Sellwood Bridge design approved by county
POSTED: Thursday, January 27, 2011 at 11:39 AM PT
BY: Sue Vorenberg
Daily Journal of Commerce
Getting people from a wide variety of backgrounds to agree on anything can be a daunting task - but in the case of the design of the new Sellwood Bridge, the struggle appears to have been worth it, according to Multnomah County’s five-member board.
The commissioners on Thursday unanimously approved a new deck arch design and cost-saving features for the Sellwood Bridge replacement, and before the vote each one talked about how impressed they were with the community advisory and public stakeholder committees and their efforts.
“I do feel everyone’s involvement has made this a better process,” said Jeff Cogen, board chairman. He added that he thought the discussion led to a safer and less expensive design.
Commissioner Diane McKeel added that she thinks the process - of involving neighborhood groups, businesses, government representatives and advocates for different users such as bicyclists and drivers - should be repeated in the future on any new efforts.
“I feel this has been a model major capital project,” McKeel said. “I think we’re on the right track.”
In mid January the advisory groups recommended several changes. Some features, such as light-rail tracks, were removed; the size of a road cut was reduced; and the bridge was moved closer to the Willamette River near Oregon Route 43.
That dropped the cost of the bridge from $331 million to $290 million, as estimated in 2014 dollars, said Ian Cannon, bridge project manager for the county.
At the meeting, Cannon noted that the $290 million estimate includes design, engineering and all other features for construction.
“It’s a full-blown estimate,” Cannon told the commission. “No other things are anticipated outside of that.”
Only five people commented before the vote, and they were mostly supportive; minor concerns included the project’s impact on local businesses, the tax costs to drivers, and the bridge’s safety features - including some that haven’t been fully worked out yet.
Terry Parker, who lives near the bridge, said he was concerned that the interests of bicyclists and pedestrians played too great a role in the process, especially considering, he added, the notion that they won’t be paying vehicle taxes to pay for it.
“Given the excessive, super-sized sidewalks and bike lanes that allocate more deck space for bicyclists and pedestrians than for cars, the proposed design of a new bridge is basically a bicycle and pedestrian bridge that only replaces the two existing motor vehicle lanes,” he said, reading a prepared statement to the commission.
“More lavish and wasteful spending can be saved,” Parker added. “By narrowing the sidewalks to a reasonable width and eliminating the pedestrian viewpoints, the disproportionate price tag of the project can be reduced still further with little or no impact on alternative transport mobility.”
Another speaker, Diana Richardson, owner of D.J. Richardson Properties LP, raised some personal business concerns to the commission.
The county wants to lease two blocks of her land near the east end of the bridge during the two-year construction process, said Michael Pullen, a spokesman for the county.
“She has some longtime businesses there,” Pullen said. “But our hope is that we can lease those two blocks for equipment staging and other operations. Nothing’s final yet though. The discussion is just beginning.”
Richardson said she was worried that her business tenants, if they moved during construction, would not move back - which is dangerous in the current economic situation.
“If these businesses move away, they will not be returning. That will be a hardship for myself,” Richardson said.
But she added that she plans to develop the area so it will be ready for tenants at the same time that the new bridge opens.
Greg Miller, speaking for Ironworkers Local 29, said the union supported the steel design for the bridge and hoped the project would get several unemployed members back to work.
“The iron workers are a strong workforce in this community, and many are at home today,” Miller said.
Heather Cook, a resident and an advisory committee member, said she was impressed by the openness of the discussion during the design selection process.
She added that she would like to see a stronger commitment to safety features on the bridge, such as bike signals and signs that indicate roadway users are entering a neighborhood.
“I don’t think we can be noncommittal to something such as safety features,” Cook said.
In the next phase of the project, smaller details will be investigated. Those include what railings will look like, what signals will be used and what signs will be added, Pullen said.
Construction could begin as early as July 2012, he added.
The commissioners also unanimously approved a measure to begin property acquisition for the project. The estimated budget for right-of-way is about $35 million, Pullen said.
During the next steps, Cannon said he hopes to reconvene the advisory groups to get further input on various features of the project.
“It’s absolutely our intention to have the (Community Advisory Committee) come back together for that,” he said.
And Commissioner Deborah Kafoury, who represents District 1, where the bridge will be built, said she’s eager to see the project continue to move along.
“This is a great day,” she said before casting her vote. “I’m very excited.”
http://djcoregon.com/news/2011/01/27...ved-by-county/
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