Senior Housing Alongside the Senior Center

The project will have a shared laundry room in the building, which will be on level 1, adjacent to the Resident Services Office and very close to the elevator.  There will be four washers and dryers for residents to use.  There will not be washer/dryers in the individual apartment units. 

For the flooring, there will be LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile) in the units.  LVT is very durable and is generally quieter and warmer underfoot when compared to laminate floors.  

Thank you for your question about the Housing Alongside the Senior Center project.

Senior housing projects typically generate fewer trips than other housing types. Affordable senior housing generates even fewer trips.

Northwest Housing Alternatives (NHA), who will build the project, has data from other senior projects with this population that shows a measurably decreased need for vehicles.  NHA expects a significant number of residents will choose to forgo the substantial expense of owning and maintaining an automobile. NHA compiled data for three comparable suburban senior properties in their portfolio within the Portland-area suburbs.  These comparables were selected based on geographical area, resident age restrictions (62+) and 1 bedroom units. These properties have car ownership rates range between 31% and 47%. Van service will be available to take residents for shopping and recreational trips.

For this reason we think the project’s traffic impacts will be modest. The city regularly does studies of traffic volumes on streets, so this can be monitored in the future.

The project will add a new parking lot and new/updated landscaping around both properties. 

Thanks for your question! There will not be any alignment changes but the project will include better signage and clarification at the entrance at Omara St. and the Senior Center. 

As you know, currently, pedestrians are required to cut across the existing parking lot to access the Fanno Creek trail creating a dangerous combination of vehicles and pedestrians.  This project's plan does include a new pedestrian path, that is fully wheelchair and bicycle accessible. It will be built from Omara St. to the Senior Center and then Fanno Creek Trail. 

A: The building is being designed with access to Fanno Creek Trail in mind and to provide a more user friendly, safer and walkable access path to. In fact, the vast majority of the year, the Fanno Creek Trail is accessible. During the short season where occasional flooding occurs, certain sections of the trail are closed or inaccessible. Current plans would create a new grade separated, protected walkway, enhancing access to Fanno Creek and improving pedestrian safety and usability, including for members of the community who have a difference of physical ability.

The site is not located within a 100-year flood zone or regulatory floodway, rather, it is located just south of Fanno Creek and the Fanno Creek Regional Trail (that slopes downward toward the creek). A wetland delineation, performed in 2019, mapped the nearby wetlands and the vegetated corridor buffer. The building will not be constructed in the wetlands or vegetated corridor. 

A: The building site is well located for affordable senior living and the programs, services and location will contribute strongly to the greater physical and mental health of the seniors. The location offers seniors an opportunity to age in place, continue to live in Tigard, and maintain the community they’ve built over a lifetime. As the project is situated in an attractive wooded setting with creek access and within the newly developing and highly walkable Downtown Tigard, residents will enjoy active lifestyles and community connections. Only steps away from the Tigard Public Library and within easy walking distance of public transit, the site provides a unique opportunity for a transit-oriented development project in a community that is rapidly evolving into a more walkable and livable hub. 

• It is close to the walkable downtown core shopping and services, the Library, and a new community gathering place and plaza.
• It is adjacent to natural areas including the Fanno Creek regional trail system. This location offers immediate access to nature which promotes the physical health of residents as well as their mental health.
• It is alongside the Senior Center offering the opportunity for reciprocal supportive programming and services between the existing Senior Center / Meals on Wheels services and the new Senior services that will be provided at the housing.  
• This site is located on City of Tigard owned land which the city is leasing to the project at no cost for 99 years. This allows the new apartments to rent for less and provides assurances of a long-term quality affordable housing asset within the City. The City is making a deep commitment to address the affordable housing crisis by making this land available for support of Seniors.
• A study funded by Metro in 2019, helped establish the feasibility of this site for affordable senior living.

The City is in the process of planning the Universal Plaza project, which is planned to be located approximately 0.5 miles from the site. The Universal Plaza will host the Tigard Area Farmers Market and other cultural attractions – including movies and music in the park as well as educational/artistic installations. In addition to ease of walkability, the remarkable revitalization of Tigard’s historic Main Street and the surrounding downtown provides a significant benefit to senior residents living at the Affordable Housing building. 

A: The multiple public transportation options near the building site will provide residents with access to shopping, cultural, education and commercial establishments all over the region. A stop for TriMet #76 bus route is only 0.2 miles from the site and provides a direct connection to Legacy Park Meridian Hospital, Washington Square Mall and a variety of shopping options. The building will be located 0.5 miles from the planned Southwest Corridor Light Rail station while the Tigard Transit Center, which is presently served by seven TriMet bus lines, Yamhill County Transit and the WES Commuter Rail service, is also located approximately 0.75 miles near. Shuttle services will transport residents to shopping, medical, and grocery outlets in the surrounding areas. Additionally, the Library, Fanno Creek and Senior Center provide opportunities for residents to combat feelings of isolation by engaging in community and enrichment activities. 

The building’s resident services will promote an inclusive environment. Northwest Housing Alternatives' Senior Health & Housing program connects residents with in-home care and services, coordinating health and wellness clinics on site at properties and providing community building events to combat isolation and loneliness. The Resident Services Plan for Tigard Senior Housing will work to ensure that residents are happy, healthy, connected to their community and engaged in activities, which promote civic leadership. Northwest Housing Alternatives' demonstrated success in keeping residents stably housed and our strong and deep roots in the community are positive indicators of the success of our program and the assurance that our senior residents will benefit from the high living standards that will be offered at Tigard Senior Housing.

A: All fire code requirements from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue will be fully met. The development team is working closely with the fire marshal, planners, and building permit specialists to assure that the concept design and building plans meet all applicable codes. Additionally, the project will take into account the soil type and composition and will be designed to meet site specific earthquake risks. This is completed through multiple professional investigations, services, reports and surveys.

A: Construction will occur outside of flood and natural buffer areas and will include community spaces and educational opportunities to learn about the natural area that surrounds the site. The project will work to preserve and celebrate the natural environment.  Preliminary plans envision a building with green features and site design that improves connectivity to the surrounding neighborhood and Fanno Creek Park.