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West Linn Police Chief Terry Timeus was as shocked as anyone when shots from a high-powered rifle were fired in the parking lot outside of the city’s police station in April 2008.

Newton Bill McMurtrey had shot and killed his estranged wife as she sat in her SUV outside of the old, red brick police station, where she apparently planned to seek help. McMurtrey then shot himself in a murder-suicide that horrified the Clackamas County community and the police force alike.

Years later, Timeus says that shocking day was by far the most poignant reminder that his officers needed a new – and safer – police station. Then West Linn voters last November passed an $8.5 million bond measure to pay for such a facility. Next week a search will begin for a design team to bring details of the future station into focus over the course of the year.

“An armed man drove right up to our building, which could’ve easily put officers in harm’s way – if they (had) walked out the door at the time, they would have been immediately confronted with a mentally deranged, armed man,” Timeus said. “A modern-day facility may not prevent that tragedy, but the officers would be able to deploy in a safer manner.”

Because the city owns only the footprint of the station and no surrounding land, officers do not have a secured parking area. But Timeus said heightened safety measures – including secure parking and other design and landscaping elements – will be high priorities for the new station. Construction is planned to begin in May 2013.

The existing station on Willamette Falls Drive, built in 1936, is inadequate for police performing even routine duties. Because the building doesn’t have shower facilities, officers who come into contact with pepper spray, blood or other bodily fluids must either go home or to a nearby fire station to disinfect themselves. Also, organization and proper storage of evidence is nearly impossible in the overcrowded building.

After touring other cities’ police stations, including a Woodburn facility designed by , Timeus has a better idea what to hope for. Large training spaces, for instance, would be a major benefit to West Linn’s bureau because it could then host conferences and receive discounted or free training opportunities.

“When you compare our station to a modern facility, though, everything looks like a good idea,” he said.

Police officials throughout the state seem to be in close communication about the best new designs or the worst old facilities, according to project manager Robert Galante, a private consultant working with West Linn.

“For the last 10 years or so, law enforcement in the U.S. has been under a magnifying glass,” Galante said. “People realize we need to step up a little bit and have facilities both survive an event like an earthquake and be more secure in the event of terrorism or somebody out to disrupt police services – so everybody is kind of upgrading.”

Portland City Council, for instance, recently approved $6.5 million for a new police training facility on Northeast Airport Way.

But West Linn voters were not always gung ho for the new police facility – in 2010 they rejected a bond measure that would have provided $10.8 million to purchase land and build a station on Parker Road. A citizen task force then examined the proposal for 2011 and suggested a new price, size and location.

“We did a lot of walking and knocking on doors, and a lot of the opposition came down to the economy,” said Thomas Frank, who was on the task force and is now a member of the citizen steering committee. “No one wants an extra tax bill, but frankly a lot of people didn’t realize what bad shape the existing building is in.”

The scaled-down, approved bond package will require property owners to pay a tax of 14 cents for every $1,000 of assessed value. The owner of a home valued at $285,000 will pay an extra $40 in property taxes.

The bond measure was the first of any kind passed by West Linn voters in more than a decade, according to city manager Chris Jordan. The city has already used $1.45 million to purchase land at the intersection of Eighth Avenue and 10th Street. Design and construction are expected to cost $5.85 million, according to a January project estimate. If land-use permits come through in a timely manner, Galante said the new police station should be completed by spring 2014.

“We don’t have the facilities to preserve important evidence – we have to send it out,” Timeus said. “If it’s lost in the year or two before a trial, guilty people could walk free because of that. And our officers should work in an environment that’s safe. A new facility is going to fix all of these inadequacies.”

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Crews from Wildish Standard Paving have started hydroblasting work to clean off the inside arch on the West Linn side of the Oregon City Bridge.

The effort is part of a $10.6 million, 2-year effort by the Oregon Department of Transportation to renovate the 88-year-old bridge, which began in January.

Hydroblasting removes the concrete coating of the bridge, called gunite, so that engineers can take a closer look at the steel structure underneath and see if it is corroded or damaged.

