91视频

A project is moving forward to replace an existing Safeway store with a completely new one at Barbur Boulevard and Capitol Hill Road in Southwest Portland. Residents have some concerns, but not with the supermarket chain鈥檚 plan.

鈥淭he concerns are more frustration and disappointment with the city of Portland not enforcing their own policies,鈥� said Roger Averback, chairman of the transportation committee of Southwest Neighborhoods Inc.

Averback and other community members were hoping bike lanes would be added to the road that will accommodate the new store鈥檚 main entrance. They say that planned traffic changes could cause hazards, and the city is not addressing them.

Safeway plans to start work when it receives city approval, and is planning to complete the project by the end of 2012, according to Safeway spokesman Dan Floyd. The Barbur store is one of the last in the Northwest that will be remade with the 鈥渓ifestyle鈥� model. The new Safeway will be larger and include more 鈥渆xterior鈥� departments 鈥� like a floral shop, sushi counter, coffee shop and deli 鈥� around the store鈥檚 walls and a smaller focus on interior shelves.

The 鈥減odium鈥� layout calls for the supermarket to occupy the second story, and a parking lot to be built underneath. The new store will occupy more of the lot than the existing one does, and it will sit on some additional residentially-zoned parcels.

The addition of those parcels in part led to the plan entering the city鈥檚 land-use review process, where it has been slightly delayed.

Most of the residents鈥� concerns are with traffic. Multnomah Neighborhood Association Chairman Moses Ross last week outlined in a letter to the city鈥檚 hearings officer some other concerns: how trucks will enter and leave the store鈥檚 loading docks, how bikes will move on Capitol Hill Road and across busy Barbur Boulevard, and how pedestrians will cross Multnomah Avenue without a crosswalk.

Most discussions are focusing on the bike crossing issue. The main entrance to the new Safeway will be on Capitol Hill Road, a smaller neighborhood street than Barbur Boulevard, where many cars enter the existing Safeway parking lot.

principal engineer Chris Brehmer said in testimony that removing the Barbur entrance was a 鈥渕ajor concession鈥� aimed at improving bike and pedestrian access.

鈥淲e went the extra mile to make that happen,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e believe this is a multimodal solution.鈥�

However, one result of closing the Barbur entrance will be an increase in traffic on Capitol Hill Road, and residents are concerned that some drivers will use it as a shortcut to other destinations.

Safeway鈥檚 traffic projections expect daily trips along Capitol Hill Road to increase from the present 3,200 to 3,800. On the part of Capitol Hill Road between Barbur Boulevard and the new store entrance, Safeway is expecting between 6,000 and 8,000 new trips each day.

鈥淎verage daily traffic is important, because that鈥檚 what you use to determine what sorts of bicycle facilities are required,鈥� said Keith Liden, who describes himself as a 鈥渃oncerned citizen鈥� and has served on the city鈥檚 Bicycle Advisory Committee.

Those facilities can include 鈥渟harrows鈥� 鈥� shared-lane markings to aid cyclists 鈥� or bike lanes.

Liden believes Capitol Hill Road should receive bike lanes, particularly because of the expected increase in traffic because of the modified Safeway entrance. For cyclists, Capitol Hill Road is a particularly important street in the area because it is one of the few crossings over busy Barbur Boulevard and Interstate 5.

鈥淭here are so few routes that cross both of those major streets,鈥� Averback said.

Safeway has agreed to add sharrows to Capitol Hill Road, but the city won鈥檛 require bike lanes because the road isn鈥檛 designated as a 鈥渂ikeway鈥� in the documents that outline the city鈥檚 transportation plan. As such, the road is not due to receive an upgrade that would include bike lanes.

Residents were hoping that the redesign could lead to more right-of-way being required from Safeway; however, Liden acknowledges that may not happen because Safeway in its land-use agreement is offering some additional right-of-way along Capitol Hill Road. At a hearing on Sept. 7, city representatives said that the right-of way Safeway is offering would be enough to account for road improvements 鈥� including possible bike lanes 鈥� in the future.

A rebuttal comment period is under way for the project. The applicant will have until Oct. 5 to submit testimony, and the city鈥檚 hearings officer is expected to issue a decision thereafter.

鈥淎n OK from the city is the last domino we need to move forward,鈥� Floyd said.