For your review, here’s a copy of Fran's 23-page testimony to Metro in opposition to Beaverton’s proposal to expand the UGB on Cooper Mountain.
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Beaverton is seeking to add the Cooper Mountain Urban Reserve area to the urban growth boundary (UGB) – and this ultimately, would annex to the City of Beaverton. If you have an opinion on what happens to you (and your home) in the future, then please read the UGB RESPONSE PROCESS which explains the process and timeline for voicing your position. Remember, we had a major impact on the Transportation Study simply by responding in numbers to their Public Input!
We need to join forces with other groups opposing this move – so lets network – if you know of another group working on this, please let’s connect. I’d like to start up a petition, signatures, etc. At the very least, PLEASE TAKE SOME ACTION as brief as it is, as noted below, whatever your position is on this very important issue. See the UGB Response Process attachment for details. Members of the 175th Ave Neighborhood Association: you have been invited to a town hall meeting with Representatives Rich Vial and Ron Noble where the representatives will provide a pre-session legislative update. The meeting will review issues relating to the 2017 Regular Session, including the transportation package and Measure 101, as well as legislation that both representatives hope to introduce during the 2018 Short Session. Constituents will also be able to ask the representatives questions and share their thoughts and concerns.
Full details can be found here, and the date/time/location are below for your convenience. Please consider attending; this direct invitation means they want to hear what we have to say! Thursday, January 18, 2018 6:30-8:00 p.m. Scholls Valley Lodge 12840 SW River Rd Hillsboro, OR 97123 Announcing the 175th Neighborhood Association open houses!
Click here for the agenda and more information. Both meetings will be the same, you only need to go to one of the two. 175th Neighborhood Association is hard at work advocating for adding reasonable-cost safety measures to our road, diverting traffic off 175th (“Around Cooper Mountain) AND appealing to Tri-Met to add better Public Transportation to also reduce car traffic on 175th and environs. You can help by adding your voice to the Tri-Met request - please take advantage of this opportunity by filling in this survey. Your last survey inputs were very useful at the Board of Commissioners meetings and helped to create the Tier 1 LUT 2017 Project to study our “Community-Recommended Route” - Around Cooper Mountain. Now, let’s get on the Tri-Met Plan!
Trimet has an on-line survey asking for input for bus service improvements. When you go to the survey you'll see that it is broken up into service regions. We’re most interested in the Westside and Southwest regions. Suggestions they have included are: * Extending bus Line 56-Scholls Ferry from Washington Square to somewhere near Mountainside High School in South Cooper Mountain. * New line from South Hillsboro north to the Fairgrounds and Intel Hawthorn and Jones Farms areas. Of course, if you have any ideas of your own to add, please go for it!!! Link: https://trimet.org/future/priorities/ Now posted on http://www.wc-roads.com/ under Traffic Alerts (updated 6/23/17):
Road Closures 175th Avenue, between Kemmer Road and Reusser Court, for grade change, July 5-August 3 by Brian Clopton Excavating. This is for the purpose of removing one hump on 175th to improve the sightline - prior to opening up the stub of Weir Rd. for the Kemmer Ridge development project. If you have any further questions, contact [email protected] . Watch for signage and updates. The displays from the 175th Avenue projects open house are available on line on the design tab of the project pages:
Note: you click the colored tabs to view the many segments of the projects and the many different documents. The Scholls Ferry-to-Alvord Lane Construction is set to begin SUMMER 2017! http://www.co.washington.or.us/lut/news/175th-open-houses.cfm
Open House for two different construction projects on 175th Avenue will be 5-7 p.m. April 19 at Scholls Heights Elementary School, 16400 SW Loon Dr. Staff from Washington County Department of Land Use &Transportation will be available to answer questions. No formal presentation is planned. Design concepts will be presented for 175th Avenue at Kemmer Road. The four-way stop will be replaced with a one-lane roundabout. Other improvements include bicycle and pedestrian facilities, street lighting, storm drain and utility upgrades. Construction is expected to begin in 2018. Final designs for center turn lane, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, lighting and drainage improvements on 175th Avenue, from Scholls Ferry Road to south of Alvord Road, will also be presented. Construction is expected to begin in summer. Media Contact: Melissa De Lyser, Communications Coordinator 503-846-4963 [email protected] WE HAVE BEEN HEARD!! Thanks to you all – and the “Futures Study” - AROUND THE MOUNTAIN is on the 2017 Washington County Transportation Long Range Planning Work Program proposal. We’ve made it this far – but we still need everyone to voice support by March 14. Please feel free to forward this message to friends living in Washington County to ask for their support as well.
