no new SINGLE-FAMILY houses in August'24, lots of remodeling
Last month sees a surge in business building remodeling while solar seasonally up
Last month sees a surge in business building remodeling while solar seasonally up
Last month sees a surge in business building remodeling while solar seasonally up
Commercial Building remodeling really surges this last month in the City of Milwaukie. New solar installations are probably in a summertime high and will fade as we get into the Fall and Winter.
Roof top solar is starting to lose some of its subsidization by Milwaukie's local electric utility, PGE and its ratepayers. This could really reduce new roof top solar installations going forward in the next few years.
Cottage Clusters is added to the Milwaukie's City building activity table just above here. Cottage Clusters are like homes of one thousand square feet or less with maybe a lot of 1,500 square feet in shared multiple Cottage lot development. Cottage Cluster developments probably will be governed additionally by a homeowner association arrangement for lawn and shared pathway/driveway maintenance.
There are some 26 cottage cluster units tracked currently by the City of Milwaukie. I think these small housing units are likely to ultimately end up as rentals, rather than owner occupied.
(posted by Elvis Clark on September 14, 2024)
Meanwhile, a second Food Cart lot is permitted for next to Milwaukie City Hall
Last month sees a surge in business building remodeling while solar seasonally up
Last month sees a surge in business building remodeling while solar seasonally up
This new food cart lot is where the circled "P" in the bird's eye photo just above here.
276-unit new Apartment Complex proposed - in yellow below
This 276-unit housing complex would be just northeast of Mike's Restaurant - the old Murphy site
Currently the City of Milwaukie zones the old Murphy site as being flex industrial/commercial, and not residential for apartments. So, the City and its Planning Commission have a say that could stop this proposed 276-unit Apartment complex. But Milwaukie City Council and Planning Commission are also wanting more housing. So, it should be interesting what the Milwaukie Planning Commission and the Milwaukie City Council decide ultimately with regard this proposal.
What is kind of funny is that the added traffic of such a large development near the intersection of 32nd and Harrison and Harrison and Highway 224 is acceptable by the City of Milwaukie, because this segment of road is rated "F" (failing by traffic speed standards) already. That is, because Harrison and 32nd/224 is already rated F, the proposed 276-unit apartment complex development doesn't have to provide any remedy for it causing more traffic congestion.
The Murphy site is said to be a brownfield, requiring approval from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to construct on the site, with ability to mitigate the environmental effects of the Brownfield.
Another wrinkle with this apartment complex proposal is that it restricts the City on how it eventually connects the Monroe Street Greenway to the 29th Avenue Greenway.
Hillside Park is going to demolition just north of the Murphy site, this Spring season - it is said. Hillside will have a bicycle/pedestrian connection to the 29th Avenue Greenway.
So, there are a number of wrinkles to the Murphy Site Apartment complex proposal.
Here's the City of Milwaukie's link to the Murphy site proposal:
24-003pa_murphy_site_application_materials.pdf (milwaukieoregon.gov)
(posted by Elvis Clark on April 25, 2024)
No new housing built this month in Milwaukie
The Pace of new Construction in the City of Milwaukie is about normal so far, this fiscal year
The Pace of new Construction in the City of Milwaukie is about normal so far, this fiscal year
The Pace of new Construction in the City of Milwaukie is about normal so far, this fiscal year
(the source of the above permit-based data is the City of Milwaukie's planning department.)
(posted by Elvis Clark on March 22, 2024)
44 tiny homes proposed for former small farm property off Monroe Street (5606)
The Pace of new Construction in the City of Milwaukie is about normal so far, this fiscal year
The Pace of new Construction in the City of Milwaukie is about normal so far, this fiscal year
(posted by Elvis Clark on March 21, 2024)
Governor Kotek's bill would allow cities to build out
This Year's Oregon legislature nearly passed a bill allowing cities to build into their UGB reserves
Governor Kotek is willing to flex and allow cities to build new home developments on lands just on the edge of a city in lands formerly designated as off limits because of urban growth boundaries (UGB).
Letting cities build out might help relieve some of the infill pressure being forced on cities like Milwaukie. Milwaukie is beginning to see infill developments that will take out neighborhood residential yards/open spaces and add to inner city traffic flows/congestion.
