in the Tier 2 Evaluation of Street Design Alternatives memo. For each alternative, Eunice showed proposed cross sections for State Street and talked about their anticipated benefits and drawbacks. She explained that the City is recommending the Hybrid alternative as the preferred street design alternative.
Next, Eunice provided an overview of the preferred land use alternative, which includes two new mixed-use zones: Mixed-Use 1 (MU-1) and Mixed-Use 2 (MU-2). A description of the two zones can be found online in the Preferred Land Use Alternative and Tier 2 Evaluation memo. Eunice then talked about the next steps in the project, including finalizing the alternatives in August, drafting and presenting the State Street Corridor Plan this winter, and potentially implementing code changes and continuing funding discussions next year.
Following the presentation, Kimi told meeting participants that the rest of the meeting would be in the format of an open house where they had the opportunity to ask City staff and the consultant team questions and provide input on the alternatives. There were two stations in the room, one with boards describing the preferred land use alternative, and one with boards Summary of Public Input July 31, 2017 Page 2 describing the street design alternatives. Handouts about the preferred land use alternative and preferred street design alternative (Hybrid alternative) were also made available to meeting participants.
Before breaking up for the open house stations, a few meeting participants requested that they be able to ask questions and voice their opinions in the large group setting. In response, Eunice and other City staff answered several questions about the land use and street design alternatives as well as how they would potentially be implemented.
The meeting participants then went to the two open house stations and talked with City staff and the consultants about the land use and street design alternatives. Several meeting participants provided comments on large flip boards at each station, and many others provided input on comment sheets, which asked for input on the preferred alternatives as well as more general questions. All of the written comments have been provided in summary form in the following pages. They have also been categorized into themes or topics.
Based on the written comments, there appears to be more consensus on the preferred land use alternative than the street design alternative.
Land use: There is general support for the preferred land use alternative that calls for two mixed-use zones, but there are concerns about the proposed building heights. Specifically, many meeting participants want the maximum building heights lowered to three to four stories, particularly between 12th to 17th Street adjacent to the historic district and/or Court Street NE. Other common comments include the following: o There are concerns about businesses on State Street potentially creating noise and light pollution that would negatively impact nearby residences, particularly those in the Court-Chemeketa Historic District. o There is a desire to retain and add trees and green spaces on State Street. o There are questions and concerns about the impact new development on State Street could have on parking in the area.
Street design: There does not appear to be broad consensus on the preferred street design alternative, the Hybrid alternative. While there is support for the Hybrid alternative, many meeting participants prefer the Road Diet alternative. A small number of participants are opposed to reducing the number of vehicular travel lanes or generally prefer State Street to remain four lanes. Other common comments include the following: o There is a desire to ensure that design changes to State Street do not increase cut-through traffic in nearby neighborhoods. o There is support for pedestrian improvements, but there are varied opinions as to how bikes should best be accommodated – on State Street or side streets.
At the end of this memorandum is a summary of other comments that community members have provided through emails, phone calls, social media, letters, and in-person discussions. Comments from members of the technical advisory committee and stakeholder advisory committee have been provided in separate meeting summary documents. Summary of Public Input July 31, 2017 Page 3
COMMENTS ON THE PREFERRED LAND USE
Like it Thumbs up Looks good Excellent work; area from 12th to 17th Street makes the most sense for development of housing and commercial Seems “most likely to succeed” alternative Overall support I think the gradual change from more commercial (12th to 17th) to more residential (17th to 25th) is an excellent idea Like the zoning code simplification Comfortable with the proposed land use Like the MU-1 and MU-2 zoning; should be a definite improvement Residents on the south side of Court Street have concerns about six-story buildings on State Street Lower height of MU-1 to three stories; will destroy the historic neighborhood otherwise Six or seven stories is too tall; hoping the City finds ways to reduce density Appreciate the slope roof design Height from 12th to 17th Street is too high and would be detrimental to the historic district; owe it to one of the nicest neighborhoods in town to lower the height to a maximum of four stories Slanted rooflines are ugly and do not add anything to the value of gentrification Want to see 1.5 feet setback abutting residential; can it be 1.75 Building height feet? Protect the historic district and lower heights to three stories
