Beaverton gets greenwashed (Jack Bog's Blog)

Out in Beaverton, developer Mark Edlen and developer welfare facilitator Don "the Don" Mazziotti are singing "Me and My Shadow" together -- just like the good old days of setting up the Portland taxpayers for what was going to be the vibrant new SoWhat District (and we know how well that one worked out):

One of [Mayor Denny] Doyle’s incomplete points was the creation of a master plan for the area including The Round at Beaverton Central, more broadly defined as the area north of Tualatin-Valley Highway between Hall and Cedar Hills boulevards.
"We did not get a master plan in place for the area around The Round. We are going to correct that this year," Doyle said. At Tuesday night’s meeting, City Council approved a contract with developer Gerding Edlen, which will serve as the master developer on this project. The city plans to use an EcoDistrict planning model on this area, focusing on sustainable projects and private/public partnerships.

"The EcoDistrict is going to be a real plus to change the image and concept of what’s around The Round," Doyle said.

Oh, yeah. A real linchpin. The voters of Beaverton deserve what they get next.

Comments (5)

The old run around.

Posted by Tom | January 20, 2011 10:11 AM

This should be called the Money Go Round.

Posted by Bluecollar Libertarian | January 20, 2011 10:16 AM

Well, we always use the Don 'cause he's never been beat,
And he's never miss-hit with the pols we meet,
I get around, round, round, round, I get around,
I get around town, round, round, I get around.

Posted by John Rettig | January 20, 2011 10:31 AM

"developer Gerding Edlen, which will serve as the master developer on this project"

I'd love to know exactly what this means. What it does NOT mean is that Gerding will be spending their own money to do private development in Beaverton. Most likely it means that they are now locked in to serve as developer on publically-funded projects for a fee, like their deal on the PSU sustainability center.

Posted by Snards | January 20, 2011 10:31 AM

Yeah, that's why the Round was a failure. It wasn't "green" enough.

Now it's the "ecodistrict"? I assume the parking garage full of SUVs will be torn down, right? And the Beaverton Transit Center is going to be moved so the center of the EcoDistrict and away from behind that strip mall? And City Hall is going to move, and everything will be solar powered, with green ecoroofs and wind turbines and other whimsical ecoschemes?

Here's a solution: the Air Force has a few missiles they need to "test". Put a big hole in the ground, fill it with water, and make a park. Like the Tualatin Commons, only less refined. Call it a "flood control device" for Beaverton Creek. Install a small dam, put a micro-hydro turbine there in the dam to power some streetlights.

At least that would provide a central park for Beaverton that would attract more users than more of this development crap.

Posted by Erik H. | January 20, 2011 12:16 PM

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Thursday, January 20, 2011

Beaverton gets greenwashed

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