Pushing population growth and housing construction back into urban cores diminishes the quality of life for those who already live in the city. Infill, also, means a higher cost of building because idle lands at the edges of cities are removed from the land supply market, eliminating competition for existing inner-city landowners.
Unfortunately, Kotek's bill to allow cities the ability to meet population growth by building out (and not just in)...failed to pass in the Oregon legislature - and the rejection is by just 1 measly vote. If 5 Republican Senators had not remained on walk out status, Kotek's bill to ease land use regulations would have passed.
So, hopefully, Kotek's housing bill to expand land availability passes in an upcoming legislative session when all Senators show.
Here's the link to the Bend Bulletin's reporting on Kotek's proposed easing of land use regulations:
Editorial: Dysfunctional Oregon Legislature trips up housing | Opinion | bendbulletin.com
(posted by Elvis Clark on September 16, 2023)
New Auxillary Dwelling Units (ADu's) trickle in April 2023
Solar installations slow in April 2023 v. March, & it will take decades to solarize Milwaukie Homes
The above chart is from the City of Milwaukie monthly reporting on Building permits. The building of new ADUs is pretty slow , probably reflecting slow demand by existing home owners to add ADUs. Since June of 2022 only three ADUs have been permitted by the City of Milwaukie.
Despite the major selling effort to get home owners to install roof top solar systems, at the pace of solar installations so far this year and last year; it will take over 50 years to get Milwaukie's 8,000 plus homes solarized.
Demolitions of Milwaukie's old and decrepit homes has been slow so far this Spring. The sharp rise in Mortgage rates and construction interest costs probably is dampening the pace of new home construction in Milwaukie.
(posted by Elvis Clark on May 13, 2023)
The Oregon Legislature, Governor continue takeover of Cities
The Legislature and Governor's proposed housing bill would push cities to build more houses
Here's a link to the reporting on the Governor and legislature's proposed new housing emergency bill:
https://katu.com/news/local/large-housing-bill-moves-forward-despite-pushback-from-city-leaders#
There is likely a real downside to the quality of Milwaukie's neighborhoods caused by the Oregon Governor and Legislature's house emergency bill. The Bill requires a City to cause a sharp upturn in new house construction/development. For Milwaukie, this means probably that Milwaukie's (very low) Transportation and park system development charges (SDCs) are less likely to be increased substantively. (SDCs are City fees for building new homes and businesses.) Developers will simply tell the Milwaukie City Council that SDC increases would cause them to build less new housing - which would go against the state's new House Emergency bill.
And without higher SDCs, Milwaukie is likely to have to continue enduring neighborhood streets with big gaps in its side walk and walking path network. (just as illustrated in the photo-to-the-right-here of a typical Milwaukie neighborhood street.) Without an increase in Transportation SDCs, there simply won't be enough funds available to build out a complete network of sidewalks, walking paths.
And not only this, without increases in Park SDCs, Milwaukie City Council is more likely to ask for higher property taxes - to raise funds for park expansion plans.
(posted by Elvis Clark on March 3, 2023.)
Milwaukie's existing City Hall to become packed w/ Brewery+
Will happen next year or 2, with Milwaukie's new City Hall: existing Advantis Credit Union building
When city officials move out (sometime next year 2023), a brewery, restaurant and bakery, along with community art and office space, will move into the historic Milwaukie City Hall building (after its renovation by new property owner).
Milwaukie hasn't yet settled on a purchase price (with the new property owner) for the City Hall building, but city officials plan to begin the negotiation process in the coming weeks.
Here's a link to the Portland Tribune's reporting on the re-development of Milwaukie's iconic, Great Depression-era-built City Hall:
(posted by Elvis Clark on December 2, 2022)
It appears Milwaukie is keeping to a 3 to 4 Story max height
Milwaukie's Planning Commission meets this Tuesday (9/27/22) - Commercial Zones consolidated
I have e-mailed Vera Kolias, Milwaukie's Senior Planner, on whether the 45 foot height limit in the proposed consolidated Commercial zones corresponds typically to a commercial building with no more than 3 to 4 stories in height. If so, this means four story or higher commercial buildings would still need to go through a public hearing for a height variance. This is good if it is the case, because buildings with no more than three to four stories in height seem most in keeping with the small to moderate like size City nature of our current day Milwaukie.
