1,000-car parking garage for Tacoma Street MAX Station

By David F. Ashton

The Bee, Sep 1, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (1 Reader comment)

<< Prev. Page 1 | 2

Four stories – or five?

Tom Litster, of Otak Architects, told the Sellwood meeting that his company was tasked with locating and configuring the parking garage. “It’s for a ‘set number’ of cars; 1,000 cars was the number given to us. The key thing about the configuration is the kind of spaces left on the site, other than the garage building. Are those remaining spaces usable – and for what are they suited?”

While Ardenwald/Johnson Creek neighbors have been saying they would prefer a shorter, less towering structure, Litster pointed out inherent problems. “Given the 1,000-car requirement, building it shorter could squeeze all other uses off the site. And, there may be a conflict with the 50% permeable surface requirement. We’ve settled on [a height of] four to five stories tall.”

After showing attendees at the meeting three designs for the parking garage and MAX station site, Litster was peppered with questions regarding the size of the proposed structure.

Q “Can it be lowered by providing fewer spaces?

A “It will be four or five stories tall to accommodate 1,000 spaces.”

Q “Can you build it lower by digging down – putting some of the parking in a basement?”

A “No. The high water table makes it technically difficult; it may be cost-prohibitive.”

Q How many feet high is four or five stories tall?”

A “About 45’ tall for four levels; about 55’ for five levels. In comparison, the tallest part of the Pendleton building is about 30’.”

Westmoreland resident and TriMet employee Mike Pucik asked rhetorically, “Why do we get a giant parking garage, and the City of Milwaukee gets light rail – but isn’t doesn’t have any parking garages?” [It should be noted that the site in question is entirely within the Ardenwald neighborhood, a section of which is within the City of Milwaukie.]

After the formal presentations, neighbors and government officials gathered around tables to examine closely the proposed station designs, and make suggestions by drawing them on tracing paper.

Lucero said the Tacoma Station Design Team will take the feedback gained from the planning workshop, and will use it to move the project ahead.

<< Prev. Page 1 | 2

Facebook	Digg	Del.icio.us
Newsvine	Stumbleupon	Reddit