After the examination, the structure will be repaired and the coating will be replaced with shotcrete, another type of spray concrete, said Susan Hanson, ODOT spokeswoman for the project.

Wildish crews also ramped up work this month to add support structures to the bridge in order to even out weight so the columns can be inspected and repaired.

When work on the West Linn side of the bridge is finished, crews will move to the Oregon City side and repeat the process – likely starting sometime in March, Hanson said.

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School districts seek federal bond money

School districts seek federal bond money
Federal stimulus money is starting to dissipate, but Oregon still has about $60 million in federally subsidized bond money it can allocate to school districts looking to make building improvements.

In 2010 Oregon received $112 million in bonds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 as part of the $11 billion Qualified School Construction Bond program. The interest payments were subsidized by the federal government, making projects cheaper for schools.

The state has authorized four school districts – Lincoln County, Eugene, Tigard-Tualatin and Newberg – to receive $15 million each. All four districts need to pass levies through an election, or find other ways to pay back the money, before they can sell the bonds and start projects, said Brian Reeder, acting project coordinator for the Oregon Department of Education.

If one or more of the districts’ levies were to fail, or if one were to pass for less than $15 million, then money would be offered to the next school district on the list, Reeder said. Presently, 13 other school districts are asking for the federally subsidized bonds, with projects totaling $111 million. Jefferson, Bethel and Lebanon are next in line, respectively.

“We won’t get any more funds this year, and the program is not being renewed,” Reeder said. “But we will keep working to get the bonds out until all the bond authority is gone.”

The construction industry has suffered in the recession, but some bright spots have turned up in the last couple of years. 2009 was a big year for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified buildings, and 2010 yielded many accessory dwelling units.

2011 could be the year for school projects. There are 15 construction bond measures being proposed for high schools across the state, and some past bonds are finally leading to projects.

West Linn-Wilsonville School District

The West Linn-Wilsonville School District received voter approval in November 2008 for a levy to pay back a $98 million construction bond. The money is going toward facility renovations, technology upgrades, deferred maintenance projects and construction of two schools – one in Wilsonville and one in West Linn.

More than two years after the bond was issued, the school district last week received its final permit approval to build the two primary schools. Trillium Creek in West Linn will house 300 students initially, and Lowrie in Wilsonville will house 500.

The projects are expected to go out to bid separately in late February or early March, said Tim Woodley, director of operations for the West Linn-Wilsonville School District. The schools will be built on significantly different sites, but with identical layouts, he said.

Construction costs are expected to be about $16.5 million for Trillium Creek and about $19.3 million for Lowrie, Woodley said. Bids will be awarded on April 11, with construction set to start before the end of the month. Schools are expected to be ready for occupancy by fall 2012.

Portland Public Schools

Voters around Portland will be able to decide the fate of a $548 million, short-term construction bond being pitched by Portland Public Schools. The bond money would modernize eight schools, as well as improve and repair the district’s other 77 schools.

The eight modernizations are for: three high schools – Jefferson, Roosevelt and Cleveland; four K-8 schools – Rigler, Marysville, Faubion and Laurelhurst; and one K-5 school – Markham. Some historical features, such as Roosevelt’s iconic clock tower, would be preserved; however, the schools would otherwise be refurbished entirely.

The district’s other schools would receive security and technology upgrades, as well as new playground equipment, expanded classrooms and new covered play areas for schools that have none.

“(Portland Public Schools) had a $190 million bond in 1995 that was used for seismic upgrades and roof repairs at schools across the entire district,” said Matt Shelby, a spokesman for Portland Public Schools. “It was helpful, but it was also spread really thin.”

“We believe we can make some real changes and improvements with a bond like this. It can’t just be patchwork as some of these schools are at the end of their natural life cycles.”

Instead of asking for a traditional 20- to 30-year capital bond, the district is asking for a short-term bond. If approved, property owners would pay an extra $2 per $1,000 in assessed value for the first six years, and $0.15 per $1,000 in assessed value for the following 11 years. Shelby said this bond would save the district about $200 million in interest payments, when compared to a 20-year bond.

