Just the Facts - Open Question & Answer Forum

Hello, thank you for your question!

1. If you are finding broken links, please report them to communityplanner@cityofmolalla.com(External link). 

2. We will research the dates on posts, if it's possible on this system, we'll make it happen. 

3. A link to the Transportation Master Plan.  Those documents are on the City website under the "Governing Documents" section.  There is a button that takes you there from the home screen.  Here is a link for now though: https://www.cityofmolalla.com/Departments/Planning-Division/Governing-Documents(External link).

4. Currently, North Ona Way is in the Transportation Capital Plan for buildout during the 20-year planning horizon (2018-2038 for the TSP), but there is no funding for it at present.  The road will likely develop in conjunction with development of the properties adjacent to it in accordance with their comprehensive plan zoning.  All of that to say, there is no date set for full buildout of North Ona Way at present. 

Thank you!

The Molalla Current Project Team

Hello, and thank you for your question!  

I'm not clear why this wasn't responded to earlier and I hope you've gotten in touch with the City using other means, but I apologize on behalf of the Molalla Current Team either way. Yes, we are working on improving our graphics, please keep us posted if you don't see improvement. Thank you!

The Molalla Current Project Team

Thank you for your question!  There is no succinct way to answer this, so bear with me...

About a year ago, a non-profit that was established to raise funds through donation for a future skate park upgrade, though what an upgrade would look like and where it would be located have not been determined.  City Councilor Rae-Lynn Botsford is a member of that non-profit, you can contact her at rbotsford@cityofmolalla.com(External link) if you would like to get involved.

Also, in February of 2025, the City Council adopted an updated Parks Master Plan.  The plan includes a 2 phased approach to a new skate park: 

Phase 1 - Medium Priority (FY2030-2035) - Conduct feasibility study for developing skate park with furnishings (signage, receptacles, benches, bike racks). 

Phase 2 - Low Priority (FY2035-2040) - Develop skate park with furnishings. 

Notably, the Parks Master plan is a guide for needed capital projects in the parks system that also takes funding availability and resources into account, but it is not etched in stone. For instance, if the non-profit has great success raising funds, the City Council could determine to shift the skate park to a higher priority because funding availability now warrants it.  

Best Wishes, 

The Molalla Current Project Team     

Thank you for your question!

The annual water report for 2023 is available on the Molalla Current under the Molalla's Water System page here: https://current.cityofmolalla.com/molalla-s-water-system. The reports for prior years are posted on the City's website, here: https://www.cityofmolalla.com/publicworks/page/water-quality-reports(External link).  We are currently in the process of rebuilding our webpage, that's why we decided to put the 2023 report on the current as we weren't sure how accessible the website would be during reconstruction.  

The City's DRC Operator moved to a different organization at the beginning of the year and though water systems have 30 days to find and name a new DRC, we just completed contracting with a DRC on 1/14/25 that has served at our plant as DRC over the years as a gap fill when a DRC moves on.  Both the 30-day rule and utilization of a contract DRC for gap fill is common practice in the water treatment world any time a DRC separates from an organization, it is no cause for concern.  Thank you!

Sincerely, 

The Molalla Current Project Team

Thank you for your question!

The City is currently surveying the road to see what the actual right of way widths and locations are along the route and had to cut back the overgrown foliage so the surveyors could get in there and find markers.  Once we have that information, it will be possible to better plan (budget, scope, timeline) for future improvement of the road in accordance with the Transportation System Plan either as it sits today or as the Council determines to amend it in the future.  

Please note, there are no secrets about how streets in Molalla are planned to develop, every road is planned in the Transportation System Plan (TSP) which is adopted by the City Council and provides staff with the plan for transportation system improvements over a 20-year planning horizon, then is updated every 10-years as a best practice.  Here is a link to the City of Molalla Transportation System Master Plan(External link). 

The extent of the current budgeting toward MFR is for the survey work to see what MFR actually is and what it might take to improve it in the future. The TSP cross section for Molalla Forest Road can be found on page 64.  

Sincerely, 

The Molalla Current Project Team

Thank you for your question. 

