There has been a concerted effort in the face of common sense and the wishes of the people of Keizer, to bring a massive parking lot and its attendant giant Wal-Mart anchor store to the city.
This, in an area with a terrible economy that is already suffering the effects of a double dip recession, and has two failed “big box” stores in a prior development not a mile away!
One thing that is immediately apparent about this car-centric abortion of a development is the sheer space devoted to pavement. I have highlighted the parking space in the picture of the proposed development below to show how the acres of pavement actually dwarf the amount of space used for retail. The proposed big box store, while being a destructive business killer for local stores in core-area Keizer, would also potentially add some 4200 to 7200 cars a day in traffic headaches to the already overburdened area. Much of the extra traffic snarl would be loaded onto the residential street of Chemawa NE. Further, the City Council’s efforts foist this “road apple” onto the people of Keizer (over their strenuous objections) disregard the city’s very own codes.
Proposed Park o Rama
Mixed use development according to City of Keizer Code is supposed to “support transit use, provide a buffer between busy streets and residential neighborhoods, and provide new housing opportunities in the City. Development is intended to be pedestrian-oriented with buildings close to and oriented to the sidewalk.” Unless you somehow consider prodigious expanses of parking lot to be pedestrian oriented, I don’t know how this would fit with the intent of the city development codes.
Portion of Keizer Station Development A with Empty the "Big Boxes" noted
Thankfully there is a local group called Keep Keizer Livable fighting this development. They have an intuitive on the ballot for March Eighth to require the development to go into area A (where the two empty big box stores already lie fallow). First step: Pass Measure 24-314 on Tuesday March 8th and force a sensible development of the area already designated for “big box” stores. Next step: Elect better leaders who have vision (not vi$$ons) for wise, progressive, and sustainable development that would actually benefit the city they are supposed to represent.
Eric, of Salem Breakfast on Bikes, has also covered this issue here.
Area C at present. Note all the residences on Chemawa
There is no way that the change of roads will ever handle the flow of traffic from that area of where they would li9ke to place a big box store will ever work on the other side of the road. We have to many vacancies in the Keizer Station area to even think about it on the other side of the road. combine the vacant areas to facilitat the larger store in the area that Target is in. Please we are not stupid in this area. Vote Yes on the measure. Send in your ballots.
Thanks so much for your comment Sue,
You make a great point! Just the traffic problems alone are enough to make this thing a nightmare. If they just have to have another big box store they need to do just what you have suggested and put it in area A. There are indeed two vacant big box stores there now, and will perhaps be a third joining them in the near future. It is stupid and shortsighted for the Keizer City Council to allow yet another to be built across the street.