On a bike ride last August I stopped here, at 1433 Santiam Road, where the city now has received a site plan for 30 apartments.
Another Albany apartment complex is in the works. The city ‘s planning division on Tuesday gave public notice that it is reviewing a site plan for 30 new units on Santiam Road along Periwinkle Creek.
The 1.47-acre property at 1433 Santiam Road SE is the site of the former Owl Hoot Ornaments, which for many years sold a great variety of concrete garden sculptures. After the business closed, the property changed hands last year.
The planning office now is reviewing a plan for three apartment buildings of three stories each. The plan calls for the felling of six trees.
The city will also conduct a “natural resource impact review for grading and paving into the Periwinkle Creek riparian corridor.”
According to the plan, the apartment houses are proposed along the western property line. The development’s 30 parking spaces would border the creek, which runs through the site. Part of the property lies on the east side of the creek and would remain undeveloped as natural open space.
Most of the 30 apartments would have two bedrooms, and the rest would have one.
The applicant and property owner is Corey Bontrager, of Albany.
The “residential medium density” zoning of the property allows for this type of multiple-dwelling development, and approving the site plan is up to the city planning staff.
Apartment projects like this are in the news because they require planning division review. Single-family houses usually don’t. But actually, in recent years growth in single-family dwellings has slightly outpaced new apartments being built.
From 2013 through 2025, the city permitted about 1,700 single houses and 1,500 apartments, according to data compiled last January by Building Official Johnathan Balkema.
Over those 13 years, Albany added a total of around 3,700 dwellings. Besides the single houses and apartments, there were townhouses, manufactured homes, duplexes, and a smattering of accessory dwelling units.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that based on its American Community Survey, the percentage of owner-occupied dwellings in Albany was about 59 percent in 2024. Based on building permits issued, that percentage is unlikely to take a big swing up or down. (hh)
It’ll pass. The City wants the money it’ll generate with all the monthly fees the force on us + their water/sewer monopoly.
Why do they even pretend?
As it should. Are you suggesting it shouldn’t? If so please explain on what grounds.
So? No. Why?
Seems no reason why it wouldn’t pass otherwise… looks like a perfectly legit plan to me.
I used to live about a block east of that location in a small apartment house. The trains which pass quite nearby in the middle of the night blow their very loud horns and are disturbing. I didn’t stay living there very long! The location seemed good when we were choosing the apartment, but the first night we stayed was a rude surprise.
I noticed the RR tracks right behind this proposal when looking at Google. I was thinking along similar lines. A brand new apartment on the wrong side of the tracks, because there is no right side of the tracks in much of this town.
If you have 30 units wouldn’t you need more than thirty parking places since it takes two incomes to rent
When will it stop? Are they going to rename Albany to South Portland?
A complex of 30 units with a potential number of drivers (20 – 2 bedrooms and 15 one bedrooms give you at least 40 drivers plus visitors and care givers 60 to 65 parking places.
Oh no….6 tree’s….Al gore will be calling soon…downtown climate change…
Broken sarcasm. Akin to blaming Biden for Donnie‘s Iran war. Sheesh
I live on this street and have for many years. That location is a bit closer to the RR tracks than I am. Most people aren’t going to want to live with that. This means high turnover and eventually reduced rent to keep the place full. Some days I have to wait a full 4-5 minutes to get on to the street because of traffic, even worse after a train passes. With that many units and the new community center on the corner by the skate park, I can only imagine what traffic is going to be like. Sadly, I’m in no financial position to move (and I love my house). We need the units though, so hopefully they’ll put in a flashing stop light on the community center corner.