portland-tribune-031..

A10 NEWS
The Portland Tribune Thursday, March 14, 2013
Intel growth fuels county road projects
As Hillsboro booms,
Portland strains for
transportation funds
By JIM REDDEN
The Tribune
As he struggles to find
money for street maintenance
and sidewalks, Portland
Mayor Charlie Hales
must look in wonder at Hillsboro.
The largest city in
Washington County currently
has 44 major street projects
slated during the next
few years, including rebuilding
major thoroughfares and
intersections.
A recent audit has faulted
the Portland City Council for
not spending enough money on
road repairs. Hillsboro is arguably
doing better for two reasons
outside the council’s control,
however. First, it is able to
tap funding sources not available
in Portland. And second, it
is able to take advantage of the
tremendous growth of big employers
like Intel.
In a few years, many Hillsboro
residents and commuters
will get to their homes and jobs
a little bit quicker.
Northwest Cornelius
Pass Road
from the Sunset
Highway to Ronler
Drive will be
widened from
four to six lanes.
The intersection
at Northwest Evergreen
Parkway
will be improved
for bike lanes.
And the ramps to
and from U.S. 26
will be improved,
including the addition
of a second
southbound off-ramp.
Most of the work will not be
funded or done by the city. It
will be paid for and overseen by
Intel, the semiconductor manufacturer
with around 17,000
workers in Washington County.
The company will hire and pay
a contractor to do the work according
to city standards.
The improvements will help
many Intel workers get to their
jobs at the company’s Ronler
Acres campus. But it also will
help others who use the road.
They will include hundreds of
new Salesforce.com employees
who will be moving into the for-
’13
mer Synopsys Inc. software
company offices to the south,
and the 130 additional employees
that Oracle Corp. has promised
to hire at its nearby hightech
manufacturing plant.
The city is requiring Intel to
do the improvements as part of
its construction permit to build
a second D1X manufacturing
facility and office building at
the Ronler Acres campus.
Washington County is also assessing
Intel’s approximately
$6.7 million in Transportation
Development Taxes for the
project. The amount will be
credited against the money Intel
spends on the improvements,
which is likely to be
much more.
Intel is not complaining,
however. The company knows
that its growth in Hillsboro is
unprecedented in Oregon.
“This is new territory and
everyone is trying to figure out
how to manage it correctly,”
says Jill Eiland, the company’s
Northwest regional corporate
affairs manager.
Conditions put on projects
This is not the first time the
city has required Intel to do
street improvements as a condition
of a building permit. For
example, Intel was
required to build
Washington
County is the
only county in
the state that
dedicates a fixed
portion of its
property tax
revenues to
transportation
projects.
Ronler Drive from
Northwest Cornelius
Pass Road to
the campus as a
condition of its
permit for the first
D1X facility. Intel
officials say the
project cost
around $3.5 million.
The company
then deeded the
finished road to
the city. Intel also
is installing a traffic
circle and making
other improvements at the
Southwest Butler Street and
65th Avenue entrance to its
campus. The estimated cost for
that work is more than $2 million.
Residential developers also
pay for transportation improvements
related to their projects.
For example, the Holland Partners
development company is
paying for a traffic signal and
other upgrades on the streets
around its new housing and retail
complex at Northeast 231st
and Cherry Avenue. And the
developers who built the more
traditional, suburban-style
neighborhoods near Orenco
Station paid for the residential
streets, which were then deeded
to Hillsboro.
Many cities charge new developments
to help offset additional
infrastructure costs. But
Hillsboro is going much further
than most by requiring specific
projects for the biggest ones.
The practice helps explain how
Hillsboro has mitigated some
of the problems normally associated
with fast growth — and
how it plans to keep pace with
its increasing population and
employment base. By some estimates,
Hillsboro is expected
to grow from around 92,000 to
about 150,000 people by 2035.
Designated
transportation funds
Only eight of the 44 projects
scheduled in Hillsboro will be
financed by developers. The
rest rely on federal, state, county
and city sources.
Washington County is the
only county in the state that
dedicates a fixed portion of its
property tax revenues to transportation
projects. The Major
Street Transportation Improvement
Program began as a
series of serial levies approved
by county voters in 1986, 1989
and 1995. But when Oregon voters
approved the state’s complicated
property tax limitation
system in the late 1990s, the
current levy became part of the
county’s tax base.
All of the spending must be
approved by the Washington
County Coordinating Committee,
which is composed of representatives
from the commission
and cities in the county. It
receives and considers funding
Construction is starting up again on Intel’s Ronler Acres campus. A
parking garage is being built near the recently completed D1X
manufacturing facility, which soon will double in size.
requests from the various governments.
By the end of this year, 2013,
MSTIP will have helped fund
111 multimodal transportation
projects, totaling $555 million.
Major projects completed to
date in Hillsboro include sections
of 170th Avenue, 185th
Avenue, Baseline Road, Brookwood
Avenue/Parkway, Cornelius
Pass Road, Cornell Road,
and Evergreen Parkway/Road.
Like other cities in the county,
Hillsboro also assesses a
fee on residents and businesses
to help maintain its streets.
The citywide Transportation
Utility Fee was approved by
the City Council three years
ago. The fees appear on the
monthly utility bills that also
include water and sewer
charges. The fee for singlefamily
homes currently is
$3.18 a month, while the business
fees range from $2.87 to
around $1,300 a month. The
TUF is projected to generate
$1.75 million this fiscal year.