(posted by Elvis Clark on September 24, 2022)
20 small homes proposed for 24,000 Square Foot Lot
A Developer is wanting to build 20 small housing units on Harvey Street in Milwaukie (< 1,000')
The above photo is an artist rendition of the proposed micro houses with community space. Probably very little off street parking. Instead many cars from this development probably would be parked instead on nearby streets, and Harvey Street itself has little on-street parking capability.
What is particularly disturbing is the developer is asking for maybe a 50% discount on its system development charges (used to pay for public capital improvements to handle additional City population), as the developer argues for some reason that public improvement demands are reduced by cars parking on the street instead of on/in a dedicated driveway or garage.
There really isn't any bus service within three blocks of this proposed development. So, developer is using a public resource (on-street parking) instead of having to provide for its own parking on-site. This would definitely be a windfall for developers building such off-street-parking-lite housing.
(posted by Elvis Clark on June 27, 2022)
The Federal Government provides $$ for Kellogg Dam Removal
Oregon Senator Merkley snagged some funding to design the removal of Kellogg Dam in Milwaukie
Kellogg Dam is built back in the first half of the 1800s to service energy to a flour mill in the south end of down town Milwaukie. But the Flour mill became defunct by the year 1900.
And so the dam sits idle only serving to block water draining from the Kellogg drainage area, to this very day and into several more years or more into the future.
Notice Oregon congress person Kurt Schrader also helps in securing these federal government study monies for Kellogg dam removal. This is funny because our Milwaukie Mayor Gamba berates Schrader for not being Progressive enough.
Well this is good news that one day in the future there may be migrating salmon up from the Willamette and into the Kellogg basin, what with the removal of Kellogg dam.
I hear though that there is some question as to the possible toxic nature of the sediment in the bottom of Kellogg lake.
(posted by Elvis Clark on April 16, 2022)
New Housing Units are being built at a steady clip in this past year - 897 Apartment Housing Units are currently in the project pipeline for Milwaukie
In recent years, the building of apartment complexes picks up from near zero activity in prior years.
Single Family Houses are also a bit up in building activity the past two years, aided by annexation of areas previously outside the city limits (some farm acreage brought within the City, converting this acreage to the building of new single family housing subdivisions).
ADU building activity is rather modest in the total scheme of Milwaukie's current building buzz.
Going forward the building of new ADU's will not have to provide off-street parking - leaving their occupants to park on street - more cars on our roads. This is except for new ADU vacation rentals which must provide one off street parking space for each ADU.
Milwaukie reduces permit fees, too, for t
Solar panel installations are also picking up with the increased building activity in Milwaukie.
(posted by Elvis Clark on November 14, 2021)
The Salvation Army thrift store at Milwaukie Market Place closes two weeks ago - half of the Milwaukie Market Place is vacant with this closing
Here to right is bird's eye view of our Milwaukie Marketplace. The Salvation Army thrift store closes its doors permanently on July 17, 2021. This comes on top of last year's closing of McGrath's Fish house. Milwaukie City Council is looking for grant money to study what could be down to revamp the Mall which is now only half full (Kimco real estate firm actually owns the Mall property). This
Johnson Creek Developments pose Traffic concerns
Talk of re-development of the East Moreland Racquet Club
The only way out and into the Racquet Club is Johnson Crk Blvd.
The street leading up to the Racquet Club is lined with homes.
Word from Ardenwald's Neighborhood Land Use rep is the East Moreland Racquet Club pictured here is under consideration to become a Retirement Housing Complex, of about 150 housing units possibly.
The street leading up to the Racquet Club is lined with homes.
The only way out and into the Racquet Club is Johnson Crk Blvd.
The street leading up to the Racquet Club is lined with homes.
The Racquet Club property is bordered on its north by Johnson Creek (the stream), and our land use gal worries about the environmental impact of a new complex on this property. East Moreland Golf Course is just across the stream from the Racquet Club.
(posted by Elvis Clark on November 28, 2020)
The only way out and into the Racquet Club is Johnson Crk Blvd.
