More than 8,200 Washington County students will receive new library accounts thanks to a collaboration between Tigard Public Library, Tualatin Public Library, the Tigard-Tualatin School District (TTSD), and the Washington County Cooperative Library Service (WCCLS). Students in kindergarten through fifth grade will receive library cards in the mail, while students in grades six through 12 can access library resources using their student IDs.
“We want to ensure that every student in the district has access to the tools they need to be successful,” said Tigard Public Library Director Halsted Bernard. “These new library accounts allow students to have that access in the ways that work best for them- whether that means coming into our libraries, checking out eBooks online, or getting live, on-demand homework help. The flexibility of access is paramount.”
Research has shown the link between library use and student success, with higher circulation of children’s library books correlating with higher reading scores.
“Each new library account is an invitation to not only check out books, but also attend events in-person and virtually and embrace the joy of learning through crafts, art projects, and science experiences,” said Tualatin Public Library Director Jerianne Thompson. “We hope that these new accounts will make it even easier for families in our area to make the library part of their lives.”
The new library accounts will allow students to check out up to five physical books from any public library in Washington County, as well as accessing eBooks, homework help, streaming video, and more through WCCLS’s online services. All WCCLS libraries are overdue fine-free, so families don’t need to worry about additional expenses due to library visits.
Families that decide they would like to access DVDs, games, and other library resources, or who would like to check out up to 100 items at a time can upgrade their student cards at any WCCLS library at no cost. Students who already have WCCLS library cards can continue using them without interruption.
“We hope TTSD students will build relationships with their local libraries that will continue throughout their lives. Libraries not only help with scholastic and career success, but also offer opportunities for creativity, connection, and recreation,” Bernard said.
By taking this step, TTSD joins the Beaverton and Hillsboro School Districts in ensuring public library access to all students. WCCLS library cards are free to all Washington County residents, and they can be used at all 16 Washington County libraries.
Tualatin Public Library’s mission is to empower and enrich our community through learning, discovery, and interaction. For more information about the services and programs at Tualatin Public Library, visit tualatinoregon.gov/library.
The No. 1 Timberwolves pull away late to dispatch No. 2 Summit 66-49
It took three months for Tualatin to turn heartbreak into jubilation.
The top-seeded Timberwolves, who fell one game short of winning the school’s first football title in the fall, came through the school’s first basketball title Saturday by beating No. 2 Summit 66-49 in the final of the OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union 6A tournament at the Chiles Center.
Tualatin’s Noah Ogoli scores 2 of his 10 first quarter points against the defense of Summit’s Caden Harris. Jon Olson/Tualatin Life
With a roster that includes eight football players, four of them starters, Tualatin (25-2) found a measure of redemption. The Timberwolves took a 20-9 lead and held on the rest of the way to hand the Storm (27-1) their first defeat of the season.
Senior guard Noah Ogoli set the tone early and led the way with 24 points, nine rebounds, three assists and four steals.
“After losing that, it stung a lot, and it felt like we all took that into account and realized we had more to do,” Ogoli said. “I just feel like we used that energy to fuel us, and get this championship, because we all knew we had it in us.”
Senior guard Malik Ross, the star running back on the football team, said the title helped ease the sting of the championship-game loss to Central Catholic.
“Oh my goodness, it’s amazing,” Ross said. “It’s the best feeling in the world. To compare the feeling after the football championship and this one, it definitely avenges it. I’m so excited right now.”
Senior post Peter Burke, another of the football players, relished the championship.
“This is what we dream of,” Burke said. “We knew senior year we could be something special. This is what we wanted to do, and we made it happen.”
To hold the blue trophy, Tualatin overcame a 29-day, midseason layoff due to COVID issues. To make up for it, the Timberwolves had to play nine games in a 15-day span.
“We overcame a lot of adversity,” Ogoli said. “No one quit. We all stayed together during the time off and tried to do the best we could individually. We came back and we were all connected and ready to go.”
The Timberwolves lost only to Link Academy (Mo.) and Lake Oswego. After losing to the Lakers, they finished the season with 16 consecutive wins.
Celebrating the 66-49 State Championship win is the Tualatin Student Section and Cheerleading Squad. Jon Olson/Tualatin Life
Tualatin coach Todd Jukkala marveled at how his players responded.
