Posted: Monday, April 9, 2007 12:00 am
Just as everything old is new again, we have to wonder: Given that Corvallis has perennial problems with siting the traditional sorts of suburban cul-de-sacs that date to the 1950s, why don't we put greater effort into siting innovative, unconventional housing developments?
For instance, some downtown business and building owners who would like to rent out the space above retail outlets have found that this would be feasible only if they charged outlandish rent.
When Bob Baird established the Book Bin downtown on the corner of Madison Avenue and Fourth Street in 2003, after Gottshalks clothing store moved out, he originally had planned on converting the 15,000 square-foot upper portions of the building into housing.
"It just wouldn't pencil out," he said. That's a phrase that also put a halt to developer's plans to locate housing above the Whiteside; a restaurant is planned there now.
Barriers identified to second-story development in the downtown historic core in a July 2004 Corvallis Downtown Housing Market include the high cost of retrofitting masonry brick structures to be more earthquake-resistant and to modify building to add elevators and other features needed to comply with federal Americans with Disabilities Act.
The end result is that housing downtown is a mix of some high-end specialty projects and lower-income subsidized housing hotels and apartments.
We're grateful that the city is revisiting the issue of more affordable housing for identified target downtown dwellers, such as younger adults ages 18-39 and active retirees from 55 to 70.
What we'd like even more are other ideas to create some truly cutting-edge housing developments in Corvallis that would put us on the map. What about solar-powered communities; underground havens marked by sunken courtyards with "roofs" of garden and forest and hidden garages? Fanciful? Too expensive. Actually, they save on costs and energy requirements.
Imagination and will propel communities past the "it just won't work" barriers. The city is again opening up vistas of possibility with its planned visions for housing and downtown. Watch for a chance to become involved, and bring your imagination.