Many main streets in Aloha are two-lane roads without sidewalks, reflecting the community's original rural character. Photo courtesy Washington County.
Sandwiched between the cities of Beaverton and Hillsboro, the communities of Aloha and Reedville have always had a fiercely independent identity. Residents are quick to point out that they do not live in one of their big neighbors to the east or west, but other than the name and the local high school, there is not much in the communities for residents to identify with.
But for the first time in decades, the area of nearly 50,000 residents has a plan for development and a vision for the future, thanks to a $3.2 million study led by Washington County. About $440,000 of the study came from Metro's community planning and development grants.
The study recognized that Aloha and Reedville face mounting problems, 30 percent of households in the area have incomes lower than 50 percent of the median for the Portland area. About 20 percent of children in the area live below the poverty line, compared to 13 percent countywide.
On top of that, Aloha and Reedville have about 10 percent of Washington County's population, but only three percent of the county's jobs – a number that includes Intel's Aloha campus.
"The last plan for Aloha-Reedville was 30 years ago," said Metro Councilor Kathryn Harrington, whose district includes the area. "Things have changed since then, and the area wasn't keeping up. It was getting run down."
Despite these challenges, Aloha and Reedville are communities in high demand, and the area plays a key role in providing affordable housing for the whole region.
In 2011, the area's rental vacancy rate of 1.9 percent was below the regional average of 2.5 percent. Homeownership rates are roughly the same as the rest of the county, but homeownership among 25 to 34 year olds is 10 percent higher than both the county and region.
The population growth and the disparities the communities faced compared to the rest of the county, prompted policymakers to launch a years-long planning effort for the Aloha and Reedville area, to look at what changes could spur more private sector investment.
"This area is really close to my heart," said Metro Council President Tom Hughes, who taught social studies at Aloha High School from 1973 to 2003. "After Hillsboro, the Aloha area is the community I identify with the most. I am excited about the direction this plan has taken and I look forward to helping the community realize their vision."
Outreach for the plan produced more than 5,000 community comments including more than 600 interviews with non-English speakers and participation of more than 220 Aloha High School students. Harrington felt the engagement was one of the strongest aspects of the plan.
"There's a sense of ownership," Harrington said. "The community contributed to this plan."
Harrington and county planners hope this community contribution will lead to positive changes in Aloha and Reedville.
"This was such an exciting planning effort, it has really energized this part of Washington County," Harrington said. "The planning process reconnected property and business owners with residents of Aloha-Reedville."
This energy is seen in the two community groups that emerged during the process: the Aloha Community Library Association and the Aloha Business Association. When the plan kicked off in 2011, there was no library association and the business association had been disbanded for years.
Planners hope these groups can sustain the energy behind the plan, and ensure it is executed. The study outlines more than 100 recommendations to improve living conditions in the Aloha and Reedville area, and already has concrete steps that will affect residents' lives in the next few years.
New parks, street improvements, and streetlights are already in the works for an area that lacks the basic infrastructure that is taken for granted in other areas.
A map showing the Aloha-Reedville plan's zoning concepts.
"Several county ordinances have been adopted or are on the commission's work plan that will increase opportunities for small businesses, housing types and reduce barriers to development," said Mike Dahlstrom, the plan's project manager for Washington County. "More than $32 million in dedicated investments for roads, parks and trails is scheduled for the next five years, that money will have a direct impact on the community."
Other actions already being taken: 52 streetlights for the stretch of the Tualatin Valley Highway from 178th to 192nd avenues; ordinances to lower costs for accessory dwelling units and expand opportunities for home based businesses; and a new park next to Mountain View Middle School, featuring a field for disabled athletes.
Actions are also in the works to decrease the barriers for farmer's markets to operate in the area, and to allow for residential development in the commercial area on TV Highway.
County staff will also continue to look for funding sources to complete the 185th-TV Highway town center plan and safety projects around the 11 local schools.
"The town center plan intends to address residents' desire to have a 'center' and a 'gathering place' for the community," Dahlstrom said.
Metro will also assist with the town center plan and help companies in the area.
"We have tools and resources for businesses and community organizations to help revitalize town centers," Harrington said.
The plan may also be helpful in the future as Metro looks at other communities that have been neglected or left behind.
"Hopefully this plan can be used as a model for these communities around the region that never really got to be places," Hughes said.