“I don’t have words for it,” Jukkala said. “The challenges that were thrown in front of us, no team had to go through what we went through. And for them to come out the end of it like this, just an amazing group of young men.”
Ogoli scored 10 points in the first quarter as Tualatin took a 17-9 lead. Burke made a three-pointer to make it 20-9, the largest lead until the final two minutes of the game.
The Storm, playing in their first final, were coming off a semifinal win over Mountainside in which they made 12 of 24 three-point attempts. But they couldn’t find a flow on offense against the strong, athletic Timberwolves, shooting 35.3 percent, including 5 of 18 on three-pointers.
“I think we’re a more skilled team basketball-wise, but a lot of those are football kids, and they’ve been in a state championship before,” Summit senior wing Caden Harris said. “You could just tell. They’ve been there, what was it, a few months ago.
“They stay composed the whole game. They don’t get rattled by anything. A lot of credit to them. They played really well, especially in those big moments.”
Summit got to within three points in the third quarter and was still within 52-46 with three minutes left, but Tualatin closed out the game with a 14-3 run.
“We just kept it right at that six- to eight-point range, but we just couldn’t quite get over the hump with them,” Summit coach Jon Frazier said. “Obviously for us, throughout the year we’ve always had a run in us, and we’ve been able to string together three or four big shots, big threes. But credit to them defensively. They didn’t allow us to go on our run.”
Ross said the goal was to make every shot difficult for the Storm.
“Wearing them down over the course of a game,” Ross said. “You make things physical for somebody, it’s going to wear them down. And we knew they weren’t a deep team.”
Said Ogoli: “We knew they were really good shooters, so I feel like we guarded the three-point line, and made them do what they weren’t comfortable doing.”
Ogoli scored 10 points in the first quarter and was clutch late, too, scoring nine points in a four-minute span to help turn back the Storm.
“It was my last game, so I knew I had to go crazy, and lead my team to a state championship,” Ogoli said.
Besides Ogoli, the Timberwolves got contributions up and down their lineup. Ross produced 12 points and four rebounds. Junior guard Josiah Lake had 12 points and 15 rebounds. And Burke made two three-pointers and added 12 points and five rebounds.
“It’s just getting us wins, that’s all we care about,” Ross said. “Different nights, it could be any guy. I’m so thankful for this team. It’s just impossible for a team to guard three to five elite players, and it showed tonight.”
It was a familiar pattern for Tualatin.
“One guy kind of steps up and then we get all the support that we need from the rest of the team,” Jukkala said. “That’s what makes us tough. We have so much talent. Easily the most talented group I’ve ever coached. That’s a very nice luxury to have.”
The title marks a career achievement for Jukkala. In 13 seasons as Tualatin’s girls coach (1999-2012), he won 250 games and led the team to the semifinals twice. He is 65-28 in four seasons as the boys coach.
“You get close, and you don’t quite get it, and it’s really disappointing,” Jukkala said. “This doesn’t happen all the time, so when you get these opportunities, it’s really special. I really enjoyed coaching those girls teams, they were really good, but it’s nice to get one.”
Being the last one to cut the net, Coach Jukkala Holds it up in celebration with the Tualatin fans. Jon Olson/Tualatin Life
It also squares him with wife Jacy, who coached Glencoe to a 5A softball title in 2010.
“She yelled at me from the stands, ‘I don’t have one up on you anymore,’” Jukkala said.
Harris led Summit with 15 points and 12 rebounds and senior point guard Julian Mora added 10 points and four assists. But the Storm, who entered averaging 70.8 points per game, were not on their game.
“We were just doing a little too much,” Harris said. “We were going too fast in the first half. … If we would’ve gotten rid of the nerves in that first half, I think it would’ve been a totally different game. I think we thought we could really beat them.”
It was a disappointing finish for Summit, which was bidding to become the first team from Central Oregon to win a title since Redmond in 2003.
The Storm moved up from 5A in 2018 and made steady improvement, going 62-27 in four seasons. Summit will move back to 5A next season.
“We can’t really hang our heads on that loss right now,” Harris said. “I really think the best for us is to enjoy this moment. No one really thought we’d come out here and do what we’re doing right now.”
