I recently had the opportunity to speak at length with a city official about many of the challenges Tualatin is facing. The list was long.
The conversation was initiated because of my commentary about Food Carts last month, and why I had changed my position from being opposed to them to a proponent of them, but then we ended up speaking about the many issues our City Council wrestles with on a continuing basis.
The Food Cart topic is not a simple one. There are a variety of opinions regarding what rules and regulations should be in force, including the size and scope of the structures, the need for permanent bathroom facilities, the need for cover, and other details that must be hashed out to get approval from City Council. And with these additional costs added to opening food cart pods, will it even be feasible for entrepreneurs to start them in Tualatin? Point being, it’s not as easy as one might think. What seems like a fairly straightforward idea might take months or even years to establish guidelines, so don’t have any illusions about Food Carts opening in Tualatin in the very near future.
The discussion then went to downtown revitalization, which seems like a never-ending topic with no clear end in sight. Many ideas are in play, but all seemed lofty, expensive and distant, but there’s no lack of trying. What to do with the Commons? Where exactly is the downtown core? Where would a ‘City Center’ be? What to do with the property at TS & BF that remains a dirt lot with sporadic plant and tree sales in the very heart of town?
Transportation is another perennial topic of heartburn for Tualatin. A former City Council member once told me, “If we could just move the freeway, the railroad tracks and the Tualatin River it would be easy, but until then we’re kind of stuck.” WES is clearly not the answer, and the dwindling TriMet bus service presents challenges so great that an option of merging with SMART in Wilsonville is once again being talked about. Tualatin residents pay into Tri-Met within their payroll taxes, but do not seem to get their fair share of bus service as a result. Perhaps a divorce from TriMet and working with SMART might be an option worth considering.
Should a bridge over TS road at BF to avoid train disruptions be considered? Would adding more affordable housing near Horizon Christian School a good idea? The ambitious concepts that our City Council wrestles with are numerous and a job worthy of respect.
I’m glad I had this conversation, as it opened my eyes to just how difficult it is to run a city like Tualatin. Hats off to our hard-working Council members and the many local advocates who care enough to show up and participate.
