On Dec. 23, 2025, I stopped the bike at the corner of Geary and 28th to take a photo of the construction there.
More “middle housing,” so-called, is what is being built at Geary Street and 28th Avenue in Albany.
Someone asked me what was being built at the northwest corner of the intersection. Which is why, on a bike ride through parts of southeast Albany before Christmas, I stopped there to take a look.
Then I looked up the building permit, which describes what is going up at 2722 S.E. Geary St. as a “3-plex, middle housing new construction.”
One detail seemed odd: Each of the three units of the tri-plex will have six bedrooms and six bathrooms. If it’s meant for a single household, what townhouse has six bedrooms and six bathrooms?
The applicant for the building permit is Chris Saltveit, who bought the corner lot for $300,000 last May. The one-story house on the property, built in 1950, was demolished to make room for the new construction.
Bennett Hall of the Corvallis Gazette-Times wrote of Saltveit in 2012: “Since the mid-2000s, [he] has led a surge of town-house-style rental housing development aimed squarely at the booming population of students attending Oregon State University… He remains [Corvallis’s] most prolific builder of townhouses, with 119 units either completed or under construction.”
The tri-plex at Queen and 28th seems to fit that pattern. With 18 bedrooms, the building sounds kind of like a rooming house, except that rooming houses of 100 years ago typically had a common bathroom down the hall. (hh)
Interesting. There are only 3 new water meters in the sidewalk. I had no idea this was coming into my neighborhood.They don’t have to have a comment period for something like this? I wonder if the family right next door knows about this. That is a lot of people on a small lot.
The city has a development code. It allows this building type in this lot without requiring alteration. The city’s code is required to follow state requirements on housing. Here the free market is developing on the land because it can and presumably because it will be profitable which is the only goal of private industry. A comment period is not required because there’s nothing to review. America’s free market at work.
Re: comment period… Same thing going on here in Corvallis. My neighbor, a city councilor, told me that the state severely limits both the city and neighbors to new developments to review and object to “middle housing” applicants in order to further its agenda to fill “buildable land inventory” and to provide “needed housing”. https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB2138/Introduced
Yikes! What about the parking situation?
According to the laws passed by the State (HB 2138 in 2025 and HB 2001 in 2019), citizens are not entitled to challenge middle housing and are not entitled to challenge the elimination of parking requirements. It is impossible to ask for a traffic study. The problem is with the state. They have removed local control, also known as home rule.
That is a long way from the Oregon State campus. Unlikely it is student housing. That means it is most likely migrant housing. I would not be happy if I were a neighbor. Where is the public review for this type of construction?
A city bus stops right in front (or so) which goes to LBCC where they can transfer to the loop bus to get to Corvallis and use their city bus. City busses are free and I think the “college” students ride the loop bus free.
So theoretically, it’s possible. I’d still expect a minimum of 6 cars.
Friends & I drove by today just to look and on site parking appears nearly non existent.
All Loop buses go directly to OSU and are currently free for everyone. It’s a great service. I live in Corvallis and use it to catch a train or shop in Albany. I just wish the times were more evenly spread instead of having the 3 lines somewhat bunched together.
The State eliminated the need to create onsite parking.
…and, where will 18 renters park?
Renters are expected to ride bicycles and take public transit. That is what the state thought when they passed their regulations.
I drove by it yesterday and wondered about parking especially if each bedroom occupant has a vehicle.
I don’t see any garages or driveways. Off street parking? I doubt it. That means at least 18 more cars parked on the street. Thank you Governor!
I think this is a bad idea for ALBANY so I asked croc to lift some pros and cons about this. The result follows.
Pros of 18 People Living in a Triplex in a Densely Populated Residential Neighborhood
• Increased Housing Availability and Affordability: This setup can help address housing shortages by maximizing the use of existing land, providing options for larger households, shared living arrangements (e.g., roommates or extended families), or group homes. In areas like Albany, Oregon, where state laws encourage middle housing (duplexes, triplexes, etc.) to boost supply, it allows more people to live affordably without needing to build new single-family homes.
• Efficient Land and Resource Use: Higher density reduces urban sprawl, preserves open space elsewhere, and makes better use of existing infrastructure like public transit, schools, and utilities. It can lower per-person environmental impact through shared resources, such as heating or water systems.
• Economic Benefits to the Community: More residents in one location can support local businesses, increase property tax revenue for the city, and stimulate neighborhood vitality. It may attract younger demographics or workers who contribute to the local economy.
• Social Diversity and Community Building: Bringing more people together can foster a sense of community, diversity, and social interaction, especially if the units are designed for communal living. It could serve specific needs, like student housing or co-living for professionals.
• Flexibility for Modern Lifestyles: With each unit having multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, it accommodates evolving household structures, such as multigenerational families or co-housing, which is increasingly common in response to rising housing costs.
Cons of 18 People Living in a Triplex in a Densely Populated Residential Neighborhood
• Parking and Traffic Congestion: Even if Albany’s zoning doesn’t require off-street parking for residential developments (leaving it to market demand), accommodating vehicles for 18 residents could overflow onto streets, exacerbating congestion in an already dense area. This might lead to competition for spots, safety issues, or reduced accessibility for neighbors.
• Noise, Privacy, and Quality of Life Issues: Close living quarters with many occupants can increase noise levels from daily activities, parties, or shared spaces, disrupting the quiet typically expected in residential neighborhoods. Privacy concerns may arise from higher foot traffic or overlooking windows.