On March 17th, CIO Leaders and the Tualatin City Council met for a special Work Session via Zoom. CIO Leaders asked for the meeting to share common concerns about Washington County public input process and the failure of existing City ordinances to protect the livability of our neighborhoods. Three areas of concerns were raised:
Apparent pattern of Washington County ignoring public input and failure to comply with land use planning goals on County managed development projects.
City approved development applicants apparently using out-of-date or COVID understated traffic models.
Increase of noise levels from SW 129th hardscape development and road noise and a destruction of mature trees increasing noise.
The CIO Leaders also recapped the CIOs history of tackling tough issues in the past and offer to work with the City to find solutions to these problems. CIO Leaders believe the City must take action to revise their codes or these problems will not be solved.
City Council members listened, added their own concerns, and agreed that we need to keep talking.
Washington County
The County needs to acknowledge that it would be a mistake to fund their current transportation project connecting SW Grahams Ferry to SW Boones Ferry. They don’t have Clackamas County’s agreement to complete the project to I-205. It’s still named the Basalt Creek Parkway but the current design isn’t a parkway. The original design in 2011-12 connected Basalt Creek to I-205 by crossing I-5 into the Stafford Area, then connecting to I-205 at the Stafford interchange. That future connection is not only unlikely, it looks impossible.
The public has been trying to get the message across to Washington County but they don’t seem to hear it. Since the original design, in 2014 Clackamas County and Metro excluded Stafford Area from the UGB (Urban Growth Boundary). It was designed Urban Reserves. Land designated as Urban Reserves will remain rural, and cannot be urbanized, unless it is brought into the city’s UGB through a formal process for expansion. As of today, Clackamas County doesn’t list the Basalt Creek transportation project on their TSP (Transportation System Plan) nor are they likely to do so for many, many years, if ever. At least that is what the residents of Stafford Area tell us. We hear them. Because, as this so-called parkway is currently designed, it will hurt Tualatin traffic flow, not help it. We repeat. It will not help traffic flow.
Over many years, the public input process for the Basalt Creek Parkway by the County has been feeble and the County presentations misleading. Among its many faults, the latest Open House (and last Open House) failed to include a traffic analysis. Why? The CIO Leadership knows that this expensive, environmentally harmful, and noisy bridge will bring more congestion on to SW Boones Ferry.
Today, traffic experiences lengthy backups during peak travel hours while traveling southbound on SW Boones Ferry to I-5 interchange at Wilsonville. Since Basalt Parkway currently ends at SW Grahams Ferry, that traffic (principally truck) turns right and goes to I-5 exchange at Wilsonville. Doing so means they travel on a Wilsonville city road (Day Road). Both Day Road and SW Boones Ferry backup at the interchange. Extending the so-called parkway to SW Boones Ferry doesn’t help. All it does is further backup SW Boones Ferry. Making SW Boones Ferry wider doesn’t help. The problem is the I-5 exchange. If the original plan was still feasible, then the traffic would have crossed over I-5 and eventually connected to I-205. Someone has to convince Washington County.
The CIO Leaders asked the City Council to support our efforts to communicate that fact.
Traffic
The City has recently approved numerous developments apparently allowing applicants to use traffic models which understate current traffic, particularly traffic on SW 65th and SW Boones Ferry. When the TSP (Transportation System Plan) was approved in 2013, it did not anticipate the massive volume of traffic fleeing from I-5 during peak congestion from the exchanges at SW Lower Boones Ferry down to the second exit in Wilsonville. Since 2020, current traffic counts have been affected by COVID’s impact with people working from home.
The CIO Leaders asked the City Council to direct staff to review their processes.
Noise & Trees
When SW 124th went through, traffic and other noises started bouncing off new hardscape. Trees are a natural sound barrier by absorbing, deflecting, or refracting sound waves. Two of those projects (Autumn Sunrise and Tualatin Logistic Park) will remove more than 3,500 trees.
The CIO Leaders asked the City Council to ask staff to review our ordinances and see if we can increase natural sound barriers.
There’s plenty of fun to be had this spring at the Juanita Pohl Center, Tualatin’s Active Aging Center. The Pohl Center offers a variety of exciting day trips and healthy lifestyle in-person programs for active adults! Check out some of the new and unique programs coming up this spring:
Day Trips & Hikes:
Box Seats at the Trailblazers – Experience the thrill of watching the Trailblazers play the Utah Jazz from the comfort of a private box at the Moda Center. Fee includes event ticket, escort and transportation.
