Jan. 13, 2023 | View as webpage

Washington County awarded Safe Routes to School grant 

A $959,200 Safe Routes to School matching grant was awarded to Washington County by the Oregon Department of Transportation to improve access and safety on Witch Hazel Road.  

The existing two-lane road has ditches, narrow gravel shoulders and sidewalk gaps. Students and neighbors of both Witch Hazel Elementary School and South Meadow Middle School will benefit from the project. Students walking to Hillsboro High School to the west will also benefit. 

Planned improvements include sidewalks on the south side of Witch Hazel Road, ADA ramps and streetlighting. The 6-foot-wide sidewalk be separated from the road by a ditch or landscaping, except in areas were large trees need to be preserved. 

Washington County is one of 26 communities to receive a Safe Routes to School grant, which requires a 20% match by the recipient jurisdiction. All projects have high safety risks and a focus on under-resourced neighborhoods with Title 1 schools (where 40% or more of the student population is low income.)  See the complete list  

Washington County introduced its Safe Route to School program in 2013. The County’s 2016 School Access Improvement Study evaluated access to 53 public schools on County roads in urban unincorporated Washington County or within cities. The study helps staff prioritize projects to improve safety and increase active transportation. Learn more 

Surveyor’s Office launches Survey Explorer app

The Washington County Surveyor’s Office built a new web-based app to search for survey records, plat information and more.

Survey Explorer is replacing iSpirits, which will vanish on Jan. 16. The new app uses the same databases as iSpirits, but with a more user-friendly interface. It is easier and faster to access needed information. 

County staff built Survey Explorer in a cost-effective way, without recreating the hard work of previous staff. The iSpirits tool was a valuable resource for the community. After more than 15 years of service, the design could not keep up with technology, relying on outdated software.

Survey Explorer has all the core features of iSpirits, but with fewer steps to access information. County roads, property vacations and dedication documents are now searchable, and more features are being added. The new app also works well on smart phones. It uses the same ARCGIS systems that we rely on for other County tools, like wc-roads.com. 

The updated technology ensures that staff can keep Survey Explorer up to date for years to come.

Take TriMet's survey on a proposed fare increase

TriMet is considering fare increases in 2024. This would be the first fare increase in more than 10 years. Visit Fare Increase Proposal to review all proposed increases and take the online survey to share your thoughts.

In-person and online open houses in several languages are also available. Visit Fare Increase Proposal for dates, times and locations.

Neighborhood meetings, required for many Washington County development applications, can be held online temporarily as per the new COVID-19 Virtual Neighborhood Meeting Supplement.

Jan. 17: Proposed 2-lot partition

At 6 p.m. held virtually (instructions available here). The site is 0.47 acre in the R-9 District (Residential, 7-9 units per acre) and is located at 7205 SW 189th Ave. Contact Katie Parano-Friesen, Oak Castle Design LLC, at 503-893-5958 or katie@oakcastledesign.com.

District 1; CPO 6

Jan. 30: Proposed 2-lot partition

At 6 p.m. held virtually (instructions available here). The site is 0.39 acre in the R-5 District (Residential, 4-5 units per acre) and is located at 8620 SW 80th Ave. Contact Ben Valentin, Birdsmouth Design-Build, at 323-459-2062 or ben@birdsmouthpdx.com.

District 1; CPO 3

Learn what's going on in your area of Washington County. Attend your Community Participation Organization (CPO). CPOs are made up of community members who work together and are actively engaged in decision-making processes. Find out which  CPO you live in and learn more.