Foothills

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No Future Light Rail Without Clackamas County Vote

January 2, 2012 in Foothills, Lake Oswego Neighborhoods by Betty Jung | Permalink

Last week a petition was filed in Clackamas County which would require a public vote on any financing of future light rail within our county.

No Future Light Rail Without Clackamas County Vote

The measure would require a Clackamas county-wide vote on any money used toward the construction, design, financing, or operation of a public rail transit system in the county. The county election clerk indicated in a news story that he didn’t know what other steps would be needed for the petition to become a ballot measure in the next election.

No Future Light Rail Without Clackamas County Vote Plus Lake Oswego Streetcar

Lake Oswego Streetcar

The “Oregonian recently posted an editorial against the Lake Oswego streetcar. The editorial asked both the Lake Oswego and Portland City Councils to put the brakes on the streetcar. In their editorial they state that basically the project doesn’t make any sense and it needs to be pulled.”

Here is the link to the Oregonian’s editorial: Pull The Plug On The Oswego Streetcar

The article states in part “…..$208 million is a lot of money. And at any price, this project doesn’t have what it takes to get something of this magnitude built, namely, a compelling reason to be. A project rationale is not something that can be “value-engineered” to a project as it rolls along. It has to be there from the beginning.

The fact that Lake Oswego itself hasn’t coalesced behind the project is another cause for concern, but that’s mostly a reflection of the first problem.”

I Believe In Progress

As a real estate broker going on 37 years I believe in progress. I also believe in doing everything I can to entice people to move into our town. That is why I started this ALL ABOUT…..Lake Oswego Real Estate blog and also post Lake Oswego pictures on my ALL ABOUT…..Lake Oswego Living.A Photo Blog. I want people to move here and I want our community to thrive.

Against The Current Lake Oswego Streetcar

I am not against a streetcar, however, I am against what is currently being proposed for the Lake Oswego streetcar and the Foothills Project for many reasons.

The citizens of Lake Oswego have been led to believe that the streetcar will decrease traffic and make available affordable housing in the Foothills area. All discussion points made by the Lake Oswego City Council that I believe to be untrue.

However, the main reason I am against the streetcar, besides the cost, is that the west end of Lake Oswego has no bus service where most of the residents, employees and businesses are located. In addition, the west end is where most of the taxes for the City are paid and collected which pays for the services the downtown area luxuriates in.

Further, the majority of Lake Oswego citizens are against the Lake Oswego streetcar as proposed yet the City officials are completely ignoring our voice.

My question is if this petition becomes a ballot measure, will that ultimately affect the outcome of the Lake Oswego streetcar and require a County vote? If so, I believe the streetcar proposal that is currently under discussion will fail.

Need more information on the Lake Oswego Streetcar?

Give me a call at 503-804-9685 and I can provide you with the proposal to build the Lake Oswego streetcar.

Lake Oswego Senior Housing Complex And Foothills Development

December 8, 2011 in Foothills, Lake Oswego Neighborhoods by Betty Jung | Permalink

Lake Oswego Senior Housing Complex And Foothills Development

I’ve written on my blogs about the affordable Oakridge Housing Complex for seniors. The grand-opening is today. There is one other senior complex in Lake Oswego and that is Hollyfield Village at 4077 Sunset Drive in Lake Oswego. Oakridge, unfortunately, took a long time to get off the ground and build.

Foothills Development

There has been lots of discussion and concern regarding the Foothills area. Initially there was mention there would be affordable and senior housing available but the Lake Oswego City Council continuously skirts that issue.

I questioned from the beginning how that would be possible with Pearl District-type condos along the Willamette River. I doubted that most seniors or families would be able to afford that type of housing, since it would be an expensive development with expensive housing along the waterfront.

Now those questions remain unanswered. The Lake Oswego Council has continued to say they want to attract families into our town, yet Lake Oswego still has the highest sq. ft. cost and the most housing inventory for sale compared to other areas in the Portland metro real estate market. Although Lake Oswego real estate has become more affordable due to foreclosures and the recession, it is still out of reach for many, if not most, families.

