Whatchamacolumn: Producing history with downtown development
There are several well-known, foreboding quotes about failure to learn from history, but my favorite is the lighter touch provided by Mark Twain: “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.”
That thought arose when I read our Nov. 29 “Memory Lane” item from 50 years ago, describing presentation of the Rosenberg & Paz plan for revitalizing downtown McMinnville. The plan, portrayed to our City Council and interested citizens, declared its intent:
“First, to improve the quality of urban design in downtown McMinnville by recommending specific urban changes to the existing physical form of the city; and secondly, to provide information for all people to understand and implement that recommended urban design.”
The follow up, perhaps fodder for a future “50 years ago,” is that the Rosenberg & Paz plan used crude drawings to propose a full Third Street mall; received universal public repudiation; embarrassed the city for having spent $25,000 (in 1974 dollars) on the design project; and sparked the public/private partnership that quickly created and implemented the downtown renovation project that has withstood a half-century test of time.
Shades of Rosenberg & Paz occasionally have crossed my mind during the long, expensive, sometimes rambling and recently transformed plans for a 21st Century downtown development project. In fairness to concerns about costs for the current project, an inflation calculator on DollarTimes.com shows that $25,000 in 1974 dollars equates to $165,988 today.
This week’s public forum on the Third Street Improvement project produced more questions than answers. Unlike 50 years ago, those answers will come more slowly, with more public discussion and at a much higher overall cost.
As reported in today’s news, important decisions are needed on conceptual ideas before finalizing the “30 percent design” goal. Current design debate is focusing on “larger elements like the curbless design, identifying street tree patterns and locations, length of curb extensions and the amount of hardscaping.”
As project-engaged officials and citizens have long known, preserving at least some of the now-historic downtown trees is the most discussed issue of the project. A lesser-known, but perhaps ultimately more volatile issue, is the potential for complications from long-abandoned gasoline or heating oil tanks under city streets or sidewalks.
As pointed out in today’s news story, a survey of all 145 trees in the project area revealed that while most are either in poor health or a barrier to project design, some can be saved.
Underground storage tank issues await more complete analysis by the city, which to date has maintained that abandoned tanks beneath city sidewalks are the sole responsibility of adjacent property owners.
From all appearances, local officials and citizens know that decisions made in 2025 about downtown development will create the history that future generations will either ignore or learn from. Let’s hope it is the best history we can produce.
Jeb Bladine can be reached at jbladine@newsregister.com or 503-687-1223.
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