That’s a pretty imposing entrance the architects provided for Meadow Ridge Elementary School.
Unless you live there, the new neighborhoods in northeast Albany are kind of out of the way, being on the “other side” of I-5. The bike took me there on Thursday just to take a look.
First, of course, is Meadow Ridge Elementary School. The $40 million school is being built for 600 pupils and is now all but complete. The latest report to the school board says it’s to be finished by February. It will open to children when the 2020-21 school year starts in August.
The multi-story wing in the right background contains classrooms.
Along with Timber Ridge School next door, Meadow Ridge is intended to accommodate the explosive growth in housing — and with it population — in that part of the school district.
For example, on the northwest corner of the Knox Butte/Timber Ridge roundabout (did you know roundabouts can have corners? They can in this blog), the last few apartment buildings of the Timber Ridge Place complex are nearing completion. Most buildings in the project of about 130 units already have tenants.
Some of the new apartment buildings at Timber Ridge Place on Thursday afternoon.
Farther north along Timber Street, contractors are putting in foundations for a 147-unit apartment complex. And south of Knox Butte Road, single-family housing is being built in a new subdivision east of Goldfish Farm Road.
Last year a bridge was under construction to carry Santa Maria Avenue across an overflow channel south of Truax Creek. The bridge and extension of Santa Maria were to be finished in December. On Thursday I found them done, although in the middle of the afternoon my old mountain bike was the only traffic on it.
In the center of the new Santa Maria Avenue bridge on Thursday.
The bridge connects the new apartments and single-family subdivisions near the two Ridge schools with the Draperville area to the east. Kodiak Pacific Construction of Tualatin built it and the street connection under a $1.8 million city contract, toward which Greater Albany Public Schools was to contribute up to $950,000.
On the west side of he bridge, Santa Maria is fully paved, with curbs and gutters. On the east side, though, it’s a gravel road. Maybe that will be improved later on. (hh)
As a resident on “the other side of I-5” I am appalled by the strength of this regional shibboleth. The bias displayed against the so-called East-Siders is pervasive. The prejudice demonstrated by so-called Original Albanians residing in the socially-acceptable west side of I-5 is retrograde, eactionary in extremis. Let us all hope and pray that Albany’s Ward III elected leadership will come to understand that East-Siders are humans too, deserving respect from all who claim residency here.
You should listen closer John Hartman.
When the census taker comes around be sure and check the “other” box to properly identify your identity.
It appears John was macro insulted by Hasso’s micro aggression.
Where is Meadow Ridge located? I thought Timber Ridge at 29 million was expensive so like to see what 40 million buys. Does price include the land?
It’s just north of Timber Ridge. The $40 million is the construction contract.
The proper answer on the census is 4 TOILETS! I don’t know about “other”. 4 toilets.
F O U R T O I L E T S
In other news, looks like a lot of apartment kids going to school in the Timber Ridge.
This resident, living on the wrong side of I-5, would personally like to thank an Elected Leader from Albany’s 3rd Ward for calling-out a Ward 3 constituent in this public forum.
All Elected Leaders should strive for the same level of good taste and tact embodied in this Albany Ward 3 Elected Leader. This display of political refinement and distinction by a Albany Ward 3 Elected Leader demonstrates thoughtfulness and empathy at a time when such attributes are scorned.
This Albany Ward 3 constituent is eager to see continued sterling leadership from our Ward 3 Elected Leaders.
John /jj/nico rg/ms/?? Maybe you could use one of your other fictitious names to have an argument with yourself about that..
Mayhap there’s a case of poly-pseudonym confusion complicated by vocabularosis. Often presents as poly-syllabic dysentery.
Sometimes treatable.