Martha McLennan, executive director of Northwest Housing Alternatives said she recently wrote a letter to the Lake Oswego City Council urging the city to consider more affordable housing opportunities in the planned redevelopment of its Foothills District. The city’s framework plan to turn the 107-acre area into a mixed-use area for housing, retail and offices was adopted on Nov. 29 and has been touted as an opportunity to provide housing alternatives for seniors and younger families.

However, the plan mentions senior housing and “market-rate apartments”, but doesn’t address affordable housing.

The city formed a nine-member affordable housing task force in 2004. The citizens group produced a report a year later with a list of recommendations to the Lake Oswego City Council, which included now-Mayor Jack Hoffman, with a list of recommendations to offer more housing choices.

Those proposals included creating an affordable housing trust fund, creating a housing board or commission to advise the city council on Lake Oswego housing policies and establishing a minimum percentage of affordable units in all developments that receive assistance from the Lake Oswego Redevelopment Agency. Those recommendations and others have yet to be instituted.

Further, from the Citizens For Local Accountability In Lake Oswego blog:

(A) former HUD executive told us…..it seems that the proposed (Foothills) development is required to have Section 8 low income housing as a percentage of its properties. Again, the City of Lake Oswego seems to be avoiding this.

Details of the City of Lake Oswego’s “affordable Housing” plan and efforts can be found at the following: LO Planning Affordable Housing.

Lake Oswego Real Estate Senior And Boomer Housing Options

I have a blog at ALL ABOUT…..Seniors.Boomers And Small Houses where I discuss senior housing options. I have also written about Lake Oswego’s lack of planning along with the rest of Oregon for affordable housing for seniors and boomers.

Sunday while showing property in Wilsonville, I spoke to a representative of Arbor Homes regarding the Trillium Woods subdivision in Lake Oswego. She said those two-story townhomes are being purchased by seniors downsizing yet they don’t have master bedrooms on the main level. There’s a real need in Lake Oswego for those downsizing and those seniors and boomers wanting affordable Lake Oswego real estate.

What bothers me is that only 15 of the 45 residents in the new Oakridge complex are from Lake Oswego. I know when I first wrote about this complex, I had a zillion hits about the Lake Oswego Senior Housing Complex and Foothills Development. There were Lake Oswego residents looking for affordable senior housing. I know there are still many looking for affordable senior housing, and believe first preference should have been given to Lake Oswego residents. Maybe it was, but I hear rumblings that wasn’t the case. There are 90 people on a waiting list for Oakridge.

Are You Looking For Lake Oswego Senior Housing To Purchase?

Give me a call at 503-804-9685 if you are looking for affordable senior real estate.

Lake Oswego Streetcar Survey of Residents

November 15, 2011 in Foothills, Lake Oswego Neighborhoods by Betty Jung | Permalink

OregonLive posted an article the other day how Lake Oswego citizens responded to a recent survey. I wasn’t called or questioned about the streetcar, were you?

Lake Oswego Streetcar Survey of Residents

Here’s the excerpt from OregonLive:

A survey of Lake Oswego residents found significant opposition to a proposed streetcar coming into the city, but researchers concluded there is enough leeway to shift public opinion.

According to Davis, Hibbitts & Midghall Research, Inc., a phone poll of 300 registered Lake Oswego voters found 52 percent initially opposed to the project, compared to 39 percent who rated themselves at least somewhat supportive. Another 9 percent said they were neutral. When asked again after being informed about various financing scenarios, those numbers remained relatively unchanged.

The survey results did show that respondents were more likely to support the project if no Lake Oswego public service funds were used or if Lake Oswego’s share of the streetcar costs would come entirely from revenues and fees from new development.

“Although those in the community who strongly oppose outnumber those who are in support, that could change one way or the other,” said John Horvick, a research associate at DHM Research. “It could all change depending on the communications campaign, both in the message that is used and who delivers them.”

