The proposed Transit Master Plan for the City of Wilsonville and SMART, the city’s transit service, was to be adopted on Second Reading at the July 7th Council Meeting without service to Villebois at the inaugural running of the WES commuter rail. In fact, Villebois was designated to Phase 3 of the plan meaning service beginning in 2011 and 2013.
 
We at Costa Pacific felt that omission was unacceptable in light of the fact that Villebois is the largest Transit-Oriented development not only in Oregon, but perhaps the entire country! 
 
From the very first planning meetings for Villebois back in 2002 we contemplated a connection to the rest of the Metro Region via a proposed commuter rail line. We designed the connections to Villebois i.e.,Barber St. and Boekman Rd., to accommodate that potential. We suggested and promoted to Washington County, the project’s sponsor, TriMet and the City a better location for  the station and park and ride than where they had already purchased property on Boberg Rd. The current location at Barber and Kinsman is not only more convenient to Villebois residents but to all other commuters as well and is a direct result of our planning and encouragement. In addition, Costa Pacific successfully lobbied our Congressional Delegation to support the funding of WES and the roadway connections.
 
The shared vision of Villebois as a unique and remarkable place led to the creation of a $40 million Urban Renewal Agency to finance these connections. In the Development Agreement between the City and Villebois, Barber St was to be completed simultaneous with the opening of the commuter rail. Due to unavoidable delays the Barber St. extension has not been built leaving no way for VB residents to walk or bike to the station. Without the Barber St. connection or shuttle service from SMART residents would be forced to drive themselves to the station unnecessarily taking up parking space or worse yet driving to their destination instead of taking WES.
 
Costa Pacific along with members of the Chamber of Commerce and Clackamas County Community Solutions presented these points to the City Council on the 7th. Costa Pacific requested that SMART provide two morning and two evening shuttles to WES at the two existing transit stops in Villebois (at Sofia Park and at the corner of Villebois Dr. and Barber St.). The Council agreed with our request and adopted the new Transit Plan with  direction to the City staff to figure out a way to include Villebois.
 
Costa Pacific and SMART will be conducting market research this summer to determine the transit preferences for Villebois residents, that is, best times, frequency of use, likely destinations, and proclivity to use the shuttle. The information gathered will be critical for SMART to figure Villebois into the plan and into their budget.
 
We encourage residents and citizens to help ensure the vision of Villebois as a remarkable place founded on the Tenets of Connectivity, Diversity and Sustainability by participating in the survey and letting the City Council and staff know of your interest in transit.

Rudy Kadlub, CEO
Costa Pacific Communities, LLC
Email Me at: Blog@CostaPacific.com
Visit us on the web at: www.CostaPacific.com

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