The only way out and into the Racquet Club is Johnson Crk Blvd.
The only way out and into the Racquet Club is Johnson Crk Blvd.
This new development if it comes to fruition , would be the third potential large development for the Johnson Creek Boulevard area between like southeast 21st and 50th. The other two are (1) a potential 150 apartment unit complex at the intersection of 42nd and Johnson where the old land fill site is until most recently; and (2) a cottage cluster or tiny house complex development near the Springwater Trail just across from Precision Castparts.
One can only fret about resulting traffic congestion for those trying to access Johnson Creek Boulevard into and out of Milwaukie.
Milwaukie's AdU pilot program - Mayor and councilor views
Mayor Gamba thinks waiving system development charges caused more ADUs to be constructed
However, Councilor Batey thinks it is the City's waiving of frontal improvements and their associated costs which is driving a bump up in interest in Milwaukie's pilot program for ADU building.
Milwaukie's ADU pilot program is limited to the first ten new ADUs into the City's Permit desk (since the beginning of this last July 2020), and it waives both City development charges and also requirements to construct and or pay for frontage improvements. I think it may also dispense with off-street parking requirement for a new ADU.
The City is already hit the annual limit of 10 new ADUs for qualifying for the Pilot Programs waivers.
I tend to agree with Councilor Batey it is the frontage improvements and off street parking waivers that drive the moderate pick up in ADU unit construction, not as the Mayor suggests the waiving of City [system] development charges.
Any changes to this ADU pilot program are not likely before this next March, when the Council meets again on the ADU program. I myself am leery of eliminating the off street parking requirement for new units, as this could result in increasing amounts of cars parked on-street - and where many of Milwaukie's neighborhood streets lack sidewalks and are poorly paved, a challenge to those on a bicycle or walking.
I am hoping the City will maintain some review of ADUs in incidences where the streets are lacking improvements and are rutted and potholed. I actually had advocated and got this placed as a goal in MIlwaukie's new Comprehensive Plan - the goal of not worsening the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians when permitting residential infill projects (such as a new ADU).
Councilor Hyzy is leery of the ADU pilot program
Councilor Hyzy voices concern these new ADUs will not be affordable, as they seem to be going for rents in the middle and upper middle income classes. She wants to impose some kind of limits on the building of ADUs to in her mind ensure this new construction fits as Affordable Housing.
I would only add that if a City starts imposing new regulations on how ADUs are rented, then it is liable to discourage the building of ADUs.
The Mayor and Councilor Falconer want to have a sliding scale for System Development Charges
The Mayor and Councilor Falconer argue a lower rate of System Development Charges should be imposed on ADUs as opposed to the construction of single family detached homes.
I am left wondering whether it is not so much the size of the house impacting system developments public expenses but more like number of people in the housing unit. I mean, for instance, you can have a big house with only yourself in it. In this case, do you flush the toilet (Sewer costs) anymore than the person living in an ADU?
(posted by Elvis Clark on November 18 ,2020)
New Single Family Homes 'still the ticket'...City may extend ADU fee waivers
Tomorrow evening, 11/17/20, Milwaukie City Council will begin considering extending its temporary waiver of certain fees and maybe even parking requirements for construction of new Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). Back this last Spring, the City Council I think waived certain fees and parking requirements for the first ten new ADU construction units coming into the City's permit desk. Construction of new ADUs are still required to go through a planning approval process; and this is something being eyed by the Comprehensive Plan Implementation Committee for easing ADU construction.
My opinion, as long as ADU construction is coming in at a pace of 20 new units or so a year; which is the pace lately; then I don't sweat this rate of infill into our single family neighborhoods.
I will listen in to the ADU dialogue at tomorrow night's City Council Regular Session meeting.
(posted by Elvis Clark on November 16, 2020)
Large property at corner of 42nd and Johnson Crk Blvd Sold
At the October 26th, 2020, Ardenwald-Johnson Creek neighborhood association meeting, the land use representative says the rather large lot (with red star in photo above here) is now sold to a party interested in developing it. This lot is maybe 4 to 5 acres in size, and is right at the intersection of Johnson Creek Boulevard and 42nd.