The survey was conducted last month to gauge community feelings toward a proposed streetcar extension from Portland’s South Waterfront to the Foothills district near downtown Lake Oswego. The streetcar was one of three options considered to help lighten traffic congestion along Oregon 43. The city budgeted $25,000 this year to pay DHM Research to produce the survey.

When asked to identify the most important issue for Lake Oswego officials to take action on, 18 percent of respondents mentioned the streetcar. The highest percentage, 26 percent, said they didn’t know or they felt there was no issue elected officials should do something about. The rest named other topics.

“I think what we’re seeing in the survey is that a lot of folks are uninformed about the streetcar or just aren’t paying attention to it,” said Horvick. “Even though it was the top-rated issue, 82 percent of the people didn’t mention streetcar as the most important. This was probably the first time they were hearing any cost information at all.”

Residents who were surveyed placed repairing and maintaining existing neighborhood roads and side streets as a high transportation project priorities. Reducing traffic congestion on Oregon 43 and having more frequent public transportation service to and from Lake Oswego were among the project priorities mostly listed as a medium priority. Topics listed as a low priority were reducing traffic congestion in the Lake Grove neighborhood and improving parking in downtown Lake Oswego.

A central point of contention with the streetcar project has been an initially projected $380 million to $458 million price tag by the project’s estimated completion date.

Brant Williams, Lake Oswego director of economic and capital development, said the goal has been to get the cost down to around $200 million to $250 million. Residents were also asked how they would feel about the project if the price tag was lowered to that range, and 24 percent said they would more likely support it. However, the same percentage said it would make them less likely to support it, 47 percent said it made no difference and 6 percent said they didn’t know.

“We knew we wanted to test an amount we felt we could get the project down to,” said Williams. “It wasn’t just pulling a number out of the air, but at the same time, we haven’t had anything that would back up the numbers until we fully go through the refinement process.”

Project consultants and officials are in the process of attempting to refine cost and design estimates. The re-polished plan is expected to be presented to city officials in January. The Lake Oswego City Council will discuss the survey results during a meeting on Tuesday. Williams said increased efforts to educate the community on the streetcar will come after the refinement report is complete.

Lake Oswego is slated to put an advisory vote to residents no later than May 2012 on whether the city should move forward with the transit option.

According to the LO Review, six out of every 10 Lake Oswego residents oppose the street car. The City Council will discuss survey results at a meeting starting at 6 p.m. tonight – Tuesday at City Hall, 380 A Ave.

Streetcar to Lessen Traffic on Highway 43

Depending upon where the streetcar ultimately winds up, if at all, I just want to say I wonder if our council members have ever sat on Highway 43 waiting for the current train to pass. Twice during the summer months, I wanted up to 45 minutes for the train to go through our small town and the traffic back-up was significant and overflowing onto the main arterials. What traffic will be lessened when a streetcar is put in place?

If the streetcar does come to Lake Oswego, I hope it stays down at Foothills, because I doubt if any traffic will be lessened on Highway 43, or in the downtown core area of Lake Oswego for that matter, if it gets located there. In fact, as much as I love living here, I have noticed a significant increase in traffic downtown.

Did You Respond To The Survey?

Were you called and questioned about the streetcar? Wonder how many people the City of Lake Oswego actually surveyed?

According to the above article, it says Lake Oswego residents are uninformed? What do you think, do you that most of Lake Oswego residents are uninformed about the streetcar?

Lake Oswego Real Estate And Price For Foothills Project Continues To Go Up and Up

November 8, 2011 in Foothills, Lake Oswego Neighborhoods by Betty Jung | Permalink

The Oregonian published a story yesterday about the Foothills Project price increase. Below is the complete story from the Oregonian The Foothills Project will be discussed at a City Council meeting today at 6 p.m.:

Lake Oswego Real Estate And Price For Foothills Project Continues To Go Up And Up!

A financial feasibility study for redeveloping Lake Oswego’s 107-acre Foothills district pegs the project at $134.7 million and recommends creating an additional urban renewal district to help finance the plan.

The new price tag is an increase from a July preliminary estimate of $55 million to $61 million. The Foothills district is located between downtown Lake Oswego and the Willamette River.

