By Tom Henderson • Staff Writer • 

Acquisition funding approved for Phase 2 of bypass

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Comments

gregtompkins

What we actually need is something more akin to an interstate grade highway connecting to I5 directly and go all the way to Lincoln City. Even if the bypass were fully built out overnight it would already be obsolete. They want more and more immigrants moving to Oregon and no infrastructure to accommodate. Build a real highway - a part of the interstate to Lincoln City.

Rotwang

A map would be nice.

Ossie Bladine

Rotwang, There you go.

David S. Wall

Regional Oregonians (those who will be impacted) should be given accurate information to make an informed decision on how to proceed with Phase II. This article only adds to confusion.

For example,

"Commissioners approved the immediate issue on the table Friday, allowing all money left over from the first phase of the bypass project (estimated to be between $12 million and $18 million) to be used for right-of-way acquisition and other expenses associated with the beginning of the second phase."

A [$6 million dollar] swing in "estimated savings" is troublesome. How does the State of Oregon justify having the capacity to raise taxes to pay for a project that comes under budget without a "refund" to the taxpayers and has the temerity not to know and or report the actual amount of project savings?

And,

"To date, ODOT has moved $10.5 million of the Phase I cost savings to Phase II of the project to purchase protective rights-of-way,” he said.

“In addtion to the $10.5 million already moved to Phase II, ODOT participates additional cost savings as Phase I activities draw to a close.”

There is a spelling error in "addtion." No big deal. I make spelling errors all the time but, I don't run a newspaper.

My next post continues.

David S. Wall

David S. Wall

The transfer of [$10.5 million dollars] from the savings from Phase I to proceed to Phase II is a "bypass" all in to itself for the taxpayers are "bypassed" in the decision making to go forward to Phase II or to receive a refund.

Is the doctrine of, "In for a dime, in for a dollar" at play with transition from Phase I to Phase II?

"... ODOT participates additional cost savings as Phase I activities draw to a close.” This doesn't make a "lick of sense."

I believe correct word usage would be "anticipates" and not "participates." No big deal, again. I screw up word usages from time to time but, I don't run a newspaper.

I have attended a few Parkway Committee meetings and could refute more than what was recorded here.

But, I don't run a newspaper...yet.

David S. Wall

gregtompkins

Why did they seemingly purposely build an expensive golf course right in the path of a future highway?

Finch

This is going right next to my neighborhood and I'm not terribly excited about it. Every day I come and go from work I think about that and how on earth they can put that amount of traffic next to the golf course and up against Providence Hospital, the new medical offices building (that is getting ready to open) and all those memory and assisted living facilities. So much for the peace and quiet back here. Stupid planning as usual. Build stuff and then plow through it and disrupt things.

gregtompkins

Finch, me too I live right off where this will go. They really should have done a direct to I5 freeway spur connecting the currrenf hwy 18 and hwy 99 interchange. The politics of this state are so stupid. They want to force everyone out of their cars and onto transit and live by the Max but yet nobody wants to live like that so now the areas just beyond the metro proper are going to take off with ex urban sprawl and congested highways. I liked our county before it was fornicated by Californians.

fir tree

So since there was left over money, ODOT should have given it back to Yamhill County. Leslie Lewis lead the charge to give county road fund money to the bypass project in almost exactly this amount of money THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT NEEDED. In the meantime the county roads and bridges are falling apart. County road money should never have gone to the bypass. Now for many years in excess of $700,000 per year of county road fund money will be given to the state. I think commissioners should stop paying this money immediately and put it into the desperate needs of county roads, especially since the state obviously didn't need it.

gregtompkins

Yeah and who eats the cost to demolition the new hospital expansion , a golf course and a community college campus ? It’s is unbelievable how stupid this whole “bypass” project has been from 30 years ago to current ! What a mess ....

sbagwell

The route does not go through the hospital expansion site or the golf course. As far as I know, it does not go through the college expansion site either. It skirts around them on land that can, it would appear, be purchased for the budgeted amount.
The project is being funded primarily by the federal government and secondarily by the state government. So your personal contribution isn't materially larger than that of Aunt Minny in Vermont. You help pay for projects easing congestion in her neck of the woods and she helps pay for projects easing congestion in yours.
Those state and federal dollars are all going to get spent on something somewhere. To my way of thinking, seeing that they get spent here is much to our advantage.
One of the biggest negatives for major employers locating here is lack of easy and efficient transportation options. This is the most direct way we can address that and thus help spur economic development to our benefit.
Or maybe you would rather see the money all go to your favorite state -- California.
Steve

Finch

Steve - While I appreciate the fact you try to clarify comments it is usually with your own amount snark. I live in that area and you may want to take a drive over there and look at the land and what's there and see for yourself how much space there is and what they're planning to do. It will be going NEXT TO the PCC campus, through the side of the golf course and next to the buildings I mentioned. I see it every single day of the week as I drive back and forth from work to home. In the summer with the windows open upstairs I can hear the traffic on 99W now. It will be horrible when that thing is done.

sbagwell

I apprerciate that and can see that as a valid basis for opposition on your part. I wouldn't want the bypass running through my neighborhood or by my door either.
However, the premise was that the state was going to have to condemn multi-million-dollar hospital, college and golf course properties as massive taxpayer expense. It was put forward as an example of government waste and incompetence.
As you and I both know, that is uttlerly false, as even the most cursory of fact checks would readily have shown.
I have no problem with someone taking objection to the next phase of the bypass, based on neighborhood impact or any other reason with at least some rational basis. I do have a problem with someone misrepresenting the facts and drawing unfounded conclusions from that misrepresentation.
I plead guilty on the snark count.
Steve

Finch

Thank you Steve. I do as well.

Jeb Bladine

Well, that's a relief ... I was afraid we would have to establish a new Snark Patrol! Nice to have mutual consent on that issue!

Lest we forgot, it's been 45 years since the worst mistake of all: Back then, with just a few million dollars in place from the federal government, Marion County and Yamhill County, we could have built a straight connector road from Highway 18 across the Willamette River at Lambert Bend and on to I-5.

And locally, we continue paying the price for decades of failure to plan and create a truly future-looking road transportation system.

So it goes.

gregtompkins

“ a straight connector road from Highway 18 across the Willamette River at Lambert Bend and on to I-5”

That’s what we should have done. But so many are moving here now we’ll probably still need that in addition to the “bypass.” And what are they planning to do with McKay and Champoeg / French Prairie, DHS hwy 18 intersection at 18? All these roads are totally clogged up now and accidents are frequent. This county is quickly becoming so overpopulated and unlivable. Where can a 5th generation Oregonian go that feels like “home” now that they fornicated us like they did to California?

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