Salmon and Main
Current Conditions:
Of the four sites, the site between Salmon and Main is the least heavily occupied in terms of permanent structures. As with the Yamhill and Taylor site, the west half of the block is a parking lot. The eastern half of the block contains three buildings and additional surface parking spaces – in fact, 75% of the block is dedicated to parking.
The middle building on the east half of the block is a four story apartment building. The two buildings on the northeast and southeast corner of the block are both single story structures.
Adjacent Buildings and Uses:
There are no shops on the block, with the exception of a hair salon on the southeast corner. Many of the adjacent lots are also surface parking lots. One impact of this is that currently the site gets very good light and air flow. However, there is uncertainty as to what will be erected on these sites. This would be of particular concerns for the site on the northeast corner of 11th and Main and on the southeast corner of 12th and Main – tall buildings on either site would impact this block. There are also parking lots on the northwest corner of 12th and Salmon, and on both northern corners of 11th and Salmon.
The First Unitarian Church is a pretty brick structure across 12th avenue from the site that adds some character to the area. Additionally, the block of 11th Avenue to the south of the site has well-defined proportions, nice trees, and comes across as a high quality urban street. This presents a nice opportunity to continue the level of urban design up 11th Avenue and extend the corridor out, potentially creating a great street section.
(Click on a building to see a close-up of that structure)
Site Observations
Rain was falling during this site observation. This site was quieter than the two sites to the north, and the hum of traffic noise from I-405 seems less pervasive. This might be due to a higher density of both buildings and trees between the site and the highway, as well as a potential sound dampening effect of the rain. Bird sounds are more pervasive, perhaps coming from the dense trees in front of the church.
There is a slight slope down from to the northeast, although it is less noticeable than either of the sites to the north. In contrast to other sites, there are two substantial trees on this site, right in the center of the site and behind existing buildings. The central locations of the trees might make their preservation difficult, but nonetheless presents an opportunity to incorporate nice existing greenery.