Too high even with setbacks; protect our historic district; three
stories is enough
Two new mixed-use zones should only allow up to three to four
stories; need to protect the historic district
As this is an urban environment, heights up to 70 feet should be
allowed between at least 12th and 17th Street and from 17th to
25th Street on the south side
Consider only allowing one to two stories on the north side of th th State Street between 12 and 17 Street Concerned about building height and loss of trees that buffer my property from State Street No more than three stories; taller buildings should be east of th 18 Street Higher density not good for the historic district Prefer proposed setback of 1.5 feet for every 1 foot Limit heights to four stories between 12th and 17th Street; setbacks do not adequately address concerns Concerned about mixed-use buildings casting shadows on historic district homes Can see how building heights can be compatible with residential areas after having the building footprint graphics explained Four stories is the right height in the MU-1 zone Summary of Public Input July 31, 2017 Page 4
COMMENTS ON THE PREFERRED LAND USE
Higher roofs will overshadow yards on the south side of Court Street, decreasing real estate values, businesses will turn over to lesser paying residents, leading to the demise of the historic neighborhoods Need to limit buildings to four stories in the MU-1 Appreciate the setbacks to deal with height, but more options should be explored to protect the values and quality of residential areas Hear the concerns about height from the historic district and think they should be addressed in the code If 65 feet and 50 feet are not allowed in the MU-1 and MU-2 zones, it prohibits what developers can do Shade issue is minimal as State Street runs east to west, and Building height (continued) there would not be a shadow cast over Court Street all day No more than three stories for apartments, or historic district residents will move out, and the historic district will disappear MU-1 buildings are too tall; in the neighborhood plan, we talked about not encroaching on houses, we didn’t want noise pollution, and we talked about three stories Limit the height to three to four stories throughout the entire corridor as per the neighborhood plan Maximum three stories Please do not allow more than three stories between 12th and 17th Street Concerned about two mixed-use zones; wonder if it will leave the area east of 17th in more of its current unfriendly state Concerned that 17th to 25th Street will be left behind because East end public opinion seems to support development between 12th and 17th Street MU-1 should be where MU-2 is Presentation did not address green spaces, trees, vegetation, birds/wildlife Land use code should retain trees Landscaping/trees Place trees and other plants where possible, and do not remove existing trees wherever possible No greenway near the creek to absorb flooding Concerned that new zones would prohibit commercial parking rather than prohibiting commercial parking on surface lots; Parking denser redevelopment will need to be parked Parking? Consider an incentive to restore building fronts from 12th to 17th street, which might encourage owners to keep their buildings instead of redeveloping Avoid noise pollution from businesses th Businesses Concerned about the monolithic look of buildings between 12 and 17th Street and hope there are incentives to preserve some older buildings
Summary of Public Input July 31, 2017 Page 5
COMMENTS ON THE PREFERRED LAND USE
Those living in the historic district already are protected from many of the annoyances that NEN/SESNA residents face Need more data on the impact on the historic district Be respectful of historic neighborhoods Historic district Concerned about light pollution coming into homes in the historic district Concerned about noise pollution from mixed-use buildings, reducing the livability of my neighborhood (historic district) Where is the protection of the historic district? Preferred alternative should focus on excluding low-income, transient populations and ensuring a better class of shoppers, tenants, and homeowners Please provide projections for future property tax revenues from increased development Counter the “but my taxes” argument Other Allow affordable housing in all locations Like the merging of CO and CR uses Like the pedestrian-oriented design standards Need more development of Mill Creek as an amenity What is the long-term vision and what is the purpose, to move traffic or provide a pleasant neighborhood experience?