The feasibility study was prepared by economic consulting firm ECONorthwest and will be up for discussion on Tuesday during a Lake Oswego City Council meeting (at 6 p.m.). The study is based on the district’s redevelopment framework plan by Williams, Dame and White. (Here is a link to the plan).

The real estate development firm and Lake Oswego officials hope to turn the district into a mixed-use area for housing, retail and offices with a streetcar line extension from Portland’s South Waterfront as a key element. Supporters of the project believe the redevelopment will help Lake Oswego provide more high-density housing options for seniors and new families, which could increase the tax base for the city and its schools.

More than half of the $134.7 million in redevelopment would go toward public infrastructure updates in the area, such as improving roads, relocating sewer lines, floodplain mitigation and other upgrades. The rest comes from a combination of a local match contribution for improvements to facilitate a streetcar, optional projects, such as relocating a PGE substation, and other expenses.

The study proposes that the project be financed from sources including $43.7 million in tax increment finances and $12.5 million in system development charges. Federal funds could also be contributed to facilitate the streetcar coming down along Foothills Road.

Latest Lake Oswego Foothills District Redevelopment Costs

North block improvements= $44.28 million

Proposed streetcar-related improvements= $36.1 million

South block improvements= $33.87 million

Optional projects= $13.83 million

Urban renewal administrative and overhead costs = $6.64 million
Total = $134.72 million

In return, ECONorthwest projects the redevelopment could generate up to $1.6 billion of new real market value in the district over 26 years. Building construction in the northern part of the district, which includes 12 blocks of private development, is projected to occur between 2014 and 2022. The majority of the private investments, almost $1.1 billion in market value, is expected to come from development in the south blocks of the district. That development wouldn’t occur until 2022 to 2039. A little more than $91 million is expected to be generated from property tax revenue over 30 years.

The study estimates that the redevelopment would result in 3,000 new residential units and 731,000 square feet of available office and commercial space. It could also bring 3,600 new construction jobs in the short term and another 2,400 jobs based in the facilities built.

The primary source of public improvement funds could come from the formation of a new urban renewal district in the Foothills north block, which includes Tryon Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, Foothills Park and Tryon Cove Park. An existing urban renewal district incorporates the majority of downtown Lake Oswego and the southern portion of the Foothills district.

However, once the new urban renewal district is established, the report indicates that the city may have to invest $8.5 million in public infrastructure between 2012 and 2018 to begin the first six blocks of redevelopment in the area. Any debt incurred is projected to be paid off with future tax proceeds from private development.

All of those plans will have to be modified heavily if the streetcar proposal doesn’t move forward. Although Lake Oswego and Portland officials voted in April to continue exploring the option of a streetcar, a funding plan hasn’t been finalized and either city still could choose to walk away from the deal.

Williams, Dame and White officials also could end their Foothills planning efforts, if streetcar plans don’t come to fruition. The ECONorthwest report recommends having streetcar fund sources finalized by 2016.

Source: The Oregonian

It’s Still About The Streetcar

It still seems that all plans for Foothills hinges on the approval of the streetcar. All this money spent for studies, etc. when it would seem more appropriate to take a vote on the streetcar and then determine whether the Foothills Project can progress or not, since the streetcar is the determining factor.

Lake Oswego Real Estate And The Foothills District. Lake Oswego’s Next Great Neighborhood

October 8, 2011 in Foothills, Lake Oswego Neighborhoods by Betty Jung | Permalink

If you are a resident or property owner in Lake Oswego, you most likely received the City’s latest pamphlet billing the Foothills project as the next great residential Lake Oswego neighborhood.

Foothills District. Lake Oswego’s Next Great Neighborhood

There’s been lots of controversy about this project. Everyone has had an opinion.

The Foothills District, according to the City, provides a unique opportunity to connect downtown with its public riverfront along the Willamette River to Foothills Park, Roehr Park and Tryon Cove.

Over time, the Foothills District can be redeveloped in a manner that retains Lake Oswego’s unique character is what the brochure says. But again, the design doesn’t seem to match our existing Lake View Village buildings.

