Before you move to Salem Oregon you should know ... (neighborhood, school)

[FrankMayo405]

The problem seems to be that the city's idea of progressive values and a new class of leadership includes shameless promoters with real estate credentials. No, there is no need for political activism. However, real life should trump Babbit. Especially in the capital city's newspaper.

[Silverfall]

Originally Posted by FrankMayo405

The problem seems to be that the city's idea of progressive values and a new class of leadership includes shameless promoters with real estate credentials.

I don't get this...

I don't think anyone has ever called Salem progressive, nor do I think Salemites call it a progressive city. I'm not sure what new class of leadership you are talking about?

[FrankMayo405]

The present class was so touted. However, it appears that only the group with schemes has the dreams.

[OregonYeti]

Originally Posted by FrankMayo405

The present class was so touted. However, it appears that only the group with schemes has the dreams.

Well, that was cryptic. What the hell are you talking about?

[Metlakatla]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I liked living in Salem.

[Summertime]

If I were into Voodoo, I would put a curse on whatever
entity in Salem government, decided to replace the
quaint little bridge on Fairway; scheduled for this summer,
months of ruining the landscape, detouring thousands of
cars onto Rees Hill, through back residential streets, so
they can access South Commercial.

It will be a nightmare... and why? because the city had
nothing else on its plate, decided to ruin a street which
was one of the attractions of moving into this neighborhood.
It can't be a safety reason... the bridge seems very stable
to me.

Then we have the monstrous looking development on upper
Madras, buildings looking like a huge prison of cells.
There they sit, empty and ugly to behold.

On top of that, the plan to build a school on South Commercial
near Madras, on the lovely golf course, which became
obsolete a few years ago. A great golf course, beautiful
with birds, squirrels, hosting an eager golf-loving public
enjoying the surroundings as they golfed.

We have over-zealous and ignorant developers, building
and building more homes while hundreds/ nay thousands,
stand empty waiting for buyers.

In 23 years here, I have watched it all go down the
drain, the beauty, the ancient trees, the meadows,
the wildlife driven out of their habitats.

Over on Mildred, between Lone Oak and Liberty, MORE
houses being built.. meanwhile, Creekside Estates, just
up the hill from there, has a good number for sale and
even some for rent.

The planning here is absolutely the epitome of greed
and stupidity.

I hope someone in the building department of this
metropolis gets the message that they are ruining
what must have been at one time a lovely oasis
in Willamette Valley. I won't count on it, though.

As far as I can see, it is too late now to save the
ambiance that used to exist.

[FrankMayo405]

The amount of blatant promotional nonsense I have observed in the past five years is repulsive. I can only imagine how beautiful the area once was. The Jetsonian/Stalinist architecture is sickening enough. The fact that the construction is shoddy and empty is tragic. As time passes, we will find out about the funding. Is that cryptic enough?

[Silverfall]

Originally Posted by Summertime

If I were into Voodoo, I would put a curse on whatever
entity in Salem government, decided to replace the
quaint little bridge on Fairway; scheduled for this summer,
months of ruining the landscape, detouring thousands of
cars onto Rees Hill, through back residential streets, so
they can access South Commercial.

Here is information about why they decided to replace the bridge. www.cityofsalem.net/CouncilMeetingAgenda/Documents/179/7g.pdf

Originally Posted by Summertime

It will be a nightmare... and why? because the city had
nothing else on its plate, decided to ruin a street which
was one of the attractions of moving into this neighborhood.
It can't be a safety reason... the bridge seems very stable
to me.

The engineer sites that it has structural concerns. You'd have to chat with the engineer about their findings.

Originally Posted by Summertime

Then we have the monstrous looking development on upper
Madras, buildings looking like a huge prison of cells.
There they sit, empty and ugly to behold.

No disagreement there. Three story townhomes are grossly inappropriate in Salem.

Originally Posted by Summertime

On top of that, the plan to build a school on South Commercial
near Madras, on the lovely golf course, which became
obsolete a few years ago. A great golf course, beautiful
with birds, squirrels, hosting an eager golf-loving public
enjoying the surroundings as they golfed.

It will be a school and nature park. My understanding is at some point...when there is money, they will have some trails through the park. The school will take a small section of the entire golf course. Personally, I think this is a better use for the area than the housing development that was slated to go in. Neighbors fought that hard and I'm personally glad they did. The nature park/school use is much better for the community.