COMMENTS ON THE PREFERRED STREET DESIGN (Hybrid)
Like the Hybrid and see it as a good compromise between traffic and pedestrians; suggest extending the bike lane to 25th when funding is available Prefer road diet between 17th and 25th but think the Hybrid is reasonable Hybrid looks fairly good, though 12-foot sidewalks may be aggressive Prefer the Hybrid and see it as the best compromise for the neighborhood Overall support Prefer the road diet but like the Hybrid too Love the hybrid and road diet; happy with the preferred alternative I vote for design B (86 feet) because it provides for enough traffic and bike lanes Like it a lot but can the bike lanes extend to 25th Street? Good but prefer that the road diet extend to 24th Street; since projections are 30 years out, things will change (autonomous cars) State Street is a major street that connects many government offices and is more important for vehicular and commercial uses; do not add bike lanes or reduce the number of lanes Overall opposition Traffic will shift to side streets, impacting residences; Court Street was made a non-through street to prevent this Reducing to two lanes will create significant traffic and congestion Summary of Public Input July 31, 2017 Page 6
COMMENTS ON THE PREFERRED STREET DESIGN (Hybrid)
Four lanes and minimize infiltration into the neighborhoods Four lanes and widen where you can; two lanes will cause too much traffic that no one will use the businesses between 3 and 5 p.m. Marion County is opposed to this or any plan that diverts or Overall opposition impedes traffic on State Street; Mission and Market streets are (continued) already over capacity, and we have already suffered from lane removal on Church and High streets State Street will be a highway with the Hybrid design Leave 12th to 17th Street as it is unless you widen the road over Mill Creek to accommodate four lanes Leave it as is Want to see the road diet extend to 25th Street Disappointed that the public supported the road diet but the preferred alternative is only for a few blocks Prefer the road diet but recognize the issue of traffic diversion Preference for Road Diet Still prefer the road diet; are 20-year traffic projections accurate enough to make this decision? Road diet alternative – where will overflow traffic go? Not yet satisfied with the Hybrid alternative; need more work to make the road diet work all of the way Does not make sense to have bike lanes for only a few blocks It will be unsafe for bikes to merge into traffic Want bike lanes all the way to 25th Street Pedestrians and cars are more important than bicycles, which can ride on sidewalks Bikes Why make State Street a bike area when it is much safer to bike on Chemeketa Street? Any bicyclist would prefer to bike on a residential street over a business street, and then the sidewalks on State Street could be wider Will there be sharrows in the four-lane sections? Need pedestrian island at State and 25th Street Prioritize pedestrians over cars; question the needs of 20-year traffic volumes Pedestrians Make sure pedestrian and bicycle traffic is supported Like the idea of adding crosswalks with added markings and lights for visual warnings for drivers Other cities have better transit and car-share options; getting more transit service would free up the need to have four lanes between 17th and 25th Street Tie to mass transit plan, streetcar Transit Create a system where people are forced to use transit instead of using Salem as a commuter destination spot; many City staff do not live in town, and most people do not want to pay to park their cars Avoid increased traffic through our neighborhoods Since the Road Diet and Hybrid will divert traffic through our neighborhoods, establish traffic calming on 17th, 19th, 21st and Traffic 25th streets Need to ensure residential areas will not see increased traffic and cut-through traffic Summary of Public Input July 31, 2017 Page 7
COMMENTS ON THE PREFERRED STREET DESIGN (Hybrid)
Alleyways already have too much traffic; do not let commercial building use the alleyways Unfortunately a road diet will cause more cut-through traffic between 14th and 17th Street; we have enough already No opening up Court Street Traffic Road diet is no good; makes Court Street a bypass Have questions about how much congestion relief the Hybrid provides; are we encouraging more cars to use this route? Have you studied the likely traffic based on the coming of autonomous vehicles? Eliminate perpendicular parking in the road diet and replace it with parallel parking Will people access parking from the alley between Court and State Street? Do not like bike/pedestrian bridge on 24th Street because it would eliminate parking in the neighborhood and open the area to bike/foot traffic Convert State Street to two-way traffic to 12th Street Correct solution is expanded right of way, four lanes, bike lanes, and sidewalks Make sure there is a lot of signage where the lanes change from four to two City needs to stop planning for cars and look for ways to Other encourage transit and bike use
Not crazy about the idea of widening the gap between the wealthier and more developed area from 12th to 17th Street from the less developed area from 17th to 25th Street; compromise that breaks the corridor into chunks defeats the purpose of more growth, bike, and pedestrian-friendly development Some of it is not feasible (66 feet) and will take many years Road diet seems synonymous with traffic congestion; sacrificing traffic lanes for three to four blocks of bike lanes seems illogical What is the plan for electric and autonomous cars (charging stations and less parking)? What is the City doing to decrease car use and encourage alternative modes of transportation? Why is the market analysis partially ignored?