Sunday, April 10, 4:30-10pm $75 Resident/$91 Non-Resident
Champoeg State Park (Easy) – Hike along the Willamette River with beautiful views of lush meadows. Distance: Varies 2-3.4 miles. Fee includes transportation.
Thursday, April 21, 9am-12pm $18 Resident/$23 Non-Resident
Columbia River Renaissance Trail (Easy) – Discover downtown Vancouver and explore its rich history by foot! Then enjoy lunch at The Diner Vancouver. Distance: Varies 2.5-5 miles. Fee includes lunch, gratuity, escort and transportation.
Thursday, May 19, 9am-3:30pm $37 Resident/$46 Non-Resident
Happy Valley Station Food Carts – Explore Portland’s eclectic food scene at this unique food cart pod. Fee includes escort and transportation.
Tuesday, May 31, 11:30am-3pm $18 Resident/$23 Non-Resident
Healthy Lifestyle & Enrichment Programs:
Panel on Picture Book Making (with Garret Weyr & more) – Ever wondered what it takes to make a picture book? Even considered writing one of your own? Join us for a two part, three hour session on picture book making with an emphasis on the writer/artist collaboration.
Wednesday, April 6, 1-4pm $10 Resident/$12 Non-Resident
Capturing Time – Celebrate life, wisdom, and expression in this 12-week guided art program in partnership with the Geezer Gallery of Portland. Participants will write about a positive experience in their life and create artwork that reflects that storyline. Materials and instruction provided. All are welcome, no prior art or writing experience necessary.
Wednesdays, April 20-July 6, 1:30-3:30pm $21 Resident/$27 Non-Resident
Walk With Ease – An exercise program designed and proven to reduce pain and improve overall health. This program includes health education, warm up and cool down exercises in addition to walking. Walk With Ease classes are one hour long and offered three times a week for six weeks. Participants will receive a Walk With Ease guidebook.
Mon/Wed/Fri, May 16-June 29, 8:30-9:30am $35 Resident/$44 Non-Resident
Let the Pohl Center make it easy for you to improve your health and have fun doing it! Enjoy good company, make new friends, and try something new with the Juanita Pohl Center, “Where Active Adults Engage!” Space is limited! Register now for in-person wellness programs & day trips online at www.tualatinoregon.gov/recreation or call 503.691.3061 for more information.
Do you know about it? What do you know about it How will your life be impacted by it? What can you do about it?
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has proposed a toll on all lanes of traffic on I-205 from Stafford Road to the Abernathy Bridge and the reverse, with different tolling amounts for different times of day, with morning and evening commute times having the highest toll.
This Oregon Department of Transportation map shows the location of the first section of Interstate-205 the agency plans to toll in the future. ODOT has stated it would like to toll both I-205 and I-5 throughout the Portland metro area after that. Courtesy/Oregon Department of Transportation
Your Tualatin Chamber of Commerce has joined with the Clackamas County Chambers of Commerce to provide the voice needed to tell ODOT to pause and address the concerns of the business and residential communities who will be most affected by this change. This partnership of Chambers states that we unanimously stand in opposition of tolling (congestion pricing) as it is currently proposed. We would like to share with you the concerns expressed by our community’s business owners, workers, and residents in opposition to the tolling program as it has been presented.
Tualatin’s economy is mainly comprised of business owners and employees who travel into the area via the two main Interstate systems: I-5 and I-205. Each day, 94% of Tualatin’s workforce travels into the city using these roadways, over 28,000 people in total. 4,000 of those daily commuters come directly from the Clackamas area, at least 14%, which is equal to the number of commuters from the cities of Beaverton, Tigard, Hillsboro, and Sherwood combined. (-ODOT 2019 survey data). Our business community supports 50% of our tax base. What happens to businesses if employees can’t or won’t come to work in Tualatin because of the impact of Tolling?
Due to this dramatic ebb and flow of drivers into our Tualatin community, there are several known chokepoints which have an immeasurable negative impact on our local businesses. One of the most concerning examples being the Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center, located on the corner of Borland Rd. & 65th Ave. During peak travel times (7-9am, 4-6pm) it is nearly impossible for staff, customers, and patients of the Medical Center to travel to and from the facility due to the current level of traffic diversion from I-205.
