News – Hasso Hering

Request: Angled parking on one block of Fourth

Written September 19th, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: no responses.

The last we heard about a plan to build eight apartments on Fourth Avenue at Calapooia Street was in May, when the Land Use Board of Appeals ruled in an appeal to block the project. Now the builders are back with a request to make this one block of Fourth one-way west, with angled parking […]

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: angled parking, apartments, Downtown housing, Fourth and Calapooia, Friends of Historic Albany, housing, LUBA, Siegners

A new look at planned downtown project

Written September 16th, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 30 responses.

Gerding Builders expects to follow through on its plan to turn the former Wells Fargo Bank branch in downtown Albany into a commercial and residential complex. That was the gist of part of Wednesday’s session of the downtown renewal advisory board.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany downtown, ARA, CARA, Gerding Builders, Gerding Companies Inc., urban renewal, Wells Fargo branch

Developer pulls out of St. Francis project

Written September 15th, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 2 responses.

An Albany developer has dropped his plan to renovate the former St. Francis Hotel and adjacent Rhodes Block, but the idea of the restoration itself may not yet be completely dead.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany revitalization. downtown renewal, CARA, Historic buildings, St. Francis, urban renewal

On Third Avenue, 8 townhouses get city’s OK

Written September 15th, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 5 responses.

The Albany Planning Commission has given its approval to a project by the Scott Lepman Company to build eight three-story townhomes in the 200 block of S.E. Third Avenue. A big old walnut tree in the corner of the site will have to come down, the commission agreed.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: 224 Third Ave. S.E., Albany Planning Commission, Montgomery Place, Scott Lepman, walnut tree

Denser housing: Owner renews rezoning bid

Written September 14th, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 2 responses.

Six years ago the Albany City Council refused to rezone a single-family residential lot on Waverly Drive to allow construction of up to 35 apartments. Now the owner is giving it another try.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: 241 Waverly, Albany planning, apartments, housing, land use, medium density residential

A plan to close Central Elementary School

Written September 14th, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 12 responses.

A surprising development popped up during Monday’s meeting of the Albany School Board: There’s a plan to close Central School as an elementary school and use it for other district programs.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany School Board, Central School, Charles Burggraf, closing Central School, GAPS

Ideas to make biking safer: Take the survey

Written September 13th, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 8 responses.

A local government agency is giving people a chance to say which projects they would support in order to make it easier or safer to get around in the Albany area by bicycle or on foot.

Posted in: Bicycling, Commentary, News
Tags: AAMPO, bike and pedestrian plan, bike projects, bike survey, greater Albany area