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Marion County Commissioners State Opposition to Coastal Parkway On April 15, the Marion County Commissioners held a Work Session at the request of Coastal Parkway LLC, to hear the proposed project for a privately funded toll way across French Prairie. In addition to reminding the attendees of three previous County Commissioner resolutions opposing a "regional parkway" across French Prairie, the Commissioners clearly stated their opposition to the proposed project, citing the need to protect farm land and the County agriculture industry, the land use and legal complications that would be involved, the absence of willing sellers of the needed land, and questionable projections for project costs. [Read a summary of the Work Session in PDF]
In recent months, a transportation idea that has been around for years has arisen once again, but this time with apparent significant financial backing. That idea is a limited access highway across French Prairie, to provide more efficient truck traffic to and from McMinnville and I-5 as well as faster access to the Oregon coast. In this case, the idea appears in the form of Coastal Parkway, LLC, a limited liability corporation in Newberg fronted by Robert Youngman. Coastal Parkway LLC first appeared on the radar screen late last year when Youngman presented the concept to the Dundee and Newberg City Councils. He positioned it as having he support of Cascade Steel and Evergreen Aviation. In January the Newberg Planning commission documented in their meeting the fact that the City is considering expansion of their UGB Industrial Zone south toward the Hwy 210 Willamette River Bridge, and a point of discussion was highway access to I-5 via McKay/Yergen/Ehlen Road. The proposal is for a private, limited access (i.e. freeway) toll road in one of five proposed routes across French Prairie from I-5, across the Willamette River to Hwy 221 at Dayton.
In early February Youngman began trying to meet informally with farmers in St Paul and Donald to build grass roots support, and has subsequently met with the City of Donald. They have previously met with City of Salem Public Works, Marion County Public Works, representatives of ODOT and have additional municipal meetings scheduled:
The positioning sell is for a privately funded parkway to address chronic transportation problems across French Prairie which neither the State of Oregon nor Marion County have the funds to address. They claim this type of project would help "farmers get their products to market," and imply that it would make the Dundee Bypass unnecessary. The project proposal contains five possible routes, all originating at different points on I-5, and terminating at Dayton. What is striking is that the design includes only three interchanges: one at I-5, one on Hwy 219 north of St Paul, and the third at Hwy 221 at Dayton. All other north/south roads in French Prairie would either be crossed with an overpass or dead-ended. This is clearly not a project designed to provide any benefit to French Prairie, and virtually none to Marion County. It is designed to directly benefit Yamhill County and businesses in the McMinnville area, and provide some improvement for private traffic flow to and from the Oregon Coast. What it proposes to do is cut French Prairie in half, and consume the best farmland in the country in the process in order to benefit the few. Coastal Parkway LLC apparently has a number of yet undisclosed investors, who clearly stand to make large profits if the project were to go forward. Friends of French Prairie is collecting signatures on a petition to present to the Marion County Commissioners on April 15 to make clear that the farmers and residents of French Prairies are adamantly opposed to this project. To learn more and sign the petition, call: Ben Williams at 503.568.5670 Marcie Garritt at 503.633.4660 Cindi Elliott at 503.702.4402 SUPPORTING MATERIALS
Recent media coverage of this Current Issue
 Proposed toll road runs into opposition April 4, 2010 [Download PDF here] 
 ©2012, Friends of French Prairie, a nonprofit organization. Friends of French Prairie is an affiliate of 1000 Friends of Oregon. |
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