A Legacy partner shared: We have two main concerns regarding the tolling along a portion of the I-205 corridor to fund the Abernethy Bridge project and variable rate tolling to relieve congestion. First, we believe the current side roads surrounding our campus will not adequately handle the diverted traffic that often accompanies a tolled roadway. This will hinder emergency and private vehicle access to our campus. Second, we see this as a potential barrier to attracting employees that would have to pay a toll on their route to work.
Tualatin Auto Body, a longtime family-owned Tualatin business says: The proposed toll would significantly increase the cost of getting to work for over 16% of my work force. It would also increase the cost for a lot of the vendors in our industry. Most of the warehouses for parts and supplies for our industry are on 205 between the airport and Clackamas.
Pacific Metal Company, one of Tualatin’s large industry leaders, has concerns: We have several individuals that use 205 on their way to work. The financial impact to them will definitely be felt since they use 205 on a daily basis. Most of them will be traveling during both rush hours morning/afternoon and from what I understand, the busier 205 will be, the higher the toll.
Ed Casey, Ibach CIO President and 49 year Tualatin Resident: As far as tolling goes, I’m against it as it might add additional cars on our already bottlenecked roads. Also, this is particularly focused on SE Washington County and western Clackamas County. It will make commuting to/from Tualatin harder (no bus service of note here) and more expensive. I’m truly disappointed in our county and state governments that think throwing tax dollars on a problem will make things better. There is a better way, I’m sure.
Our State elected officials sent a letter to our Congressional Delegation and had this to say: The current proposal for tolling I-205 will lead to more local traffic congestion, reduced road safety, and increased costs to everyday Oregonians; it is fundamentally unfair to our constituents and local businesses, and it will not help create the regional tolling program that OTC aims to establish. For these reasons we are united in our opposition to the current tolling plan.
They continued: This plan will divert more vehicles from I-205 onto our local streets, generating significant traffic and safety problems. We are concerned for the reduced safety of families with young children, seniors and those with disabilities. Our local roads and infrastructure, which already experience significant diversion, simply will not be able to handle the additional influx of traffic from I-205 when it is exclusively tolled. Our concerns around the negative impacts to local traffic and safety – combined with the disproportionate financial burden placed upon our constituents and local businesses by this project – is a real problem that continues to go unaddressed by the Oregon Transportation Committee.
Given there is no confirmed, measurable data to assure our Tualatin residents and business owners that these diversion issues will be mitigated by the tolling project, we are concerned that situations such as we’ve mentioned above would be compounded by drivers’ circumventing the toll installation.
We have urged the Oregon Transportation Commission and the Oregon Department of Transportation to pause and revisit the intended mission of their organizations; to support the residents, business owners, and workers of the communities they serve through beneficial projects and initiatives that improve quality of life. It is clear this tolling program does not meet these standards, causing more harm than good to those who drive our Tualatin economy.
Think about these concerns:
Surges of diverted traffic into neighborhoods will increase risk of accidents, jeopardize pedestrian safety, increase the carbon output in neighborhoods and increase wear and tear on roadways with no consideration for repairs and maintenance.
Inequity in affordability for all commuters. Many residents can barely afford the rising price of gas, let alone be charged additional fees to use the roadways – which are already being taxed by the gas tax we pay now.
Lack of alternative transportation; affordability and risk of job loss; freight mobility and the cost of getting goods to market will go up; no transparency in spending.
What can you do? Whether you are a homeowner, renter, business owner or commute to or from another city for work, we need and want to hear how tolling will impact you. Would you write a letter to the ODOT Committees letting them know your concerns? Would you testify at an ODOT meeting? Challenge them to answer your questions. They need to hear your personal story and they need to respond now proactively and affirmatively to citizen concerns. To include any written comments or questions for the Chamber, please send to chamber@tualatinchamber.com. For more tolling information, the ODOT website is: Oregon.gov/odot/tolling.
Tualatin’s Winona Grange by the lake welcomes the community to its 125th birthday open house Saturday, April 30. The program begins at 10 a.m. with brief glimpses into the Grange’s long and colorful history. The celebration features free garden seeds and generous scoops of free ice cream and toppings. Former members and descendants of members are particularly invited to attend.
