Basalt Commons Appeal denied; Groundbreaking in 18 months?
Developer Mary Hanlon talks to The Dalles Planning Commission on Thursday, Aug. 15. She and Michael Hanlon are working toward creating 116 apartments at the Basalt Commons multi-use buidling in downtown The Dalles.
By Tom Peterson
The Dalles, Ore., Aug.16, 2024 — The Dalles Planning Commission denied an appeal of the Basalt Commons site plan approval after a 2-plus hour hearing held on Thursday, Aug. 15.
The decision gives developers the green light to proceed with the project, barring any additional appeals to the project being made to The Dalles City Council.
The 116-unit apartment building with commercial space on the ground floor is planned for the ½ acre lot formerly Griffith Motors at 523 E. Third Street. It will be approximately 96,000 square feet and 60 feet tall.
The project when finished would immediately impact the housing shortage in The Dalles, which needs some 500 more units to meet demand, according to a recent survey.
Renderings from Architect Chris Hodney show the Basalt Commons on the former Griffith Motors site looking east in downtown The Dalles. An appeal of the site plan was denied last week, allowing for developers to move forward with the project.
The project is expected to create the equivalent of 478 full-time jobs in its first decade and contribute $16.9 million in payroll, according to developer Mary Hanlon of The Dalles..
Once established, residents of the building estimated at 100 would spend $2 million annually at downtown businesses, she added.
On Thursday, Aug. 15, Bob Wickwire, who owns Downey Furniture, appealed Community Development Director Joshua Chandler’s decision to waive on-site parking for Basalt Commons as is allowed in the city ordinances.
The Commission denied the appeal in a five-to-one vote after taking comments from 21 people including the developer, and appellant Wickwire.
“Parking issues and walking two or three blocks seems a much lesser issue (compared to the housing shortage in The Dalles),” said Commissioner Philip Mascher before the vote. “I do trust the research work on parking. It was done with good intent and an objective mind. That’s the other aspect that makes me clearly feel the original decision was the right one. I’m also convinced it will help revitalize downtown and significantly impact and improve our housing problem.”
Basalt Commons has plans for 35 parking stalls located near the alley between Third and Second streets.
However, estimates from the traffic study commissioned by the developer Mary Hanlon show a need of between 145 and 199 during peak hours for residents and commercial uses - a restaurant and business offices in this scenario.
Developers are looking to public parking lots and on-street parking to fill the gap.
There is more than sufficient parking when looking at both parking lot and on-street parking uses, according to a study that was conducted at the request of the developers.
For example, the public parking lot at First and Federal Streets has over 100 parking spots and is a three-and-a-half minute walk to Basalt Commons over two blocks.
Above, the dotted lines along street frontages show where it is illegal for downtown residents, business owners, and employees to park. Downey Furniture falls just outside of the Boundary but could request the City Council to include Jefferson Street. "Subject Property" is the site of Basalt Commons. Click on the image to enlarge it.
Bob Wickwire owns Downey Furniture which is across the street from the proposed development. His business is on the east side of Jefferson Street and here’s the rub. It does not fall within the Central Business Zone 2. That’s important because it allows downtown residents to legally park on the street in front of Downey Furniture.
“We’re already challenged with on-street parking,” Wickwire said, adding that his customers many of which are elderly are not willing to walk three blocks to his store.
A possible remedy to the problem was later pointed out by city staff.
Community Development Director Joshua Chandler said the City Council could amend the Central Business Zone Boundary to include the east side of Jefferson Street, which would impose parking restrictions for downtown residents during daytime hours. That would potentially free up parking in front of Downey Furniture.
Planning Chair Cody Cornett asked Mary Hanlon about the timing of the project. She said a best-case scenario would be a groundbreaking in 18 months.
Cody Cornett
“We can't stop progress because of a few small things that are not perfect,” Cornett said before the vote. “We have to adapt and be agile as we move through this process… I personally think that denying the appeal and allowing the project to move to the next step beyond tonight's meeting is important. I also think we all need to continue to be involved and show up to these meetings and fix the parking problem before it gets worse. We have, I’m just going to say, two years to figure out a better parking situation, and I think we have the power to do that.”
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