The Heights Streetscape Plan

Thanks for Attending the Public Open House-You Can Still Take the Survey before May 16th!

Over 250 people attended the open houses on April 22nd and 23rd. Many stayed for dinner, talked with staff and friends from the neighborhood, and enjoyed a community gathering. We received a large amount of input and the Project Team is currently tabulating the results and developing a meeting summary. You still have time to take the survey and provide input. Plus, you can sign up for a raffle from one of our local businesses!

Phase 1 is Complete

In Spring and Summer 2021, Hood River told us about its vision for the future of how we should be able to move around the Heights. Safe street crossings and better sidewalks for pedestrians, safe bicycle facilities, adequate parking, and access for vehicles to local businesses are all priority elements of a future streetscape design in the Heights. With that information, project goals are now established to guide the project, but there is much more work to do.

Phase 2: Designing and Evaluating Streetscape Alternatives

Using the project goals and information from Phase 1, the project team is developing streetscape alternatives that demonstrate urban design elements centered around  the community’s goals and priorities. This is the next step in the process, followed by consolidating the best elements of each alternative into a single shared district vision, that best meets the community’s project goals.

We are working on the preliminary concepts and technical evaluations (e.g., traffic, parking, connectivity etc.) in Fall 2021. After we’ve discussed possibilities with agencies like the Oregon Department of Transportation (who own and maintain 12^th and 13^th) and the Urban Renewal Agency Board to confirm we are on the right track, we will share these alternatives to with the public in early 2022 for review and input. Public input is very important, and we want to provide the community with as much information as possible to help inform the decision on a final preferred Height District alternative.

About the Project

The Heights is a Hood River destination, filled with unique homes and diverse local businesses. It is also an important gateway to Mount Hood and the historic family farms and outdoor recreation in the Hood River Valley. As the Heights grows, we need to create a safe streetscape for the pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists traveling to and through the area every day.

The Height’s central transportation spine is OR 281, linking downtown Hood River with the Hood River Valley. The corridor serves many public amenities, such as Providence Hospital, May Street Elementary School, Hood River Middle School, Jackson Park, and Indian Creek Trail.

The Heights Streetscape Plan focuses on the commercial core of OR 281 between May Street and Belmont Avenue, which has a mix of office, restaurant, and other retail uses, with single and multi-family housing located next to the commercial core. Both the local business district and surrounding neighborhoods are culturally and socially diverse, with a strong Latino community presence.

Getting Involved

Save the date to attend one of the project open houses on April 22nd and 23rd. If you want email updates and reminders about upcoming meetings, sign up for updates via Hood River Connect and select ‘Urban Renewal Heights District’ under “Current Issues”. You may also leave us a comment via the form below.