Mayor Frank Bubenik will share a proclamation followed by highlights of local Grange history. State Grange President Susan Noah will also be present to recognize the milestone. All will then enjoy free ice cream sundaes served by Tualatin High School teens who are active with Stand Up, Tualatin Together’s youth resiliency advocates. Free vegetable, flower and herb seed packets will be available for the taking, thanks to donations from Bi-Mart and Wilco.
Advice on planting will also be available. Winona Grange is known for its seed distribution project. This year the Grange distributed more than 22.000 packets to community gardens and food banks throughout the Northwest. In addition, the Grange supports the Tualatin School House Pantry with fresh produce and non-perishables, awards scholarships, and provides clothing and supplies to the Portland Community Transition School.
Tualatin’s Grange, founded in 1895, is the oldest social service organization in the city. Initially, meetings were held in the school and upstairs over a store. The present building was erected by volunteers in 1940. Nationally the Grange was organized in 1867. Originally formed to bring isolated farm families together, Grange members became forces in bringing electricity, mail delivery, and now broadband to rural areas. The organization is recognized for its effective lobbying against the high rates railroads charged to transport grain and other crops to market.
Throughout Oregon, local Granges like Tualatin’s served as community centers where family members of all ages could gather for community education and social activities like ice cream socials, a practice that continues today. The Grange hall presently rents space for dances, concerts, church services, business meetings and hobby groups such as the Portland Puzzle Exchange, the Portland Lace Society and the Valley View Riders. An informal group of ukulele players “jam” weekly. Members conduct Grange business the second Saturday of each month at 11 a.m., and all are welcome to attend.
Tualatin’s Winona Grange was named for the eldest daughter of J. R. C. Thompson, who died at a young age. The address is 8340 SW Seneca Street. See winonagrange271.org for membership information, a calendar of events and rental details.
Covid forced the postponement of the 125th-anniversary event originally scheduled in 2020.
In recognition of April as National Volunteer Appreciation month, Tualatin celebrates those volunteers who returned in 2021 and helped sustain the momentum of support the City experienced in the first year of the pandemic. In our Library and Parks, along trails and from the safety of their homes, volunteers returned to serve with enthusiasm through new and favorite volunteer programs.
Volunteers from “Put Down Roots in Tualatin.”
785 volunteers gave 10,800 hours of their time to a variety of City programs. Volunteers planted over 4,000 trees and got tough on trash in a new program, Hug a Street. Volunteers shelved books, Spruced up the Library, welcomed and engaged with users of the Library’s new MakerSpace.
Outreach Volunteers spent over 60 hours connecting vulnerable residents of Tualatin with emergency rent and utility assistance. Do It Yourself volunteers scheduled their time to remove invasive plants and litter from our restoration sites and trails and over 100 summer youth volunteers came out for Library Summer Teen and TEAM Tualatin. The Juanita Pohl Center Guest Services team contributed many hours to organizing the Center for reopening and creating a welcoming environment for all throughout the uncertainty of resuming programs.
Join us in celebrating and appreciating the positively awesome volunteers in Tualatin who give their time and talent to the Community.
This April, don’t let the rain keep you from getting outside and enjoying Tualatin’s beautiful parks and trails!
If you were to go on a park-to-park adventure to visit all of Tualatin’s parks you would travel a distance of 20 miles! This April, get outside and celebrate our amazing outdoor spaces by completing the Outrun the Rain 20-mile virtual challenge.
Choose your location, whether on your favorite trail, in your neighborhood, on the treadmill, or a combination. Walk, run, or bike a total of 20 miles between April 1 and April 30 to receive a limited edition Outrun the Rain die-cast medal, super soft navy beanie, 24oz teal water bottle, and crystal sun catcher to hang in your window. Share your favorite route on the Outrun the Rain Facebook event page or snap a picture while you are out and tag us at #outruntheraintualatin,
Are looking for a new route? Follow one of the park-to-park routes available on the Outrun the Rain webpage. Routes travel between City of Tualatin parks and are out and back.
Tuesdays, April 5th through May 24th, 10:30 a.m. Tualatin Community Park is at 8515 SW Tualatin Rd, Tualatin, OR 97062.
