Published in the West Linn Tiding and Oregonian:

I was very pleased when Oregon Metro granted the city of West Linn $220,000 for Oregon City-West Linn Arch Bridge area master planning efforts. At the Monday, Sept. 9, city council meeting, Metro Councilor Carlotta Collette presented Mayor John Kovash and the West Linn City Council with a commemorative check for the project.

Councilor Collette noted, “The grant review committee said (the West Linn grant) was one of the most exciting and one of the best proposals they had seen.” This is a real compliment to the project, city of West Linn and our staff.

This is the first time, since the inception of the construction excise tax (CET) and the Community Planning and Development Grant program, that West Linn has received grant funding. Receiving $220,000 pays for the planning we need to do to prepare the arch bridge area in West Linn for redevelopment and jobs. The arch bridge area is the current location of our police station.

The planning area, which is adjacent to Interstate 205 and the arch bridge, was identified as a “town center” in the Metro 2040 Concept Plan.

West Linn’s planning efforts are designed to synergize with Oregon City’s Willamette Falls Legacy Project, a vision and master plan for the former Blue Heron paper mill. Please take a moment to share your perspectives as a West Linn resident on the Oregon City project online here: RediscoverTheFalls.com.

There have already been several interesting proposals for the arch bridge area. I’ve heard suggestions of a hotel, mixed use housing and stores, walkways along the river, bike paths and restaurants. I encourage everyone in West Linn to get involved with planning efforts to revitalize this part of West Linn. We’ll be announcing a schedule for outreach opportunities soon.

It was also an honor to participate in the Sept. 9 groundbreaking for the new police station on Eighth Avenue in Willamette. Our first responders deserve a new, state-of-the-art facility, and I am pleased that construction is underway. With the police station moving, now is the perfect time to have a community conversation about the arch bridge area and what West Linn envisions for this vibrant part of our city.

Please stay in touch and let me know if you have any ideas or feedback to share. Thank you.