“The strategy is to get all these projects done on time and on budget so we can earn the trust of the citizens,” he said. “If we do that in six years, we will ask the taxpayers for another bond and tackle another eight schools.”

Oregon Institute of Technology

The Oregon Institute of Technology is waiting on state legislative approval for about $30 million in bond authority to purchase the former InFocus building in Wilsonville and transform it into a new campus.

The state college last spring signed a lease for the 131,000-square-foot former office building. If it receives approval, OIT plans to buy the building for $20 million and then spend $10 million to renovate it.

OIT’s four campuses in the Portland-metro area will be consolidated into one building. The school will continue to offer its engineering and high-tech courses, and offer a new undergraduate degree in renewal energy engineering. The new campus is expected to be ready in fall 2012 to accommodate approximately 400 students. OIT expects enrollment to grow to 2,000 over the next two decades.

According to the school’s website, a request for proposals has been issued for a firm to perform architectural and design work. An architect is expected to be selected by early May.

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The Oregon Department of Transportation has scheduled a new meeting for residents in West Linn and Oregon City to discuss the two-year shutdown of the Oregon City Bridge, which begins on Jan. 15.

The agency decided to add the meeting on Jan. 11, a day after its originally-scheduled Jan. 10 meeting because of the upcoming BCS National Championship football game between the Oregon Ducks and Auburn Tigers, said Susan Hanson, a spokeswoman for the project.

The Jan. 10 meeting at the West Linn Public Library at 1595 Burns St. will continue as planned from 5 to 7 p.m., but officials were worried about low attendance because of the football game, she said.

“We had the other one scheduled well in advance of the game,” Hanson said. “But we wanted to make sure residents had an opportunity to get questions answered about road closures, detours and a new shuttle service before the bridge actually closes.”

The Jan. 11 meeting will be held at West Linn High School, at 5464 West A Street, in the Forum Room from 5 to 7 p.m.

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Daryl Hawking, foreman with Pacificmark Construction, applies finishing touches to an exam room at the Providence Medical Group’s new clinic in West Linn. The 3,500-square-foot space at 1899 Blankenship Road features exam rooms, doctors’ offices, a procedure room, a waiting room and a call center. General contractor Pacificmark was in charge of the tenant improvement designed by Jon R. Jurgens & Associates Inc.

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West Linn is running out of large, undeveloped tracts of land, so the city is looking inward – toward lots in its core – for growth.

West Linn City Council assembled a task force to find ways to entice developers to fill vacant lots and thus increase density. The task force’s planners, citizens, developers and city staffers are expected next month to start developing a slew of zoning code amendments that could be ready for the council to review in late March 2011.

The city is 95 percent built out, according to Michael Babbitt, a planning commissioner. As infill developments become more likely, the city says changes are necessary.

West Linn presently uses a Planned Unit Development approach for planning because of the prevalence of large housing developments over the last decade. The approach accounts for commercial developments and public utilities, among other factors. But now the city wants new regulations for the smaller developments it anticipates.

Related

Map of West Linn buildable land inventory

“Most of these lots have already been combed over by developers, and the ones that are left either are shaped weird or have environmental challenges,” said Chris Kerr, a senior city planner leading the task force. “We want to make these sites attractive to developers, as well as make sure (that) when they are developed, they conform with the surrounding area.”

The task force in June started phase one, which includes an outline of the group’s work plan. The group will present that plan to City Council on Dec. 6. Phase two involves development of zoning code amendments and city incentives.

“We basically sat down as a group and went over the entire code and laid out what are the issues we wanted to look at,” Babbitt said. “We are going to look at those issues (after the December work session).”

Work on possible amendments hasn’t officially started, but the group has a few ideas.

One of these would be to allow flag lots – parcels with a long skinny piece of land connected to a rectangular lot – within the city. Oftentimes cities require such lots to be subdivided with adjacent lots. Flag lots would provide more development opportunities at lower costs.