GENERAL COMMENTS OR COMMENTS ON THE IMPROVED FOUR-LANE OR ROAD DIET STREET DESIGN ALTERNATIVES Very excited about the project and improvement to the neighborhood in creating a people-friendly vibrant place to live Can’t wait to see it Overall support Changes and upgrades sound good and seem to make the area safer and more prosperous; appreciate the concern of property owners but looks like you are working hard to make sure the changes are controlled and positive
Summary of Public Input July 31, 2017 Page 8
GENERAL COMMENTS OR COMMENTS ON THE IMPROVED FOUR-LANE OR ROAD DIET STREET DESIGN ALTERNATIVES Prefer the road diet, but Hybrid is reasonable; do not like Improved Four Lane Prefer the road diet Prefer the road diet but appreciate the concern for managing traffic Four-lane section will remain frustrating (stuck behind a bus or left-turning vehicle) Prefer street diet Preference for Road Diet More work to make the road diet work Like the effect of road diet planning in Portland and still support it here; would like to suggest alternatives to dealing with traffic on parallel routes Much prefer the road diet, but the City seems to have already made its decision Like the road diet; would need to add stop signs or speed bumps on adjoining neighborhoods, and limit traffic through neighborhoods Crossing at 24th/25th Street will be more difficult if the road widens Concerned about two ways at State Street unless the whole street is two-way; it will be difficult to cross at 12th and State Street Pedestrians Not sure a slightly wider sidewalk is a substantive improvement New rapid flashing beacon pedestrian crossings need a median if the pedestrian has to cross four lanes Flashing lights at three streets is fantastic Like the expanded sidewalks and addition of redevelopment to add expanded sidewalks where there are not any Could Chemeketa Street be a preferred bike lane? Want bike lanes Bikes Perhaps bike lanes could divert more to Ferry and Chemeketa streets, so sidewalks could be even wider for street trees, etc. No thru traffic signs posted on all neighborhood streets; speed bumps Turnoffs off of State Street will make residential streets Traffic thoroughfares Focus on moving traffic or providing a pleasant pedestrian experience It is difficult for businesses to be successful between 12th and 17th streets; they have come and gone Want businesses to contribute to neighborhood parks; would Businesses hate to lose them due to increased density Do not like other options, which do not have a long-term vision to attract the types of businesses desired
Don’t see anything to be concerned about at this point;
appreciate the mail and emails
Want to see something visually pleasing with outdoor cafes and Other plantings with European flair
Waterway over the creek should be widened to accommodate rising water or water runoff Summary of Public Input July 31, 2017 Page 9
GENERAL COMMENTS OR COMMENTS ON THE IMPROVED FOUR-LANE OR ROAD DIET STREET DESIGN ALTERNATIVES Road diet and four lane alternatives are backwards; should be as is from 12th to 17th Street and road diet from 17th to 25th street Prefer center lane to 24th Street with bike lanes If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it Ok with paying more taxes to see these improvements but wondering where parking will go Other (continued) Do not see plans for trees and plants to absorb noise, reduce heat, and calm traffic City needs to have a bigger stake/voice in transit to make this increased density without more parking functional Concerned about existing wrought-iron fence; six additional feet will require moving our fence and destroying landscaping
WHAT ARE YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STATE STREET CORRIDOR PLAN? Best way to do protected bike lanes is to put them between the sidewalk and parking Bikes and pedestrians Consider moving pedestrians and bikes to quieter side streets Why is a bike lane needed on State Street? Wouldn’t it be safer to reroute them to less-traveled parallel streets? Plans should focus on adding positive, wholesome businesses, Businesses not more tattoo parlors, etc. Concerned about impact on existing businesses and housing Concerned about the loss of trees and reduction of possible public green spaces Landscaping/trees Concerned about impact on trees and vegetation Want green spaces preserved as much as possible Development will impact parking; where will people park? Parking High-rise buildings will require more parking Favor two to three story buildings and less parking When transitioning from four lanes to two, where will traffic go? It will back up and create jams Traffic Must slow down traffic and add stop signs and crosswalks, and keep people from cutting through None, except concerned that people do not want this to happen Prefer to find funding for street improvements and let Implementation and funding developers handle the rest Cost of improvements should be spread citywide since the city will benefit; taxes are already too high in the historic district Emphasis on 14th Street westward does not do much for 14th to 25th street; was hoping for more change Consider widening the bridge on State Street because it would diminish flooding concerns There are empty buildings downtown; why do we need to fill the Other landscape with more buildings and parking spaces? Concerned about noise and light pollution in residential areas We need more input from residents on Court and Ferry streets Totally opposed to the whole thing; too large of a plan for too small spaces Summary of Public Input July 31, 2017 Page 10
