6 • The Southwest Portland Post
NEWS
July 2017
Szigethy gives subcommittee history lesson on unimproved streets in Southwest
CAPITOL HIGHWAY PROJECT
By Erik Vidstrand
The Southwest Portland Post
The Capitol Highway Subcommittee
met on June 22 to discuss various
options available to improve local
streets near the Capitol Highway
improvement project (Garden Home
Road south to Taylors Ferry Road).
The Portland Bureau of
Transportation presented an overview
to an overflow crowd of about
45 neighbors. Chair Chris Lyons
introduced Steve Szigethy, capital
project manager, and his bureau
colleague, Millicent Williams.
“I believe this is the largest
subcommittee meeting we have ever
had,” Lyons said. “We are happy
to have the bureau here tonight
to discuss available solutions to
improve streets that feed into Capitol
Highway.”
The attendees introduced themselves
describing their street situations. It
was apparent that everyone in the
room shared basically the same issues:
unimproved streets including storm
water facilities. Szigethy described
why there are unimproved streets in
the first place.
“For the most part,” Szigethy
said, “this had to do with city
annexation dates from 1880 on. Most
of Multnomah was annexed in the
1940s and 1950s.
“[Outside the city of Portland] in
those days, frontage improvements
were not required,” Szigethy said.
“That’s why we have so many
graveled and substandard roads and
no sidewalks.”
To improve these streets, the city
has developed several programs
to address these issues. The most
recent invention is called the Local
Transportation Improvement Charge,
or LTIC.
These charges are imposed upon
the developers unless the project
is not physically feasible or overly
expensive.
In such cases the city may grant a
waiver of remonstrance to the original
developer of a property instead of
requiring a street improvement.
The city may also grant a waiver
if a property has a greater than 21
percent grade, streams, environmental
hazards, or if the road cannot be
accessed by vehicles.
A waiver of remonstrance means that
a property is automatically counted in
favor of a street improvement for a
future Local Improvement District.
The city works closely with all
property owners in an LID, whether
their property has a waiver of
remonstrance or not.
A minimum of two property owners
are needed to form an LID. Various
low-interest loans are available for
homeowners, who pay a certain
allocated fee based on the linear feet
of the frontage. The current average
price is $600 per linear foot.
“This money goes into a city account
to be used later for street improvement
projects,” Szigethy said. “The city has
assessed over $2 million worth of fees,
but has only collected approximately
$640,000.”
Another source of funding is
through the Transportation System
Plan. Szigethy explained that these
projects are funded by federal and
state taxes, state and regional grants,
and the city’s Fixing our Streets
program, which is supported by a 10
cents a gallon city gasoline tax.
“These funds are only for major
capital projects,” Szigethy said, “like
the Capitol Highway improvement
project.”
The participants, many who live on
and adjacent to Capitol Highway, had
a multitude of questions.
Many have been working on this
project since the 1990s.They appeared
very knowledgeable of the rules,
codes, and processes that have been
going on for the last three decades.
Szigethy explained that neighbors
can make minor repairs to their
streets on their own without permits.
Neighbors must use similar materials,
like gravel, to fill potholes and ruts.
Concrete and asphalt are not allowed;
trees cannot be cut down.
“If you plan to pave with asphalt,
a city permit with Public Works must
be acquired,” Szigethy said as he
The Capitol Highway Subcommittee meets at the Multnomah Arts Center in
December 2016. (Post file photo by Erik Vidstrand)
finished up his talk.
Szigethy announced that in October,
at the request of Southwest Trails
activist Don Baack, a “gravel event”
will take place along Capitol Highway.
Gravel will be delivered to four
different areas along Capitol to amend
the “goat path” which parallels the
busy highway.
“Residents should bring their
shovels and wheelbarrows to help
repair the path,” Szigethy said. “In
November, I will be conducting
one-on-one outreach with residents
along Capitol [Highway] to assess
some finer details of the proposed
improvements that may affect their
property.”
The final design of the segment’s
improvements will be ready by
December 2018 with construction to
start in spring and continue through
fall of 2019.
To reach Szigethy, email him at
steve.szigethy@portlandoregon.gov. To
learn more about the Capitol Highway
Subcommittee, email Chris Lyons at
chrislyons7@yahoo.com.
Some 40 neighbors and city staff gathered at the corner of Alice Street during a
walking tour of Capitol Highway on July 30, 2016. (Post file photo by Erik Vidstrand)
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