Weston sparks interest in community

Published 4:42 am Sunday, November 12, 2006

WESTON -Better sidewalks, more senior housing and youth-oriented development are what citizens of all ages told the city they want.

About 25 people attended the first of a series of community meetings recently to determine Weston’s development potential. The meetings are part of an infill study financed by a $48,000 grant from a Transportation and Growth Management Program grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).

Cheryl Jarvis-Smith, an ODOT regional planner out of La Grande, said the objective is to come up with a plan that includes a list of improvement projects and possible “implementing ordinances” to assure the completion of the projects.

The city has retained Cogan Owens Cogan of Portland to organize the plan and help identify possible funding resources. Matt Hastie of the firm is the project manager. He said it will be up to the city to see to the subsequent implementation of those plans.

One of the firm’s first tasks was to develop accurate, up-to-date maps showing existing conditions, opportunities and constraints. At the meeting, the large maps were on display and smaller maps were available for attendees to take. Hastie and Teak Wall, also of Cogan Owens Cogan encouraged people to mark the maps with suggested improvements or to identify problem areas.

Most Popular

That followed the same routine the two employed when they met with a group of middle-school children at the Weston Public Library to share their vision for Weston. The map they worked on also was on display, along with a list of ideas regarding improvements and problems compiled by the children.

“These kids set the bar pretty high,” said Hastie, who noted that more than half a dozen children participated in the exercise at the library.

The children identified many of the same issues their older counterparts did during the community meeting, including a lack of activities for the younger set, the need to do something with the historic Saling House, and the need to put to use other buildings in Weston that are standing vacant.

John Mattila, 11, and Duane Davis, 10, cousins who live in Weston, shared their views at both meetings.

“We don’t like how Weston is,” said Mattila. “We want it more interesting.”

Adult attendees of the evening meeting agreed there was a need for more youth-oriented development, as well as practical improvements such as sidewalk repair and housing for seniors.

Tim Crampton of Weston said the city had been on the verge of developing senior housing, but a series of events, including a mayoral recall, intervened and the plan fell by the wayside.

Jarvis-Smith said when the senior housing development did not move forward, the city began to look at its options with regards to development.

“It’s easy to come up with a vision, but how to put it in place?” Jarvis-Smith said.

The project grant will end in June 2007. Between now and then, there will be a series of meetings, concept developments and research into funding options to help accomplish the goals.

“A lot of these projects involve a 10-20 year planning process,” Hastie said. “Sometimes it takes a long time – sometimes it can be implemented more quickly.”

Marketplace