Alpenrose redevelopment closer to winning Portland planning approval

Developers who want to build a residential subdivision on the former Alpenrose Dairy in Southwest Portland are inching closer to winning city approval.

West Hills Land Development has submitted an application to build 263 new homes on the 51-acre property to be called Raleigh Crest. Planners with Portland Permitting & Development recommended the application be denied largely because of unresolved environmental and traffic concerns issues ahead of a Sept. 24 public hearing on the application held before Hearings Officer David Doughman.

The developer proposed changes to the application just before the deadline for additional comments on Oct. 9. Among other things, it now proposes to: monitoring the health of the ash grove in the northern environmental zone; install "game cameras" to determine whether wildlife are crossing Southwest Shattuck Road along the easter edge of the property at a culvert between the wetland areas; improve the pedestrian crossing across Shattack at Southwest Illinois Street, but without stop signs, lights, or speed cushions as neighbors have requested.

In addition, the City of Beaverton has accepted a revised traffic management plan for the vehicles coming and going to the development through the Hemstreet Heights neighborhood west of Alpenrose.

There is now a two-week rebuttal period that expires on now a Wednesday, Oct. 23, at 4 pm. The developer then has until Wednesday, Oct. 30, to make final arguments. After that, the city hearings officer has 17 days to may a decision that could be appealed to the City Council.

If approved, the proposed project will be the largest new residential subdivision in the city since the Forest Park subdivision was built in Northwest Portland beginning in the late 1980s. It has generated tremendous interest in Southwest Portland. The Hayhurst Neighborhood Association, which represents the neighborhood that includes the property, has held numerous public meetings about it that have attracted hundreds of area residents. Many raised concerns about the impact of additional traffic on the surrounding streets, especially Shattuck, which is a narrow, twisty two-lane road with sidewalks. At one point, 78 people were logged into the online Sept. 24 hearing, although the cumulative total may be been higher.

The neighborhood association, which has raised numerous environmental and transportation concerns, but does not oppose the development, is considering its options.