State Street Entrance at Carousel - Due to Close
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Council to consider closing rail crossing Thelma Guerrero-HustonStatesman Journal
Salem City Council on Monday will consider a request to close a rail crossing to Salem's Riverfront Carousel off State Street.
The request, made by Boise Cascade developer Pringle Square LLC, asks the city to seek permission from state transportation officials to close the rail crossing and create a new one on a public street to be built farther south on the former Boise Cascade site. A public hearing is scheduled during the Council meeting at 6:30 p.m.
If the council decides to move forward with the request and the Oregon Department of Transportation Rail Division approves it, a gate cutting off direct access to Riverfront Park via State Street would be installed at the existing rail crossing, allowing access to emergency vehicles only.
Pedestrians would still be able to cross Front Street NE at State Street but would have to walk north to Court Street NE or to the new south entrance to access the park.
Some residents and merchants have expressed displeasure with the proposed closure. Others, such as Lois Skinner, are sitting the fence for now.
"I think a new street and more parking spaces would be nice," she said. "But when you are blind like me, accessing a wonderful jewel like the carousel in the least amount of time possible translates into a safer situation. At least it does for me."
City officials have said closing the current crossing near the carousel would provide a safer environment to pedestrian and vehicle traffic by reducing congestion, bottlenecks and backups exacerbated during train traffic and major events at the park.
As part of its request to the city, Pringle Square LLC has offered to build and pay for a number of changes, including the relocation of the rail crossing; the construction of 32 additional parking spaces at the carousel parking lot; a new sidewalk on the west side of the Front Street bypass between State Street and Court Street NE.
The group also would donate about 20,000 square feet of land from the Waterfront Block on the Boise property to the city.
In 2007, Pringle Square LLC approached city officials about a three-phase redevelopment at the former Boise Cascade property. The third phase called for development of 3.8 acres on the west side of the railroad tracks and bounded by Riverfront Park, according to city documents. To accomplish that, the developers included in their proposal the need for at-grade access across the railroad tracks on the site.
The results of a railroad crossing feasibility analysis conducted by Gerling Solutions Inc., which is owned by Tim Gerling, the project's manager, concluded that a new crossing independent of the existing railway crossings at State Street and Court Street NE was the best option, city documents show.
In late February, the city submitted a railroad crossing application to the Oregon Department of Transportation Rail Division for a new grade-crossing. In its review of the city's application, rail officials "would not grant a new at-grade crossing without completely closing another existing, nearby, at-grade crossing," according to city documents. -->
Salem City Council on Monday will consider a request to close a rail crossing to Salem's Riverfront Carousel off State Street.
The request, made by Boise Cascade developer Pringle Square LLC, asks the city to seek permission from state transportation officials to close the rail crossing and create a new one on a public street to be built farther south on the former Boise Cascade site. A public hearing is scheduled during the Council meeting at 6:30 p.m.
If the council decides to move forward with the request and the Oregon Department of Transportation Rail Division approves it, a gate cutting off direct access to Riverfront Park via State Street would be installed at the existing rail crossing, allowing access to emergency vehicles only.
Pedestrians would still be able to cross Front Street NE at State Street but would have to walk north to Court Street NE or to the new south entrance to access the park.
Some residents and merchants have expressed displeasure with the proposed closure. Others, such as Lois Skinner, are sitting the fence for now.
"I think a new street and more parking spaces would be nice," she said. "But when you are blind like me, accessing a wonderful jewel like the carousel in the least amount of time possible translates into a safer situation. At least it does for me."
City officials have said closing the current crossing near the carousel would provide a safer environment to pedestrian and vehicle traffic by reducing congestion, bottlenecks and backups exacerbated during train traffic and major events at the park.
As part of its request to the city, Pringle Square LLC has offered to build and pay for a number of changes, including the relocation of the rail crossing; the construction of 32 additional parking spaces at the carousel parking lot; a new sidewalk on the west side of the Front Street bypass between State Street and Court Street NE.
The group also would donate about 20,000 square feet of land from the Waterfront Block on the Boise property to the city.
In 2007, Pringle Square LLC approached city officials about a three-phase redevelopment at the former Boise Cascade property. The third phase called for development of 3.8 acres on the west side of the railroad tracks and bounded by Riverfront Park, according to city documents. To accomplish that, the developers included in their proposal the need for at-grade access across the railroad tracks on the site.
The results of a railroad crossing feasibility analysis conducted by Gerling Solutions Inc., which is owned by Tim Gerling, the project's manager, concluded that a new crossing independent of the existing railway crossings at State Street and Court Street NE was the best option, city documents show.
In late February, the city submitted a railroad crossing application to the Oregon Department of Transportation Rail Division for a new grade-crossing. In its review of the city's application, rail officials "would not grant a new at-grade crossing without completely closing another existing, nearby, at-grade crossing," according to city documents. -->
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