Please bring your concerns to a City Council meeting if necessary. Meetings are held on the 2^nd at 4^th Wednesday of each month at 7:00pm, in the Molalla Civic Center, 315 Kennel Avenue. If you are unable to arrive in person, please send your public comment/concern to the City Recorder at recorder@cityofmolalla.com(External link).

Sincerely, 

The Molalla Current Project Team

Hello and thank you for the question!  

I'm not sure which property you mean exactly, but the best way to find out who owns a particular parcel in Clackamas County is the C-Map application (County GIS).  Here is a link: https://maps.clackamas.us/maps/cmap(External link).

Thank you!

The Molalla Current Project Team

Hello, thank you for your question!

1) Will the crosswalk at Thunderbird be added back? Yes, the crosswalk at Thunderbird that crosses N Molalla Ave will be re-installed in conjunction with a sidewalk improvement project taking place in that location.  The crosswalk return will be brought up to ADA standards and is expected to start imminently (subject to weather), and should take no more than a few days to complete.  This project is funded in part by the City's new Sidewalk Improvement Grant! 

The other crosswalk that runs parallel to N Molalla Ave and crosses Thunderbird will be reinstalled in conjunction with the project replacing the crosswalk at N Molalla and Frances.  It is scheduled for replacement by mid-2025.  

Warm Regards, 

The Molalla Current Project Team

Hello, thank you for your questions!

1) Will the crosswalk at Thunderbird be added back? Yes, the crosswalk at Thunderbird that crosses N Molalla Ave will be re-installed in conjunction with a sidewalk improvement project taking place in that location.  The crosswalk return will be brought up to ADA standards and is expected to start imminently (subject to weather), and should take no more than a few days to complete.  This project is funded in part by the City's new Sidewalk Improvement Grant! 

2) Why was the issue at the Francis St crosswalk not planned/accounted for BEFORE removing it when a teen was hit here and died? It was planned and accounted for.  The City completed the resurfacing of N Molalla Ave using a special transportation fund that defederalizes money for use on local roads.  When a project is planned, there is a contingency that is budgeted to deal with any unexpected issues along the way.  If that contingency was used, the City was going to re-stripe the crosswalk in place and plan a future project to bring the location into compliance.  Since that money was not used, the City had enough funding to reconstruct the crosswalk now and not waste funds on a temporary, non-compliant alternative. Given the proximity to other available crosswalks it was determined that student passage could still be completed safely by walking to the open crosswalk 400 feet away. 

As far as the last part of your question, I would urge you to check your resources - no one has been killed in that intersection within at least the last 20 years. There have been vehicle vs pedestrian collisions there without a death and they occurred when the crosswalk is in place, so inattention and/or unsafe practices were the culprit, not the lack of a crosswalk. We urge anyone, student or adult, to make use of the existing crosswalks with the understanding that they do not provide a physical barrier and due regard is still a necessity.  We equally encourage all drivers, especially in populated areas, to be careful and expect the unexpected to avoid a tragedy.   

3) What are the City’s plans to illuminating the Francis St area to avoid another needless death in our community?  There are no current plans to add or remove any street lighting on Frances St. 

Warm Regards, 

The Molalla Current Project Team

Thank you for your question!

2023-2024 Budget

Within the 2023-24 City of Molalla Annual Budget $1,623,670 was identified/budgeted for the proposed police facility for costs associated with demolition and pre-bond expenses. The incurred pre-bond expenses were paid back once bond funding was received. Out of the budgeted funding $228,663 was spent from the URA budget for the Police Facility on Bowling Alley demolition costs. When creating the budget, we estimate revenue and expenses. That does not mean we will receive or spend those funds. Part of budget creation is taking the actual ending fund balance and moving that to beginning fund balance. Funds not allocated or spent are carried over to the new budget year. The Police Facility is a Capital project and is listed under Capital Outlay in the URA budget.

2024-2025 Budget

The City identified 2.5 million in the URA budget is in the Capital Outlay section. This is not new funding, but all part of the carryover explained above. Nothing has been spent from that line item. During the Budget process it was discussed that we would ear mark potential funding for the Police Facility should the funding fall short at project completion. This is an allowable expense through our URA plan. This will be a budgeted carryover that you will see in 2025-2026 budget as well.

The Current Project Team