Washington County also
has a 1 cent-per gallon gas tax
to help maintain its roads.
Hillsboro receives some of
this revenue, too.
Big changes in store for road
In the middle of the day,
Northwest Cornelius Pass
Road from U.S. 26 to Ronler
Drive does not look like it
needs much work. Traffic
flows smoothly along its four
lanes, helped by turn lanes at
major intersections, like
Northwest Evergreen Parkway.
But during the morning and
evening rush hours, the situation
is different. It clogs with
traffic from Highway 26,
Northwest Evergreen Parkway
and Imbrie Drive. When
portland
Intel officials started talking
about expanding the Ronler
Acres campus again, city planners
knew it was time for a
major upgrade. Intel agreed
and committed to four projects
related to the road. The
city agreed to take responsibility
for a fifth one.
The projects Intel agreed to
fund and undertake will completely
transform the function
and appearance of the road.
They will add additional
northbound and southbound
lanes, construct an eastbound
turn lane from Butler, construct
a westbound turn lane
at Evergreen, and add pedestrian
islands to the median at
key intersections. Intel also
will add a second westbound
to southbound off-ramp from
the Sunset Highway. And it
will add bicycle lanes on both
Cornelius Pass Road and some
connecting streets.
Intel officials do not yet
know how much all this work
will cost. They suspect it will
be more than the $6.7 million
in TDTs charged to their most
recent expansion project. The
company will look to partner
with the city and county on
some of the work if possible,
but is ultimately responsible
for completing it.
As part of the deal, Hillsboro
has agreed to build a new
right-turn lane from Cornelius
to the Sunset Highway.
But that is not the end of Intel’s
investment in Hillsboro
as part of its most recent expansion
permit. The company
also will build an additional
eastbound lane to Ronler
Driver. And it will modify signals
and make further improvements
on Northwest
229th Avenue, just north of its
campus.
Intel will pay
millions of
dollars to
expand this busy
stretch of
Northwest
Cornelius Pass
Road to six lanes
in the next few
years.
PAMPLIN MEDIA
GROUP PHOTOS:
CHASE ALLGOOD
ourHealth
Hay Fever
Health Care for Women, Adolescents & Girls Of All Ages
New Classes Coming Soon!
Call the clinic or visit our website for more information.
Hay fever (also called allergic rhinitis) affects 40% of children and 20% of adults in the United States.
It has the annoying symptoms of runny noses, itching, sneezing and congestion. It is associated with
many problems for children including ADHD, lower test scores, poor concentration and impaired
athletic performance. Adults may suffer from fatigue and low productivity due to poor sleep.
We now know that hay fever is caused by a nasal reaction to allergens that triggers the body to release histamines,
which causes fluid to build up in the nose. The intense nasal itching is associated with nose rubbing,
which is also known as the “allergic salute”. The bluish or purple discoloration under the eyes, known as the
“allergic shiner”, is also seen in patients with chronic rhinitis.
What can you do if you have hay fever
First, avoid allergens such as dust mites. Contrary to common belief, air filtration plays a very little role in controlling
dust mites. Instead, the exposure is believed to occur by time spent in bed, on the floor and on upholstered
furniture. Pillows, mattresses, box springs, comforters and furniture cushions should be covered by tightly
woven fabrics. Dusting and vacuuming using HEPA (high-efficiency particular air) filters should be performed
regularly. Carpeting can be removed and replaced with finished floors and washable area rugs.
Furthermore, reducing humidity to under 50% can slow mite growth. Humidifiers should be avoided. Instead,
people with dry nasal passages may use saline nasal sprays before bed. Weekly washing and drying of
bedding in hot cycles can eliminate most of the mites. In addition to allergen avoidance, most patients require
medications to control the symptoms of hay fever. The most effective therapy is glucocorticoid nasal spray.
Other treatments include over the counter oral antihistamines.
Children with severe allergic rhinitis are often referred to a specialist for allergy shots. This also includes adults
with prolonged and severe symptoms, patients with asthma or nasal polyps, or patients who are intolerant of
medications.
Managing the living space combined with medications has freed many people who were trapped in the misery
of hay fever. Now they can enjoy recreational activities both indoors and outdoors.
420449.031413
Menopause • Bio-Identical Hormones • Breast Cancer Care
Annual Exams • PMS • Fertility/Preconception Support
Allergies • Massage • Acupuncture • Menstrual Concerns
Integrated Herbal Nutritional Therapies
Counseling-Individuals & Couples
Health & Life Coaching Support
Tori Hudson, N.D – Kellie Raydon, N.D., L.Ac. – Aarin Meager-Benson, N.D.
Tammy Ashney, N.D. – Liz Davidson, N.D. – Abigail Aiyepola, N.D
Gillian Hanson, N.D. – Karen Hudson, CHHC – Theresa Baisely, L.M.T.
503-222-2322 • 2067 NW Lovejoy, Portland
www.awomanstime.com • info@awomanstime.com
Your Family’s Medical Home
SureCare, our private pay reduced fee option, is available
to patients who have insurance with a high deductible or are
uninsured. Basic visits start at $99.
When you call, tell us you’re interested in our SureCare program!
The Doctor is in!
Call us or see
our website for
details
NWPC.com
421194.031413
Yufei Zhang, MD
Board Certified Internist
503.659.4988
NWPC.com
419942.031313 SL
503.659.4988
Happy Valley • Sellwood • Milwaukie • Oregon City