The developer behind a forthcoming housing complex says he’s hit a snag with the city over sidewalk placement that could compromise a mature stand of trees along Southwest Norwood Road.
Ken Allen’s planned 9.3-acre development, Basalt Creek Living, situated along Southwest Norwood and Southwest Boones Ferry Roads consists of 95 townhouses situated around community gardens, picnic areas, walking trails, and common green spaces.
At issue are the placement of a new curb and utility lines, and the distance between a new sidewalk and the existing tree line.
Allen’s plan calls for laying the sidewalk tight along the curb, with utility lines running beneath it and a planted strip of soft landscape to buffer the trees and protect their root system.
The city’s current proposal would put the planter strip between the sidewalk and the curb, pushing the concrete closet to the trees. Additionally, it adds an 8-foot utility easement, which would mean removing trees and potentially compromising the remaining root system.
According to Tualatin Community Development Director Aquilla Hurd-Ravich, the city is continuing to work with Allen to reach an agreeable solution.
“We just really are looking for plans that will meet both of our goals, to preserve trees and also provide safe walking areas,” she said. “Typically, the purpose of having a planter strip between the travel lane and the sidewalk is to create a buffer and help create a safer walking environment. That’s one of the goals we have in our transportation system plan.”
Allen purchased 8.3 acres of his land from Horizon Community Church earlier this year after the City Council approved a zoning change to make way for the development. The church, which sits on an adjacent parcel, also has a project in the works.
Though Allen brought arborist Todd Prager into the design process early on to prioritize the trees in his design and building process, he told City Council members during a January 2025 meeting that bringing utilities into the development could potentially impact the trees.
“It’s going to be dependent on this body and our work for those trees to remain there,” Council Cyndy Hillier said at the same meeting, referring to the Council’s role in approving or denying subsequent plans that will be subject to its review as future phases of the project progress.
Allen began eyeing the property in 2023 after an Atlanta-based developer withdrew its proposal to build a 278-unit, multi-story apartment complex on it in the face of ongoing community opposition. The failed project sought zoning changes to allow high-density housing and remove building height restrictions.
He and land planning consultant Ken Sandblast, with Westlake Consulting, hosted a half-dozen public meetings and open input sessions beginning in August of 2023 to design the project in tandem with the community. Neighbors identified protecting the trees as a key priority.
“The whole project was planned around the preservation of the trees,” Allen said. “I could have maybe had 10 more housing units, or at least five or six more. We chose not to go that route.”
Publisher’s note: Developer Ken Allen is hosting an informational session on August 9 @ 10:00 a.m. at 9300 SW Norwood Road. The public is invited to attend.