Here’s the full WorkPlan document website: http://www.co.washington.or.us/LUT/Divisions/LongRangePlanning/PlanningPrograms/upload/2017_DraftWP_021417_Web.pdf The Long Range Planning Section's annual work program outlines priorities and recommended ordinance topics for planning staff to address. The public is asked to comment via: · Email: [email protected] · Fax: 503-846-4412 · U.S. Mail: Department of Land Use & Transportation Long Range Planning; 155 N. First Ave., Suite 350, MS-14; Hillsboro, OR 97124 In person: Accepted at the above address, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday --------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Page 16 of the 26-page LUT Work Plan Proposal “…TIER 1 (new Tasks are italicized)”: Transportation Planning 1.15 Refinement Plan for arterial connections between high growth residential areas. Identify potential alignments and funding sources for transportation connections between South Hillsboro, South Cooper Mountain, and River Terrace. Building off findings from the Transportation Futures Study, this will evaluate both existing and potential new roads between 175th and River Rd., including an option raised by community members for an ‘around the mountain’ route that would reduce traffic on 175th and provide more direct connections. The Public Opinion comment period starts now (deadline is 14 March 2017). Why is this a MAJOR MILESTONE – Why do we request that EVERYONE PARTICIPATE? Because “…those citizens who show up make the decisions…” Here’s the full WorkPlan document online: http://www.co.washington.or.us/LUT/Divisions/LongRangePlanning/PlanningPrograms/upload/2017_DraftWP_021417_Web.pdf Here’s the LUT Announcement of the Public Comment invitation sent: Comment sought on Long Range Planning annual work program Public comment on the Draft 2017-18 Work Program for Long Range Planning is being accepted by Washington County Department of Land Use & Transportation (LUT) through March 14. The Long Range Planning Section's annual work program outlines priorities and recommended ordinance topics for planning staff to address. The public is asked to comment via: · Email: [email protected] · Fax: 503-846-4412 · U.S. Mail: Department of Land Use & Transportation Long Range Planning; 155 N. First Ave., Suite 350, MS-14; Hillsboro, OR 97124 · In person: Accepted at the above address, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Comments must include senders' first and last names and complete mailing address to be included in the staff report. The report will be presented to the Board of Commissioners at its April 4 meeting. Annual Work Program Below are possible comments you might want to draw from. 175th OBJECTIVES have been Improving neighborhood livability and Improving traffic flow and Improving safety for vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists. Our position is that we support the need for a Parkway-type solution for greater mobility, but we also believe that we need a more-immediate alternative route for 175th – and our concern is that the Parkway would, because of land use, be further out in time. Below are some possible wordings which you might want to consider for your Public Opinion – Note: there are other important matters on the Workplan, feel free to comment on those as well: POSSIBLE COMMENTS:
“Straightening the kink” has fallen off the Washington County Land Use and Transportation Plan (at least for now) and may be replaced by “Study alternative route Around Cooper Mountain.” But we need your help to get all of this change approved.
“The Washington County Transportation System Plan (TSP) is a component of the Washington County Comprehensive Plan that defines the transportation system desired for the future and how it can be achieved.” Any major road changes must show up on this Plan. Because of our work and, as an outcome of the Washington County Transportation Futures Study (WCTFS), and your responses to that online survey - we received the following statement from Andrew Singelakis, Director of Land Use and Transportation: “We anticipate a draft of the Long Range Planning Work Program will be issued for a 30-day public comment period beginning February 14. Our draft Long Range Planning Work Program for the upcoming year also contains a task that would authorize LUT staff to initiate planning activities to help develop an alignment for this alternative route.” 175th Neighborhood Association will keep you all fully informed of this upcoming survey and we absolutely need you (and your neighbors) to respond to the 30-day public comment. Please be ready. We are happy to answer any and all questions to assist you. We also welcome any new volunteers as we move forward. Staff Overview presentation: http://www.wctransportationfutures.org/files/library/tfs-findings-oohpresentation-final.pdf Staff Report is 95 pages: http://www.wctransportationfutures.org/files/library/wctfs-draft-report-nov-2016.pdf Please – your continuing support is essential to make this change happen, to relieve the pressure on 175th traffic and to provide a safer, all-weather alternative to 175th. We cannot do this without your participation. Thank you everyone in advance for your support, Fran Warren 175th Neighborhood Association Note also: the Citizen Participation Organization (CPO6) for the entire area of Aloha (including Cooper Mountain) meets on the first Thursday of every month at Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue Community Room, 20665 SW Blanton St., Aloha. At these meetings, you will hear about upcoming issues and developers’ plans in the community. |
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