Join Sam in Tualatin Community Park for stories, song, and some serious silliness! We’ll be there in rain or shine, in the Big Shelter. Stick around after storytime for a bubble dance party! For families with children ages 0 to 7.
The Pot Party
Wednesday, April 20th 6:00 pm
Feeling green? The Tualatin Public Library is hosting a pot party. Does your houseplant need a bigger pot? Or is its pot a little too drab? Bring it by the Library and get it moved into a rad new home. We’ll have terra cotta pots for you to paint, decorate, and bedazzle. We’ll also have some fresh potting soil mixed up in case your plant needs to upgrade to something larger. We will also have a few small houseplants that you can move into a pot and take home.
Celtic Harps, Rare Instruments & Wondrous Stories
Sunday, April 24th, 1:00 pm
Lisa Lynne and Aryeh Frankfurter perform by the library hearth with two Celtic harps, the rare Swedish nyckelharpa, Ukrainian bandura, cittern, and more. The audience will hear traditional instrumental music from Sweden and Ireland as well as heartwarming original compositions. They will present an enchanting blend of music and tales from their adventures as modern day troubadours.
After more than four hours of discussion and public testimony, three meetings, and two votes, Tualatin City Council greenlighted a zone change request that clears the way for Tualatin Heights Apartments to infill more than 100 new units, upping its density by nearly 50 percent.
The ordinance, which passed in a split 5-1 vote on Feb. 28 after failing to win the unanimous approval needed to clear the first reading at and meeting earlier in the month, was the first test of a recently adopted land use ordinance that relaxes restrictions on multi-family housing development.
Under Oregon HB 2001, the middle housing bill engineered to meet statewide demand for affordable housing, the City Council could deny the request only if it deemed rezoning the property to not be in the public’s best interest.
“This is a code change that is very specific, and I do want to say that for me ‘public good’ is having housing opportunities for people in our community,” Councilor Bridgett Brooks said before voting to approve.
Mayor Frank Bubenik and councilors Cyndy Hillier, Christen Sacco, Valerie Pratt also gave the change a thumbs-up, despite expressing reservations. Maria Reyes, who spoke in favor of the change at an earlier meeting, was absent.
The sole dissenting vote came from Council President Nancy Grimes who continued to question the assertion that higher density zoning at Tualatin Heights is in the best interest of the public.
“I think (the presentation) really fell short (in illustrating that the change is best for the public),” Grimes said. “If anything, we’ve heard extended testimony from homeowners and neighbors in the area that this does not protect – in any way, shape, or form – the public interest.”
The complex at 9301 SW Sagert St. is bordered by residential neighborhoods on two sides and industrial areas on the other two.
A handful of residents submitted written comments and voiced opposition to the expansion during both sessions of the hearing, citing existing issues with limited parking and insufficient garbage and recycling receptacles. Adding units, they said, will eliminate green spaces and drive more residents and their guests to park on neighboring streets.
Neighbors complain overflow parking from the complex already clogs the street, blocking their mailboxes, and hindering garbage collection.
“All of these issues are in the public interest but to me, housing is the bottom line, most important issue,” Pratt said.
While shifting from a medium-low to medium-high density zoning designation allows Tualatin Heights to expand from 220 to 336 units, development plans for the addition must pass an architectural review and traffic impact study before construction could begin.
“In the future, when the property owner decides to develop this (property) they’re going to have to go through a whole permit application process,” Bubenik said. “They’ll have to be screened against city criteria. They’ll have to get through the architectural review board. There’s a lot of hurdles and steps the developer will have to go through before they can begin construction.”
During an initial hearing at the Council’s Jan. 24 meeting, representatives of Angelo Planning Group presented a conceptual plan on behalf of the apartment complex’s owners. City planners backed the change, saying it aligns with Tualatin’s housing goals.
The new units would fill a shortfall in medium-high density housing identified in a 2019 housing analysis, but Grimes questioned Tualatin Heights’ suitability for expansion, asking if the city would be better served by looking elsewhere.
“Would it be better to look at Basalt Creek for meeting housing needs than trying to jam it all into a 50 percent increase in this one area?” she asked. “I feel like (the developers) haven’t met the burden of what we ask in our own code for redevelopment.”
