News & Events - Feature - What Happened to LUTRAQ?

Where’s WALDO in this picture? What happened to the Westside Freeway (Bypass)? What’s the PLAN for development of the MAX Station area stops at Beaverton Creek (NIKE), Merlo Station,(158th/Merlo Rd), Elmonica (170th and Baseline) and Willow Creek (185th and Baseline)? Why are we getting so much afternoon traffic congestion on Baseline, Jenkins, Walker, Cornell, Murray, 158th/170th, 185th? Why is the NAC being told to expect a 3-lane arterial to be extended from Baseline at 170th through to Walker Road and 173rd which will generate 45 mph traffic and about 14,000 cars a day? Why are we seeing so much office construction in our area, now with empty shells? Why are we seeing two-and three-story high-density housing (cheap multiple family style) popping up all over our NAC posing in disguise as urban family townhomes for ownership? Why can’t the Mayor, City Council and our elected County Commissioners representing our NAC paint a picture of the future around our MAX line and station areas (areas within 1/4 to 1/2 mile of the MAX stop)? Why are land development proposals being approved by the city and county, even when our NAC has raised significant concerns about the quality and aesthetics of the proposals, traffic impacts, loss of trees, loss of privacy, loss of neighborhood character or lack of inspiring design to establish a neighborhood theme?

Why is METRO (you know, that other regional government dominated by Portland) conducting Coffee Talks and asking what WE think? What’s all this talk about saving our streams from strangers from another planet? Why is the city of Beaverton (our city) and Washington County pushing for adoption of their respective Transportation System Plans? What does the city staff plan to do with their Tree Inventory and perpended Tree Preservation Plan and regulations? Why is our NAC now fighting the Beaverton School District staff and Board who is insisting it should establish a 200 bus transportation facility with just as much parking right next to the Five Oaks Middle School, clogging up Cornell Road and poisoning our young adults?

If you can answer any of these questions, you are probably from that other planet. However, if you agree that some of these questions are important to you and your neighbors, then you are really a member of your Five Oaks-Triple Creek Neighborhood Association Committee. You just didn’t know it or you just haven’t been to our monthly meetings for awhile.

Your NAC is wondering about these issues and questions and trying to get answers. Your NAC is asking our local elected officials and our METRO representative (District 4, Susan McLain) to look at our NAC issues and concerns and provide thoughtful insight that will lead to solutions. Last month, our NAC hosted a Coffee Talk and interacted with two METRO staff members to talk about the future of the region or Region 2040:

It was pointed out that METRO must come up with a plan update (Periodic Review) by the Fall of 2002 to comply with state law that requires METRO to maintain and designate land for a 20 year supply of housing in the region – and to reevaluate this planning every five years.

After traffic was massaged to no avail, the thought of whether we are capitalizing on our light rail system in Beaverton was introduced. There was not much time to discuss this topic and THAT weird acronym “LUTRAQ” came up again – this author flashed an old planner’s magazine article that displayed an odd map that looked like it came from the east coast. This author noted from the early 90’s American Planning Association periodical that this graphic was a depiction of the future development in one area of our NAC – Elmonica Station Area! Our NAC was on display across the nation! This is the area from Merlo Road to 158th to the Elmonica Elementary school and westerly almost to 185th St. This geographic area would be within “walking” distance (or about 1/4 to 1/2 mile) of the station’s platform on 170th Ave., just south of Baseline Rd.

Our NAC had been a recognized planner’s guinea pig since the mid 80’s when the idea of a Westside Bypass (kind of like a new I-205 from Wilsonville to somewhere north of Vancouver, Wa.) became a presupposed given in transportation planning circles – to solve traffic congestion in Washington County. Pro-Bypass advocates had the support of all elected officials, and yet the ByPass idea was defeated. Why? At the same time METRO was preparing its first Region 2040 concept to address assumed growth that would occur in the region. The 1000 Friends of Oregon and the citizens’ group Sensible Transportation Options for People (STOP) raised the question of planning as usual and put forth a study to look at alternative development and transportation patterns as well as reduce the region’s pending EPA air quality non-attainment status (translated: too smoggy) – the study looked at land use (LU), transportation (TR) and air quality (AQ). Many of these alternatives, combined with Tri-Met’s pursuit of a second light rail extension from downtown Portland (and major engineering feat – the tunnel), offered many positive solutions which could not be passed up. The concept of concentrating urban development around the infrastructure of light rail, coupled with enhanced bus service surfaced as the winner. Many people and organizations can take credit for the national attention paid to the Portland community.

Metro was (and still is) the lead planning agency for the development of the Westside Light Rail and adjoining planning areas. The theory behind the Region 2040 Concept is to reduce auto trips by directing and facilitating development around light rail corridors and within “centers” (like Tannesbourne or Washington Square and downtown Beaverton). This planning approach would reduce pressure on expanding the urban growth boundary and engulfing prime ag and forest lands. Frankly, from this author’s perspective, the plan reduces the demand on our tax pocket and developer costs to expand or increase utility/services capacity. The light rail has been built, bus routes have improved a little bit, some local streets have been widened but has our NAC been worse for wear?

Have local, regional and state government agencies implemented all the planning promises made to the federal government when it wrote its $1 BILLION check to Tri-Met to complete the rail? Well, we know that that weird picture of the “future” Elmonica Station area doesn’t look anything it was touted to become in the LUTRAQ solution. Was it supposed to?

Are we getting the quality and type of development envisioned by the Environmental Impact Report which requires environmental impacts of a project (in this case the light rail) to be mitigated? Is the Region 2040 Concept actually happening the way METRO envisioned its implementation?

**** Want to know more about LUTRAQ? Check out the 1000 Friends of Oregon website. ****

We do know that a lot of studies and pretty colorful maps have been produced. We know that our city has changed the Comprehensive Plan to implement Metro’s plans. But does it just look good on paper? Are there really standards? Do we know what the development is supposed to look like (the there there and VISION)? Where are the detailed neighborhood plans that will make our NAC and set of neighborhoods different from any other neighborhood and provide character that we can be proud of? The city and county have adopted plans with densities that could support up to 7,000 dwellings within 1/4 mile of the transit stations of 185th (Willow Creek), Elmonica and Merlo Station. These station areas will be the heart of our NAC. Or will the Bethany Interchange and the 185th/Tannesbourne continue to be the heart of our area, whether we like it or not?

What legacy do we wish to leave our GRANDCHILDREN? Over the next few months our NAC will be debating these concerns from various perspectives. Are you willing to let someone else plan your future? Do you think your City Council, Board of County Commissioners and Planning Commissioners know what’s best for our NAC – more so than you? Is the Mayor going to bat for our NAC or is he too busy with other things and priorities? Does he know what we and our NAC want? Our most effective say in local government is our voice and vote. Become involved in the solution!

Check out T O D s (Transit Oriented Development) on the Web by searching the King Co. WA Homepage for the following phrases:

- TOD in Portland, Or

- Renton’s Urban Village to grow

- Renton’s urban revival

- TOD Project Status November 01

- Sprawl and Congestion – is Light Rail and TOD the Answer?

- Transit CA – Case for TOD

– 2004 – Five Oaks / Triple Creek Neighborhood Association Committee –

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The views expressed on those websites do not necessarily reflect the views of the NAC, the NAC Board, or the City of Beaverton.

FEATURE: WHAT HAPPENED TO LUTRAQ?

Five Oaks-Triple Creek

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