• Strain on Local Infrastructure and Services: Higher occupancy could overload utilities (water, sewer, electricity), increase waste generation, or burden public services like trash collection, schools, or emergency response. In older neighborhoods, infrastructure might not be designed for such density.
• Potential Impact on Property Values and Neighborhood Character: Some residents may perceive this as changing the area’s “single-family feel” to something more urban or transient, potentially lowering nearby property values or leading to community opposition. It could alter the aesthetic or social fabric if not well-integrated.
• Health and Safety Concerns in Confined Spaces: Dense living raises risks like faster spread of illnesses, fire hazards, or evacuation challenges. If maintenance is poor, issues like overcrowding or inadequate ventilation could affect well-being, though building codes aim to mitigate this.
Regarding your concern about legality: Under Oregon’s House Bill 2001 and Albany’s implementation, triplexes are permitted in many residential zones without strict limits on bedrooms per unit, as long as they meet minimum lot sizes (e.g., 5,000–10,000 sq ft depending on the zone) and other standards. Occupancy is generally regulated by building and fire codes rather than zoning, focusing on habitable space per person rather than a hard cap. If permits were issued, it’s likely compliant, but you could contact Albany’s Community Development Department to verify the specific project.
And where are the tenants going to park all their cars?
Let’s just do some simple math. What size is this lot? How big is the building itself? Is there any parking accommodation? Let’s just say that the building is 4000 sqft. then divide that by 3 and you have a little over 1300 sqft. in each unit.Now add a kitchen 8×8 that’s 64 sqft. a living room of 15×15 = 225 sqft. Now add 6 bathrooms at 6×6 =216 sqft. that leaves 800 sqft for 6 bedrooms at 10×10 and the rest for hallways to get through. Maybe they are going to be like the unit’s that they built back in the day by LBCC that each unit was a quad with a kitchen that was shared by two units and the utilities where shared
I agree with Connie. If this was registered to have 3 units, it looks as if it is really 18 units. Are there laws on the books that prevent this sort of thing from happening? It seems as if they are skirting the truth about how many people will be actually living here.
What about a new larger hospital on the east side of town? More people and the hospital in the historic district is not common sense.
Before the new schools on the east side, that area was annexed for a new hospital. Then it was said, oh, that is not enough room for a hospital. Now see what we have, urban sprawl.
What happens if everyone flushes their toilet at the same time? Do the lower units get a nasty surprise?
Who is pulling the wool over who’s eyes and who is letting them get away with it?
Unfortunately, all the people who want the city to do as they wish and rake the in bucks are not people who are committed to the community. They think attracting swarms of people will create some form of permanent social hub. Albany is a down to earth community and superficial attractions survive briefly here. If we want to remain a community, the city needs to promote living lives of substance that encourage long term commitments. Many apartment dwellers are transitional and move for better jobs, schooling or places that fit their fast paced lifestyle. People tell me Albany is ok to visit but they do not like to live here. Bad cities are like bad jobs, you will stay to survive but look for something better to live a quality life.
Please take the time to express your concerns to the city council. They give priority to hearing from citizens near the beginning of each meeting. The next meeting is on January 14th. https://albanyoregon.gov/council
Inasmuch as state law tends to override any local law(s), what would you have council “do?”
Does the State require the city to install a new bus stop, crossing signals and sidewalks before the triplex was built with very limited parking? That appears to have happened before construction began.
There are two driveway openings on 28th and maybe two or 3 small cars could get in there. These openings were there with the original house (but no concrete driveways).
As far as parking goes I expect it will be in front of my house and others. I’ll start parking on the street and turn my driveway into a pot ghetto (just kidding). As for loss of privacy, I noted that the west side of the building has no windows so no peering down.
This neighborhood has mixed housing. Just south of the Geary St Market an old house was knocked down and 4 duplexes installed (it was a pretty large lot). They actually look quite nice.They each have a garage and driveway. Nicely landscaped. Over near 31st and Columbus the owner on that corner sold their backyard and a vertical duplex was built. One driveway; I guess the tenant on that side gets to use it. It all looks nice and cared for. And the upper windows look right down into the previous landowners house. Hmmm.
When the “Barrington Square” duplexes at Geary and 27th were built back in the late seventies there wasn’t a week go by that police weren’t called out to it (and the aroma of pot pervaded the neighborhood). And theft of property from neighbor yards was common. It’s much better now, and even enjoyable to look at with all the trees and shrubs matured.
My point is to let folks know about the type of mixed housing in this neighborhood. Done right it can work out nicely. Or it can turn into a bunch of drunken guys with little room to move. Let’s hope the two nearby churches have a positive effect.
Sure it isn’t a foster care type home
We need a lot more of these type of units, there is a need for more affordable housing, more density. If parking is an issue , for who, the roadside is for everybody legally to park, not just the homeowners. Mail delivery and parking are all manageable. I would also like to congratulate the city with the improvement on Geary Street, much safer for pedestrians and bicyclists.To the naysayers, not in my neighborhood crowd, you like the unaffordability situation in the US, I see this as a solution to affordable housing. The State and city are responding to the unaffordability for the many, young and old tax payers just like you.
Absolutely yes! There is an ever-growing mismatch everywhere between the supply of oversize, unaffordable homes and the increasing needs of people not in traditional “nuclear” families.
Guess that is why they do not fix the streets with potholes when the city pushes people to seek other transportation and restrict their living choices. Overcrowding people and taking away personal space leads to social /mental problems. People are forced to deal with aggressive people and have zero privacy. These types of living situations are called “hell holes”. It is better to have “nuclear families” than “atom bomb neighbors”.