Many questions, few answers — at Ardenwald MAX meeting

By David F. Ashton

The Bee, Jun 3, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

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The meeting’s facilitator, TriMet community affairs representative and Sellwood resident Jennifer Koozer, observed, “We could go back and talk about how many of these decisions were made. But tonight, we really want to hear from you about what’s important to you, as we move forward; and what information you need about the alignment and station to help it fit into your neighborhood.”

Metro’s “traffic-related analysis” will lead engineers to decide how many vehicles will be accommodated in the park-and-ride station, Koozer continued. “From this, we will do preliminary engineering. Park-and-ride space allocations can change — they do change.”

“Tonight is not so much about being able to provide information,” Koozer added, “it’s for you to keep lobbing questions at us. It is our plan to come back and talk about these things.”

Beyond traffic and siting issues, Johnson Creek Watershed Council’s Executive Director, Matt Clark, asked their plans include doing any mitigation near Johnson Creek — and if they plan any additional improvements in the area.

“Mitigation will be required,” replied Leah Robbins, TriMet East Segment Director. “But there are questions about ‘right size’ for the mitigation requirements that are a benefit to the site. Some mitigation may be prescribed; additional improvements may be a factor of creating partnerships and how we use dollars wisely.”

After the meeting, Rinker told THE BEE that, overall, their neighborhood has been supportive of light rail. “It has the potential of being a really good thing for the city. However, it’s up to us to make sure that it is beneficial to our neighborhood.”

In addition to concerns about increased traffic on the already heavily traveled S.E. Tacoma Street, Rinker said another concern is “the raised elevation — at 36 feet — of the track along the entire western side of the neighborhood. We all thought that the track would be elevated only over sensitive natural areas. “We’ve since been told that the information was in the reports — but it wasn't pointed out. We’re concerned about the noise and visual issues this raises.”

Rinker questioned why the park-and-ride stations are sited in Gladstone and at S.E. Tacoma Street, but none were in Milwaukie.

Rinker said that Milwaukie Light Rail Project Coordinator, Wendy Hemmen, told him that there was “a lot of opposition from the industrial area”; but little from the neighborhood. “This was because we were under the impression that the alignment would be at ground level, not elevated — bringing the real possibility of noise and visual impacts.”

He concluded, “I really hope that they’re keeping an open mind, and not just paying lip service when they're saying that they’re going to take us into serious consideration.”

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