The district will have an active, comfortable and inviting pedestrian environment with clear and convenient connections to surrounding areas. A mix of uses, including a variety of housing options, local retail, complementary office types, open space and recreation opportunity will create vital activity within the District and downtown Lake Oswego, the pamphlet says.

Depends on The Streetcar

The Portland Tribune posted an article the other day about the Foothills Project. Here’s a link to the article.

“But the plan hinges on the creation of a streetcar line along the Willamette River from Portland.

Designers have said without a streetcar line, they would need to reassess many aspects of the project. Foregoing a streetcar would also threaten anticipated federal funds necessary to rebuild Foothills Road.

Consultants and public officials are still sorting out the details of the streetcar proposal and expect to release more information early next year.”

Lake Oswego Director of Economic and Capital Development said a phone survey will begin early next week with results being compiled by the end of the month. The hope is to release the poll’s findings publicly during the first weeks of November. The Lake Oswego City Council is scheduled to discuss the results during a meeting on Nov. 15. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think the City of Lake Oswego has my cell phone number in order to call me. Do they have yours?

At What Cost?

In part here’s what the Tribune article says:

“Long-term, it’s a financially sound plan,” said Brant Williams, the city’s director of economic and capital development. “The biggest challenge is coming up with money in the short term to do the improvements that allow private development to occur.”

The city would need to fork out $8.5 million to pay for infrastructure projects that would facilitate the first six blocks of development, Williams said. That includes relocating sewer lines, improving roads and creating new pedestrian facilities and public amenities.

After that, a new urban renewal district in the northern part of Foothills would be able to generate enough money to fund public projects and to repay the initial public outlay, which could come from loans or grants, according to the feasibility study.

Aside from the initial costs, the city overall would spend an estimated $56.1 million – in today’s dollars – on the redevelopment effort, with the money coming from tax-increment financing and system development charges. (In other words, we here in Lake Oswego will be paying for it!).

The potential payback, however, is huge. Officials believe private development would generate 33 times the amount the city puts in, with investors spending as much as $1.6 billion in the district over the next two or three decades.”

What’s next?

The draft Foothills framework plan is available through www.lakeoswegobusiness.com. Public comment will be accepted through the end of October at info@wdwlo.com. The city council is tentatively scheduled to consider adopting the framework plan at a mid-December meeting. If the plan is approved, Williams, Dame & White would develop and deliver a package of regulatory amendments needed to implement key recommendations. The ECO Northwest study will be finished and released as a full report within the next couple of weeks, according to the city.

What do you think? Are you in favor of the new project? Email me email:betty(at)bettyjung.com and let me know how you feel about the new Foothills Project or leave a comment here on my blog.

Foothills

No Future Light Rail Without Clackamas County Vote

No Future Light Rail Without Clackamas County Vote

Lake Oswego Streetcar

I Believe In Progress

Against The Current Lake Oswego Streetcar

Need more information on the Lake Oswego Streetcar?

Lake Oswego Senior Housing Complex And Foothills Development

Lake Oswego Senior Housing Complex And Foothills Development

Foothills Development

Lake Oswego Real Estate Senior And Boomer Housing Options

Are You Looking For Lake Oswego Senior Housing To Purchase?

Lake Oswego Streetcar Survey of Residents

Lake Oswego Streetcar Survey of Residents

Streetcar to Lessen Traffic on Highway 43

Did You Respond To The Survey?

Lake Oswego Real Estate And Price For Foothills Project Continues To Go Up and Up

Lake Oswego Real Estate And Price For Foothills Project Continues To Go Up And Up!

Latest Lake Oswego Foothills District Redevelopment Costs

It’s Still About The Streetcar

Lake Oswego Real Estate And The Foothills District. Lake Oswego’s Next Great Neighborhood

Foothills District. Lake Oswego’s Next Great Neighborhood

Depends on The Streetcar

At What Cost?

What’s next?

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Betty Jung, Lake Oswego Real Estate Broker, RE/MAX equity group