Just the Facts - Open Question & Answer Forum

Thank you for your question.  Molalla Forest Road was originally constructed as a private logging road not subject to the regulations that a public road faces.  Before it can be opened, the city must ensure it is safe and compliant with the regulations placed on roads in Oregon.  Staff is currently in the process of conducting a feasibility study to determine the minimum necessary actions that have to take place prior to opening the road so that we can ensure the city does not face liability by knowingly providing a substandard and thus dangerous roadway to the public.  

The long and short of it is that the road will be opened in the relatively near term.  How long that is will be dependent on the results of the feasibility study conducted by our traffic engineers.  Performing this due diligence will help to ensure that taxpayer money is not spent defending avoidable lawsuits, or paying avoidable damages, while simultaneously doing all that we can to ensure the route is safe for the community to use.    

Thank you for your question.  The North Ona Way access to Bear Creek Subdivision was required to be dedicated and constructed as a condition of approval of the Bear Creek Subdivision.  However, like many other land dedication and public improvement requirements in Molalla prior to the current city administration it did not get completed and the development was allowed to progress past the point of legal obligation for the mentioned improvements. 

Despite the lack of legal obligation by the developer, current city staff who came to the city after this issue occurred was able to negotiate to obtain dedication of the right of way, and has partnered with the developer of Bear Creek Apartments to get the curb returns and ADA ramps installed. The full connection to Bear Creek subdivision will be considered by the City Council in crafting the 5-year capital this Winter, that is the plan that sets the public project priorities for City Staff.  Should the adjacent properties develop before a public project can be completed, completing the connection will be a condition of development approval.  

Sincerely, 

The Molalla Current Project Team   

Thank you for your question.  The contractor was delayed by a day in starting our paving projects and 5th St. was scheduled as the final street, so it pushed into the following week.  Since then it has either been raining or had rain forecast, and we can't pave in the rain.  So, we will work with the contractor to reschedule when a good forecast will allow for paving and will re-notice at that time.  

Sincerely, 

The Molalla Current Project Team 

Hello, thank you for your inquiry!  I'm sure you already guessed that we adjust the timing to save electricity when it's light out later... but, it looks like we forgot to adjust them back.  The reminder is very much appreciated and the lights are being adjusted as I type.  Thank you!

The Molalla Current Project Team

Thank you for your question!

Unfortunately, we would need far more information on the particular property documents and the context of the dispute to provide a response, and there is a good chance any relevant  response would equate to legal advice, which we cannot give.  

If you'd like to send the details of your issue to communityplanner@cityofmolalla.com we can at least take a look.  We will need the language and legal description for the easement(s), and a report of what occurred that you believe is causing liability.  At that point, we would be able to assess whether or not an answer would be inappropriate legal advice or not.   

Typically, any dispute regarding an easement or property that the city has no ownership interest in would need to be resolved through the Clackamas County Circuit Court as a dispute between co-equal property owners.     

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. 

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

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 

Thank you for your question!

As far as first right of refusal, no the state does not have a first right of refusal on district property unless it has been contractually granted and recorded for some reason, and that is both rare and unlikely in the case of School District property. 

-The Molalla Current Project Team