Salem City Council in Favor of Closing State St Entrance
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Council votes in favor of closing railroad crossing
Revised application to be submitted to state agency
By Thelma Guerrero-Huston • Statesman Journal
September 30, 2009
Pedestrians crossing Front Street NE at State Street might have to walk a little farther to access Riverfront Park.
Salem City Council on Monday voted 8-1 in favor of closing the railroad crossing at the State Street entrance to the park.
Ward 2 City Councilor Laura Tesler voted against the agenda item, saying it could pose a hardship for businesses on State Street near the park.
The council's decision came more than two hours after public comment began on the topic.
Tim Gerling, a retired Salem Public Works director overseeing redevelopment of the Boise Cascade site, urged the council to be expedient in its decision.
"Tim, is there something driving (the urgency)?" Mayor Janet Taylor asked Gerling.
"Yes," he said. "A major national client has expressed interest in the north block of the (Boise Cascade) property."
Gerling would not identify the client but said negotiations have been ongoing for the past 11 months.
Speaking on behalf of the Salem Carousel Board, David Holton asked councilors to consider installing a low gate at the crossing "to avoid obstructing the view of the carousel from the street."
Former Salem Area Chamber of Commerce president Kathy Goss encouraged the council to support the item.
"The railroad has been a problem for redevelopment of Boise Cascade," she said. "This is the best way to solve it."
In giving the council her view, State Sen. Jackie Winters, D-Salem, said the proposed changes, coupled with the city's long-range plan to connect Wallace Marine, Riverfront, and Minto-Brown Island parks via a system of bicycle and pedestrian bridges over the remaining Boise property, presented "a tremendous opportunity for the city."
Council's decision allows City Manager Linda Norris to submit a revised application to Oregon Department of Transportation Rail Division seeking approval to relocate the State Street rail crossing to a new street to be constructed on the north end of the former Boise Cascade site.
ODOT's Rail Division is the acting agency for the Federal Railroad Administration, including serving as the crossing safety authority for all public highway-railroad crossing in the state.
A previous request was not granted because "we did not want any new grade crossings built in that area," said Charles Kettenring, the division's manager of rail crossing safety.
If the city's revised request is approved, closure of the existing State Street rail crossing would not happen until after the developer delivers on a number of conditions agreed upon between it and the city. City officials estimate those improvements would occur in the next 12 to 24 months.
tguerrer@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6815
Revised application to be submitted to state agency
By Thelma Guerrero-Huston • Statesman Journal
September 30, 2009
Pedestrians crossing Front Street NE at State Street might have to walk a little farther to access Riverfront Park.
Salem City Council on Monday voted 8-1 in favor of closing the railroad crossing at the State Street entrance to the park.
Ward 2 City Councilor Laura Tesler voted against the agenda item, saying it could pose a hardship for businesses on State Street near the park.
The council's decision came more than two hours after public comment began on the topic.
Tim Gerling, a retired Salem Public Works director overseeing redevelopment of the Boise Cascade site, urged the council to be expedient in its decision.
"Tim, is there something driving (the urgency)?" Mayor Janet Taylor asked Gerling.
"Yes," he said. "A major national client has expressed interest in the north block of the (Boise Cascade) property."
Gerling would not identify the client but said negotiations have been ongoing for the past 11 months.
Speaking on behalf of the Salem Carousel Board, David Holton asked councilors to consider installing a low gate at the crossing "to avoid obstructing the view of the carousel from the street."
Former Salem Area Chamber of Commerce president Kathy Goss encouraged the council to support the item.
"The railroad has been a problem for redevelopment of Boise Cascade," she said. "This is the best way to solve it."
In giving the council her view, State Sen. Jackie Winters, D-Salem, said the proposed changes, coupled with the city's long-range plan to connect Wallace Marine, Riverfront, and Minto-Brown Island parks via a system of bicycle and pedestrian bridges over the remaining Boise property, presented "a tremendous opportunity for the city."
Council's decision allows City Manager Linda Norris to submit a revised application to Oregon Department of Transportation Rail Division seeking approval to relocate the State Street rail crossing to a new street to be constructed on the north end of the former Boise Cascade site.
ODOT's Rail Division is the acting agency for the Federal Railroad Administration, including serving as the crossing safety authority for all public highway-railroad crossing in the state.
A previous request was not granted because "we did not want any new grade crossings built in that area," said Charles Kettenring, the division's manager of rail crossing safety.
If the city's revised request is approved, closure of the existing State Street rail crossing would not happen until after the developer delivers on a number of conditions agreed upon between it and the city. City officials estimate those improvements would occur in the next 12 to 24 months.
tguerrer@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6815
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