City Launches Online Survey for Riverfront Connector Plan

Street design example with pedestrian walking across striped crosswalk with landscaped sidewalk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 30, 2018

St. Helens, Ore. - In January 2018, the City kicked off a grant-funded transportation study called the “Riverfront Connector Plan.” This plan will set the framework for a cohesive, multi-modal, inviting transportation loop from Highway 30 to the Riverfront District and along the waterfront. The public is invited to provide feedback about the Riverfront Connector Plan through an online open house and survey which will be available through Friday, April 27. The open house and survey can be accessed at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/riverfrontconnector

The survey is intended to introduce the project through a series of questions and gather input about preferences for design amenities along the transportation corridor.

The public is also invited to attend a Planning Commission Work Session on April 10, 2018 at 6 p.m. in the St. Helens Council Chambers to view a presentation about the project. The Work Session is intended to gather feedback from the Planning Commission, but the presentation will serve as an introduction to the project. The St. Helens Council Chambers are located at 265 Strand Street, St. Helens.

The Riverfront Connector Plan project website (http://www.riverfrontconnectorplan.com/) contains documents to learn more about the project, as well as an interactive map where the public can comment on specific areas of concern along the corridor. The plan is anticipated to be adopted by Spring 2019, and there will be multiple opportunities to offer input before final adoption.

Anyone interested in attending future meetings can follow the City’s Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/cityofsthelens/) and subscribe to the City’s e-Newsletter (https://www.ci.st-helens.or.us/community/page/newsletters) where specific meeting details will be provided.

About the Riverfront Connector Plan

In 2015, the City of St. Helens purchased the former Boise Veneer Mill and White Paper sites and launched the Waterfront Redevelopment Project. In order to help with the costs of redevelopment, the City has applied for and received several state and federal grants. These grants have allowed the City to conduct site assessments, hold meetings to gather community feedback, and create a framework plan for development.

One important piece to the successful redevelopment of the St. Helens waterfront will be transportation improvements from Highway 30 to the Columbia River. In particular, key intersections have been identified as deficient along the main route from Highway 30 to the waterfront.

Overall project goals for the Riverfront Connector Plan include:

Creating “streetscape” plans for the study area to help provide the foundation for orderly redevelopment that connects the various St. Helens neighborhoods together, brings people back to the Riverfront District, and creates a connection to the greater local region.
Improving the aesthetics and function of the corridors to attract business and investment, provide better access, provide direction and signage to the Riverfront District, ensure multi-modal access, and improve desirability of the study area.

Please view the Riverfront Connector Plan Project Website for additional project goals and guiding principles for the planning process (http://www.riverfrontconnectorplan.com/).

This planning project is funded with a $208,550 grant from the Transportation and Growth Management (TGM) Program, which is a joint program of the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD). This TGM grant is financed, in part, by the federal Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (“FAST Act”), local government, and State of Oregon funds.

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For further information regarding the Riverfront Connector Plan, please contact Associate Planner Jenny Dimsho at jdimsho@ci.st-helens.or.us or 503-366-8207.