WHAT ARE YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STATE STREET CORRIDOR PLAN? Thank you for the time and expense of putting on the meeting Condolences and congratulations to facilitators for defusing a volatile situation Public meeting needs to include time for public input; otherwise just email the information to people Appreciate your work and investment in the community Please allow for discussion; people want to share and be heard Thank you for your work and efforts Meeting The format of the meeting was unsatisfactory, and it was harder to learn about the project this way; we need more collective discussion to which questions can be answered You have not listened to our comments from previous meetings; it sounds like you are trying to railroad your ideas past residents Opening neighbors to comment among ourselves was good; hopefully you listened No community conversation about the plan made possible tonight; felt like bait and switch
STREET DESIGN FLIP BOARD
Find places where the left-turn lane can be replaced with median strips for pedestrian safety and street trees to create the Pedestrians perception that the roadway is narrower Think about a planting plan for streets/sidewalks as a buffer Concern that there will be more cut-through traffic on Court Street Question about how the Hybrid will transition Other Like the turn lane in the Hybrid because it helps eastbound traffic make left turns into driveways on the north side of State Street
LAND USE FLIP BOARD
65 foot maximum is too high; MU-2 with three stories is preferred Why should the height be increased when there are small shops Building height between 12th and 17th? Concerned about the height of buildings since setbacks likely allow development to occur when it hasn’t today Concerned about losing property value because people do not want a five-story building in their backyard Concerned about impact to property values Want a buffer from the historic district (someone else agreed with this comment) Impacts to adjacent Consider impacts to the alley where there are private units; properties suggest that there be no windows facing the alley and trees be retained Concerned that there will be more light and noise pollution adjacent to residential homes Concerned about the relationship to historic zones Summary of Public Input July 31, 2017 Page 11
LAND USE FLIP BOARD
What happens to buildings and land with the new setbacks and wider sidewalks? Bird ecosystem because backyards are protected; trees provide Other habitat, shelter, noise reduction, and pollution reduction City and consultants doing a great job; attended every meeting and am adequately informed
OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS
High density is being pushed, but there are many businesses downtown where there are two and three-story buildings Oppose four-story buildings on State Street because they will block sunlight for properties to the north and lower property values Would like MU-1 zone at 25th Street, south to Ferry Street Concerned about buildings heights in proposed zones compared to the heights of residences Building height and density Prefer small-scale retail buildings on State Street that are two or three stories tall, not taller buildings that are an extension of downtown Three to five-foot tall buildings would impact the historic district, the shade of such buildings should be analyzed, and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines should be included in design standards for projects affecting the district Support more businesses and housing on State Street, but if people cannot access them because of traffic, it will be frustrating Would like parking requirement for housing reduced to one space per dwelling unit Concerned that property owners could not rent out parking spaces that were built to support a building but were not needed until the Businesses and housing building was fully occupied; renting out spaces would mitigate some of the development risk Project makes little sense because it does not tie well into anything in the area, large-scale apartments are not appropriate for State Street, and the type of development proposed would negatively impact the residential neighborhood to the north (e.g., shadows and cut-through traffic) Strong support for improved four lane alternative and opposition to a road diet; State Street provides an efficient means of travel, and there are adequate east-west bike routes and nearby sidewalks Street design alternatives Hybrid alternative looks good with some modifications Very excited about the State Street project, and supportive of the hybrid alternative even though initially wanted the road diet alternative Public does not want bike lanes east of 17th Street Bikes and pedestrians People generally want wider sidewalks, flashing light crosswalks, and other pedestrian improvements Summary of Public Input July 31, 2017 Page 12
OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS
Concerned about traffic diverting to Mission, Market, and Center streets and a reduction of speeds on State Street Traffic City should consider a roundabout at the intersection of 25th Street and State Street, which could slow traffic and act as a gateway to the area Trees of different species should be planted along State Street Trees T rees of a variety of species from around the world should be planted up and down State Street Asked if any details related to the Mill Creek Basin study were available to the public because neighbors are concerned about the creek Other Property owners behind the new Family Building Blocks might consider selling their properties to the City given recent rains and Mill Creek, there might be better uses for the area