42nd and Johnson Creek Blvd usually is a congested intersection at rush hour (pre virus shut down days, that is). So, wouldn't be surprised if this intersection is signalized with traffic lights, at some point, in order to accommodate traffic flow in and out of this potential new rather large residential development.
This site is used in recent times for digging out fill dirt and storing of such like materials.
Developer is said to be touching base with City leaders and neighborhood association. Neighborhood Association is thinking of inviting developer to a Neighborhood Association meeting in the future to discuss in broad outlines what might become of this large development site.
(posted by Elvis Clark on October 27, 2020)
building projects getting underway in Milwaukie - Sept. 2020
Over near the Waverly golf course, a new 100 unit apartment complex is under planning. Would use Waverly Court road which links to 17th avenue. A chunk of the property would be made into forest with path ways and greenery. Kind of nice.
It's back. Over at 32nd and Olsen, a mixed use apartment building is back to City Planners for building approval. This time the planned building is not 45 feet high but 38 feet with no penthouse apartment unit on top. It has 18 housing units and 2 retail shops on first floor. It has 17 on-site parking spaces which is still short of the more robust 1 for 1 parking space ratio.
There are three Auxiliary Dwelling Units being planned in Milwaukie. (1) 10190 se 37th avenue. (2) 2908 se Olsen Street. and (3) 6002 se Morris street - which I think is just off Johnson Creek Road.
In what is a public housing project, Clackamas County Housing Authority (HACC) is still talking about opening 29th Avenue in Milwaukie to vehicular traffic out of the county's public housing property. Currently 29th is only a bicycle and pedestrian connection to this County property (called Hillside Park). Ardenwald neighbors and myself will be working to stop this new vehicle connection into wha
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Not a lot of building going on in Milwaukie per Chart above
No Accessory Dwelling Units being built in February 2020, fourth month in a row seems like .
NO new Commercial building activity undertaken - permit phase.
No new demolitions in February 2020.
2 Solar systems installed at a cost of almost $1,600 each system. Would seem to require a lot of electricity use before this solar alternative makes economic sense for the homeowner.
(posted by Elvis Clark April 4, 2020)
NOvember '19 Milwaukie construction report
No ADUs or solar panels permitted in November '19
5 New Single Family Houses permitted for construction, however. These figures are down from the October 19 report, section just below this one. Maybe seasonal decline? I do note listings of existing homes for sale in Milwaukie as printed by Zillow real estate website seem unusually slow, even for the slow home sale season we currently are in.
The average value per new single family home is $335,000 ($1,671,044 divided by 5 new homes above table); but I am wondering if this excludes the cost of the lot; which is running over $150,000 for a 5,000 foot lot in Milwaukie as of last summer. If so, the final total price of a new home is probably close to $500k for average single family home.
There is one demolition in the November '19 report.
One of my ambitions is to build a data set and chart Milwaukie construction activity by month, going back several years. The data is reported monthly by the City of Milwaukie.
(Posted by Elvis Clark on January 20, 2019)
8 New Single Family houses to begin building in Milwaikie
October 2019 building notes from above photo report from City of Milwaukie
8 new single family houses going to construction in Milwaukie....estimated average cost of these new homes are roughly $300,000 in house construction plus probably about another $150,000 for the house lot; making for a total cost of a new house in Milwaukie at around $450,000. With system development fees and other government permit fees....probably closer to $500,000 for acquiring a new home on average.
2 Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) going to construction. Average cost of each ADU addition looks to be only about $65,000...probably permit fees and other fees get the average total cost of these 2 ADUs closer to $100,000.
1 Solar unit system is going to installation. It is probably residential....and roof top solar is still not cost effective in the Willamette Valley for supplying home electricity. At a total cost of this solar system around $24,500 installed, the effective rate (excluding government subsidies provided the solar panel installer) is over 18 cents per Kwh consumed....whereas you can get a KWH off of PGE utility's retail electric grid (residential service) for only 12 cents. So, effectively solar is 50% more expensive if not for government subsidies than existing PGE electricity supply. The government via taxes and increase average electric utility rates on other people is subsidizing over a third of the cost of solar electric supply costs.
(posted by Elvis Clark, 12/7/19)