Originally Posted by Summertime

We have over-zealous and ignorant developers, building
and building more homes while hundreds/ nay thousands,
stand empty waiting for buyers.

New construction is really not happening a lot. Most that get built are under contract. This isn't just a builder thing. Home buyers want shiny, new things. It is the materialism of the American culture that is driving this. Developers aren't ignorant. It is just a business to them. That is why neighborhood associations have to fight hard for their areas. Are you involved at all with yours?

Originally Posted by Summertime

Over on Mildred, between Lone Oak and Liberty, MORE
houses being built.. meanwhile, Creekside Estates, just
up the hill from there, has a good number for sale and
even some for rent.

Those subdivisions were already platted and developed. They are just finishing what they started 6 years ago.

Originally Posted by Summertime

As far as I can see, it is too late now to save the ambiance that used to exist.

What Salem needs to do is minimize new housing and redevelop it's core. The Meridian is a fortress, but the Church street condos are almost sold out. 23 of 27 have sold. They were more reasonably priced, which is geared towards Salemites incomes. We need more dense appropriately priced housing, rather than building more single family homes. I can't tell you how many people contact me wanting to live in a walkable neighborhood. Buyers want dense housing. Salem just doesn't deliver well in that regard.

The town homes on Madras were the right thought, but they were poorly executed. The townhomes they built off Broadway behind the Y, are much nicer looking and blend into the community better in terms of dense housing.

The problem is that the urban growth boundary was moved so that allowed for new developments to occur. Salem struggles to manage growth effectively. I know I attend my neighborhood association meetings. If you don't attend, you should go. If you don't like what you see happening, get involved and do something about it.

[Summertime]

Reinforcing a bridge's supports is one thing...


building bike lanes, sidewalks, expanding the
traffic lanes, is another thing, making the
whole enterprise a nightmare for residents
who pass over that bridge several times a day.

The bridge has been adequate for many years
and no one's car has gone into the brink.

Why can't the city officials leave well enough
alone?

A school on that corner adds more traffic
and noise and the additional headache of
kids crossing streets, parents waiting in
cars, buses for which one has to pause
and wait and wait.

This section of Salem was once a pasture
land with a barn, horses, wildlife, deer.
I think Gladys Blum owned the land on
the north side of Robin's Lane, sold it and
the rest is history.

Even a dentist's office is being planned for
the southwest corner of Fairway.

It will never stop.. I expect a gas station
to go in by the Courthouse; or else
a car dealership.

Attending neighborhood meetings is a waste
of time and only causes frustration when it
is evident from the get-go that what will be~~
will be. They do not care about the thoughts
and wishes of residents.

Money is now and always will be the name of
the game.

Develop ... develop... develop...

Look at San Diego and its environs.

Gridlock traffic from 5 a.m. till 10 pm.

Rarely is anything ever built that is in
tune with nature. I moved to Salem to
escape the madness of Southern CA
and San Diego's growth.

What happened? The epidemic spread
and followed me here and that happened
within 12 months of my arrival.

I often think that I am to blame
for the population growth in a once quiet
and forested community.

If anyone needs a ghost town to be
brought back to life, let me know. I shall
move there and you will SOON have a booming
metropolis.

[Larry Caldwell]

City officials have very little choice. State law requires that they maintain a 20 year inventory of buildable land within the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB), and they have to, as far as possible, prevent development of prime agricultural land. That puts the development on the hills, in picturesque areas. Once land has been zoned by a comprehensive land use plan, they have to allow development that conforms to the zoned use. If land is zoned low density residential, anyone who wants can build single family homes on it. Land that is zoned high density residential can be plated with condos, apartments and town houses. If you have been there for years, you were notified of any expansion of the UGB and comprehensive plan hearings, which was your time to pay attention to the future.

As for the bridge, the city can't wait for some car to end up in the creek. I'm willing to bet that a transportation study showed the bridge to be inadequate for projected future traffic on that street, so upgrades were planned and are being executed. Depending on requirements of the traffic study, there may be future improvements to the street, like curbs, crosswalks or sidewalks.

When I was a kid, Lancaster Drive was a 2 lane country road. Cities in Oregon expand rather than sprawl. You used to be on the edge of town, now you are not.