Here are some of the Colennade subdivision buildings under construction on March 10, 2025.
A residential subdivision in South Albany is turning out differently than when it was proposed and when the Albany Planning Commission approved it in 2019.
Taking up 4.76 acres along Southeast 28th Avenue between Ferry and Marion streets, the layout of the development planned by its Texas owners showed single-family dwellings on each of the 26 lots.
The applicants were thinking of manufactured homes. Even though some of the lots might accommodate accessory dwelling units occupied by renters, the applicants told neighbors that one residence on each lot would have to be owner-occupied to meet the Albany Development Code.
“This will decrease the possible number of renters,” the applicant’s representatives said in their report on a neighborhood meeting. “However, the applicant does not acknowledge or believe that an individual who chooses to rent is less of a law-abiding citizen.”
I happened to see the part of the development still under construction when cruising down Ferry Street on the bike this week.
Six buildings were nearly finished but were still being worked on. All six were two-story triplexes, according to the building permits. Each of the three units per building had three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
Two of the 26 lots have had buildings on them for more than a year, if memory serves. These buildings have four dwellings each.
What happened to the original layout shown to the planning commission six years ago?
First, the ownership changed. The buildings I saw being worked on are owned by Forrest Ridge Homes Inc., of Oregon City. The already coccupied fourplexes have different owners, one in Portland and the other in Monmouth.
What also changed since 2019 is the law.
The original subdivision would have required two off-street parking places for each house, plus another space if there was an accessory unit. That is off the boards now. Where the drivers in those triplexes are going to park their cars is anybody’s guess.
Also, state law now encourages “middle housing.”
As David Martineau of the city planning division explains of this subdivision: “Middle housing is allowed on all their lots as long as they meet minimum lot sizes. They could have a triplex on each lot, or they can come back later and create ‘child’ lots such that each dwelling unit is on its own lot, townhouse style.”
The original applicants called this the Marion Street Subdivision. A sign still on the site, though lying flat on the ground, calls it The Colennade. No comment on how that word is spelled. (hh)
This old sign advertising the Colennade subdivision on 28th Avenue was lying on the ground on March 10, 2025.
The city, by allowing this type of development, is creating future ghetto like areas of cramped overcrowded neighborhoods which wil create public safety problems, as well as diminish the desirability of Albany as a place to live.
Right now there’s currently ~10 tri plex, with room to build more. Say there’s 13 when all said and done. Say if everyone has 2 cars in each unit, that’s ~80 cars…. There in-fact will don’t be enough parking, so now everyone’s house with in a block of that place is gonna get bombarded with people parking by their house, yes it’s legal to park on the public street, but is annoying when you have get togethers and everyone has to find parking to come to your house because there is none
I don’t see a problem. Why do you? If this conforms to code, it is a non-issue and only serves to stir your readers up.
Oregon has had a housing shortage for many years and is now actively trying to solve it by increasing the number of units allowed in new construction. The city IS REQUIRED to increase the density by state law, as is true for most all cities with a population greater than 25,000.
Constantly complaining about “change” is no different than spitting into the wind. Especially when you have no other solution to provide to solve the housing shortage.
Simply ignore state law. What can the state do if cities told them to go to hell?
What cluster…
This column is living proof – the Internet is most “successful” when the product being served-up to the Albany Suckers arouses anger. Hering’s decades-long diatribe against change of any kind feeds the anger algorithm, resulting in a steady diet of reactionaries slip-sliding into the dead end trap Hering sets. This pointless ratcheting-up of performative anger does nothing to help solve the problems we face. All this screed does is jerk people’s chains, simply for the joy of watching the fools dance like puppets on a string.
Poppycock.
And you probably don’t live in that area so no skin off your nose. Until it happens in your neighborhood it’s all good, right?
Yes, better density of housing, more taxes coming in for the city for like road repair. My hope is that the cul du sac has a pathway to Ferry street so a person could bike or walk to work on Ferry street, connecting neighborhoods.
There is a paved pathway from 28th Avenue to Ferry Street.
People are not against change. They are against reckless decision making. The city is filling the city with people when it is not able to support them living in a reasonable way. Instead they are creating traffic problems then fining people that are dealing with horrible driving conditions, over crowding areas, and jobs that do not insure housing stability. Businesses selling weed, alcohol, and offer gambling are in walking distance of all the nonprofits. Those businesses and the nonprofits in town are the most stable jobs in town. Schools close, stores close, even the library is threatened but the bad element businesses keep opening. None of this is “progress” it is rotting our city from the inside out. It really sucks that people are so supportive of trashing this beautiful city.
Do you think the liberal city council is into turning the town into C40 city it sure looks that way
When you get to charge CITY SERVICES FEES per residence, why are you surprised the city wants more dwellings? It’s about their GREED and the opportunity to add more PERS jobs, making their UNION PACs that much stronger on their way to a Socialist society.
So great that more young families will be able to move in and contribute to the aging workforce, economy and tax base in Albany! Change is not a bad thing!
Yes we have more people that need homes. But our infrastructure can’t handle it! Let’s see the reports run before City approved all these multifamily units!
Pat, the city would promote anything that was easy money. There are plenty of places to rent here in town for people young and old if they have the money. They need to help those people with their rent. The nonprofits wanting to use surplus land to make affordable housing is just a way to make money off of people who want to continue being dysfunctional. If people want to support making cheap housing where people just hang out smoking and not contributing to society so be it. Just don’t cry about it when the city needs money to fix the messes they make. Enabling people is not an act of kindness.