Salem Community Vision expands its horizons

Salemians (the only correct name for people who live in Salem, Oregon) should take a look at a new page on the Salem Community Vision website. 

I'm intimately familiar with the Projects page, because I put it up fairly recently. I volunteered to handle the SCV website; it's been fun most of the time, except when it isn't (anyone who deals with web design knows what I mean).

So far Salem Community Vision mostly has been focused on saving taxpayers $40 million via a much smarter alternative to the City's over-priced $80 million police facility and Civic Center renovation proposal. 

There's much more in SCV's view than just this, though. Check out:

        

Downtown streetscaping
Salem's downtown historic district already is a great place. But it can be even better, attracting more visitors, businesses, and residents. Making downtown pleasantly walkable and bikeable is key. There are many ways this can be done. We can learn from other cities where streetscaping has made their urban core a marvelous place to live, work, play, and enjoy a revitalized "Main Street." 

Economic Improvement District renewal
Salem used to have an independent downtown association. It administered funds that come from assessments on downtown businesses. Now the Salem City Manager has taken control of those funds, serving as a one-person "board" who is advised by a hand-picked advisory committee. This needs to change. It is undemocratic and unproductive to have the City Manager replace an independent downtown association with herself.

Maintain and improve the Marion and Center Street bridges
The two bridges that connect West Salem with the rest of the city aren't seismically sound. Almost certainly they would be unusable when (not if) the Big One earthquake hits. Approaches to the bridges also need to be improved to improve traffic flow, in line with a 1998 Bridgehead Engineering Study. There is no need for the $400 million third bridge proposal being pushed by some elected officials and special interests. Seismic retrofitting and improvements to the current bridges can be accomplished for a fraction of the third bridge cost.

Comments

[Aileen Kaye]

What a difference big trees would make!

[justincase]

more bad ideas from a clueless scv group.back to the drawing board.

[Brian Hines]

justincase, so you are opposed to fixing the current bridges for tens of millions of dollars, instead of spending $400 million on an unneeded third bridge? Wow.

You are opposed to seismically retrofitting the current bridges so they are usable after a big earthquake? Wow.

You are opposed to bringing more visitors to downtown by making it more walkable, bikable, and attractive? Wow.

You are opposed to allowing the businesses that contribute money to the Economic Improvement District to have a say in how their money is spent? Wow.

Fortunately, most people in Salem don't think like you do.