|
|
|
|
|
By Danielle Gillespie
WINSTON — A major goal of Winston residents and city officials is to attract more businesses to the downtown area.
On Saturday, a group of about 40 community members and city officials gathered at the Winston Community Center to talk about how to enhance the city.
Volunteers sought
The city of Winston is seeking community volunteers to serve on a committee that will help the city create an urban renewal district, which is a project authorized by the state to help improve blighted areas.
Information: 679-6739.Mayor Rex Stevens said he wants to create a nice downtown area where people can walk around easily and have plenty of places to shop. Right now, there are empty storefronts and many residents do their shopping in Roseburg. The downtown area is designed around vehicles and not pedestrians.
To help, the city plans to set up an urban renewal district, which is a project authorized by the state to help communities improve blighted areas. There are more than 70 urban renewal districts in Oregon.
“With the urban renewal and the help of everyone in this room, we are going to attract some really good things … we’re going to have a downtown that we all deserve,” Stevens said.
To create an urban renewal district, community and city council members decide what area of town will be included within the district’s boundary. Cities can have more than one urban renewal district, but can’t have more than 25 percent of their land or total property value in them, said Charles Kupper, a consultant with Spencer & Kupper located in Portland.
The city used a $10,000 grant from the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians to hire Kupper.
The business owners and residents who live within the urban renewal district still pay their property taxes, but a portion of their taxes is set aside to improve the area, Kupper said. That money can be spent on enhancements such as sidewalks, lighting, parks and fixing up residential homes and commercial businesses. Urban renewal districts do not raise property taxes. The benefit to having an urban renewal district is that it raises the value of that area and the surrounding areas, Kupper said.
To further help the downtown, the Oregon Department of Transportation will be widening Highway 42 between Lookingglass Creek and Glenhart Avenue starting this spring.
The project will cost about $3.2 million and is funded by the Oregon Transportation Investment Act, the city and county. The expansion will include adding bike lanes, sidewalks and a turning lane.
“We think this is going to definitely provide a benefit here,” said Pam Frank, ODOT project information specialist.
It will be easier and safer for people to reach the businesses located along that part of the road, Frank said.
Stevens thinks it’s crucial the city start talking about ways to improve. There are more than 800 homes that are planned, under construction or being built in the city, Stevens said. That means, the city has to grow to accommodate the new residents.
“It’s really booming, it is,” he said.
A new medical center and community center are already in the works.
Construction of the new $4.1 million community center, which will be 21,400 square feet and include a senior and teen center, library, community room and more, is scheduled to begin in May.
The Winston-Dillard Fire District has partnered with Umpqua Community Health Center to construct a 4,000- to 6,000-square-foot medical center that should be operational in less than two years.
Community members suggested the next step be improving streets, drainage and local parks. Four to five community members volunteered to follow up on those goals.
<<< Business Successes >>>