The group also wants to reduce red tape for developing smaller lots constrained by natural features, such as running water or drastic slopes.

City code uses the same language for a 2-acre lot and a 50-acre lot, Kerr said. The task force wants to alter the language so that developers of smaller, environmentally constrained lots won’t have to follow the strict guidelines for larger lots, he said.

“Some of these lots are undevelopable because the setback requirements in the code are larger than the actual size of the lot,” Kerr said.

The task force won’t pursue architectural guidelines and review, Kerr added. The city hopes zoning codes can create conformity around the city, but the task force doesn’t want to limit development, he said.

“We want to open up the attractiveness of these lots for development, while also making sure the city has the control it needs to make sure it’s done correctly,” Kerr said.

The task force is looking for opinions from citizens and the development community. The group meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at West Linn City Hall at 6:30 p.m.

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One of West Linn‘s largest sidelined projects is being appealed by neighbors, again.

The Savanna Oaks Neighborhood Association has appealed city-approved plans for the local development company Blackhawk to construct three office buildings totaling 289,000 square feet, according to planning commission documents. The complex, known as Tannler West, has been proposed and approved for development on a commercially zoned parcel at the corner of Tannler Drive and Blankenship Road.

The neighborhood association is appealing the city’s approval of an extension for the project to City Council. The organization believes the proposed development would add too much traffic to both Tannler Drive and Blankenship Road, both of which are already noted by the city as too congested.

It’s not the first time the group has appealed the project.

They originally appealed it in 2007 when the project was first approved for the go ahead by the city, according to Chris Kerr, senior planner with the city of West Linn. City Council rejected that appeal, he said.

The project was shelved not long after the initial appeal because of the economy. The developer was supposed to have the project completed before March of this year or else be required to go through the planning process again. But the city granted the developer an extension.

When the extension was granted, the group appealed it, spurring a hearing with City Council on the extension and the traffic concerns. City Council is holding a special meeting on the issue Nov. 29 at 6:30 p.m.

If the extension stands, the developer will have until March 2012 to complete the project.

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Portland’s popular Thai eatery Typhoon is opening a new location in the West Linn Central Village.

Typhoon will occupy 5,000 square feet in the 104,715-square-foot, open-air retail center off Oregon Route 43 in West Linn. The development – owned by the Tualatin-based Gramor Development – is anchored by Market of Choice grocery along with 30 other boutiques and restaurants.

The new restaurant will mark the seventh Typhoon location. The others include downtown Portland, Northwest Portland, Beaverton, Gresham, Bend and Redmond, Wash. Everett, Wash., was the site of Typhoon’s first restaurant.

Lanco Construction is the general contractor on the project.

The company anticipates hiring 25 new employees for the new location. The restaurant will open Oct. 15.

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The city of West Linn has put out a request for proposals for consulting firms to put together a conceptual design and operation plan for a new public aquatic center. The pool facility would be located next to City Hall on a seven-acre tract of land off of Parker Road.

Ken Worcester, parks and recreation director for West Linn, said the city is looking for a team with expertise in aquatic facilities, aquatic programming, LEED design and public projects.

The aquatic facility will be built in conjunction with a new police station on the property, but the projects will be designed separately.

“An aquatic center has been a part of our last several park master plans, Worcester said. “We are hoping to build a facility that is cost neutral so we can mark the project off our list without having it be a large burden on the city fund and taxpayers.”

City staff originally proposed the aquatic facility under a 2004 ballot measure that was narrowly supported by the public. A 35,000-square-foot facility was estimated to cost $12 million at that time. Part of the RFP asks the consulting firm to update project and operation costs.

In order for the project to go through, voters must approve an annexation of the Parker Road property to the city. They must also approve the city taking on the debt to finance the project. Residents would have to pay $60 annually for every $200,000 in assessed property value over 20 years.

Proposals for the project are due to the Parks & Recreation Department by June 9.

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