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Help Friends of Willamette Wetlands Oppose a Large Development Project Proposed in West Linn

We, the undersigned, respectfully petition the City of West Linn to consider the following reasons West Linn residents, property owners, and visitors oppose Bob Schultz’s proposal to construct a 26-duplex development on 5th Avenue.
  
This area is an incompatible location for a large planned unit development due to:

Lack of infrastructure

Inadequate road connectivity - very few through streets and very difficult to make road improvements due to neighborhood footprint.  Accessibility curtailed by I-205 and Willamette River.
Restricted emergency access
Average street width is 20 feet
Lack of parking
Insufficient sidewalks

No required infrastructure upgrades

The developer is only required to improve the street bordering new construction. 

The City of West Linn has not indicated an obligation to, nor intention of, further upgrading neighborhood infrastructure.

Traffic and road function obstacles lead to increased accident risk

Significant increased congestion
Estimated additional vehicle trips = 494 DAILY
Increase in delivery vehicles, garbage trucks, utility maintenance vehicles
Construction vehicles and machinery will block roads during construction (possibly two years)

Pedestrians

Decreased safety for all pedestrians (Popular pedestrian walking area around wetlands)
Insufficient sidewalks: Children must walk to school -“Safe Routes to School” designation on 5th Avenue

Wetland Habitat / Environment                                        

Proposed construction  is less than 100 feet from wetland border
Protected riparian zone feeding Willamette River    
Harmful, even potentially devastating, effects on ecosystem
Significant damage to wetland environment and wildlife habitat
Harmful construction waste, vehicles, machinery, and equipment
Construction and residential chemical runoff into wetland riparian zone
Increased air and noise pollution from construction and new resident’s vehicles
Light pollution from 52 new homes will harm nocturnal creatures
Wildlife movements limited by human activities
Crucial bird habitat - 134 species of birds live in the wetland area (including several species classified as vulnerable and threatened, nesting birds of prey, wood ducks and others harmed by tree removal)

Please sign our petition to let the City of West Linn know we cannot support this development in the proposed location, due to formidable accessibility constraints and unacceptable safety and environmental risks.