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5 February 2024 Colin Cortes, AICP, CNU-A, Senior Planner City of Woodburn Community Development 270 Montgomery Street Woodburn, OR 97071 Phone: (503) 982-5246 RE: Courtesy review 2 of revised draft site plans following Pre-App 2018-19 (2600 Newberg Hwy; Tax Lot 052W12DB03700) EXCEPTION TO STREET RIGHT OF WAY NARRATIVE RESPONSE IN RED (In accordance with the recommendations of our site engineer of record) The highway frontage lacks a planter strip 5½ ft wide (excluding curb width), with street trees per 3.06.03A.1 & 2a, and sidewalk that isn’t curb-tight. Illustrate and provide upgrades. Choose street tree species that are compatible with the overhead electric power lines. Either confirm a 10-ft roadside public utility easement (PUE) exists or dedicate one. No right-of way (ROW) dedication is required because the ROW is already at minimum width both south from centerline and in total. Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) permit approval would be necessary, and ODOT does allow the City to apply its street standards to highway frontage. RESPONSE; In review of the January 22, 2021 Memo from the City of Woodburn, Item 3.01 (Street Improvements) seems to be asking for Hwy 214 frontage changes that consist of a 5.5’ planter street and property side sidewalk. The Hwy 214 improvements by ODOT were completed in 2015 and apparently were under a different street section requirement by the City. The current street section adopted in 2019 requires the planter strip. I would argue that it makes no sense to change the sidewalk pattern mid-block in this case. They say no ROW dedication is required but our plans show property line right up to the existing sidewalk? They also want a 10’ PUE designated, which it appears we have on the plans. See also street improvements p. 4 of courtesy review 2 response. The street frontage lacks a parallel parking lane, planter strip 5½ ft wide (excluding curb width), with street trees per 3.06.03A.1 & 2b, and sidewalk that isn’t curb-tight. The street telescopes at the highway intersection to accommodate the left turn lane. ---PAGE BREAK--- 2 Illustrate and provide dedication of ROW and construction of “half-street” improvements that accommodate the turn lane and upgrade the west half-street to conform to the standard cross section. Either confirm a 5-ft streetside public utility easement (PUE) exists or dedicate one. RESPONSE; Regarding Oregon Way, they say the improvements lack a parking lane and the 5.5’ planter strip with property line sidewalk and a 5’ PUE (on our plans), again probably done by ODOT under the old standard. We question the need to reconstruct fairly new improvements that are more than functional for the site improvements and surrounding area, and the same basic effect of street landscaping will be accomplished by installation of the landscaping areas proposed in the site plan. I would estimate that the quantitative impact to remove and replaced existing infrastructure to the current standard would be on the order of $150/lf over the approximately 425 feet of frontage is around $65,000 not including engineering, permitting and survey work which may add another $25,000 when dealing with ODOT. The addition of a parking lane on Oregon Way would require ROW dedication, additional paving, adjustment of utilities, etc... to potentially gain 1 or 2 parking spaces since we have a driveway on the south end and you can’t park too close to the intersection. The additional cost for that might be $50,000 or more. See also street improvements p. 4 of courtesy review 2 response. 5.03.03 Exception to Street Right of Way and Improvement Requirements A. Purpose: The purpose of a Type III Exception is to allow a deviation from the development standard required for the functional classification of the street identified in the Woodburn Development Ordinance Section 5.03 Page 235 Transportation System Plan. Street exceptions are processed in conjunction with a development proposal that is a Type III application. B. Criteria: 1. The estimated extent, on a quantitative basis, to which the rights of way and improvements will be used by persons served by the building or development, whether the use is for safety or convenience; RESPONSE; The existing frontages on Hwy 214 and Oregon Way meet the WDO standards with the exception of the landscape strip and sidewalk being reversed. On Hwy 214 conforming strictly to the WDO standards would actually narrow the road by 6’ to add a landscape strip adjacent to the roadway, see A1.1. Changing this would not affect “the extent to which the right of way and improvements will be used by persons served by the building or development.” 2. The estimated level, on a quantitative basis, of rights of way and improvements needed to meet the estimated extent of use by persons served by the building or development; RESPONSE; As stated above there is no change to the extent of use from existing conditions to WDO standards, thus no improvements are needed to meet the estimated use, beyond those shown on the submitted plans. According to our engineer of record; I would estimate that the quantitative impact to remove and replaced existing infrastructure to the current standard would be on the order of $150/lf over the approximately 425 feet of frontage is around $65,000 not including engineering, permitting and survey work which may add another $25,000 when dealing with ODOT. The addition of a parking lane on Oregon Way would require ROW dedication, additional paving, adjustment of utilities, etc... to potentially gain 1 or 2 parking spaces since we have a driveway on the south end and you can’t park too close to the intersection. The additional cost for that might be $50,000 or more. ---PAGE BREAK--- 3 3. The estimated impact, on a quantitative basis, of the building or development on the public infrastructure system of which the rights of way and improvements will be a part; and RESPONSE; The extent to which the building or development will impact the public infrastructure would be unaffected by maintaining the existing conditions vs an increased impact the change to strict conformance to the WDO requirements would create. 4. The estimated level, on a quantitative basis, of rights of way and improvements needed to mitigate the estimated impact on the public infrastructure system RESPONSE; Changing to conform strictly to the WDO requirements, rather than letting the existing conditions that meet the intent of the code remain, is what would create an impact on the public infrastructure system that is unnecessary. According to our engineer of record; I would estimate that the quantitative impact to remove and replaced existing infrastructure to the current standard would be on the order of $150/lf over the approximately 425 feet of frontage is around $65,000 not including engineering, permitting and survey work which may add another $25,000 when dealing with ODOT. The addition of a parking lane on Oregon Way would require ROW dedication, additional paving, adjustment of utilities, etc... to potentially gain 1 or 2 parking spaces since we have a driveway on the south end and you can’t park too close to the intersection. The additional cost for that might be $50,000 or more. The changes needed to meet the requirements of WDO would cost approximately $140,000 and would create a discontinuity to the frontage along the affected areas. Furthermore the existing conditions provide both a sidewalk and landscape strip in of a size required by the code if not in the exact locations intended. Sincerely, Ronald James Ped Architect, PC