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2021 Th
A Look Ahead
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Mayors look ahead to 2021
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Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle
Enhancement of public walk ways along the Columbia River in 2021 continue to be a top priority for St. Helens Mayor Rick Scholl. MONIQUE MERRILL chronicle2@countrymedia.net
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of special reports you’ll read only in The Chronicle in the weeks ahead providing insight from members of our community into what we might expect in 2021. Our first report focuses on viewpoints from city hall at St. Helens and Scappoose. As the year draws to a close, the mayors of Scappoose and St. Helens have taken the time to reflect on 2020 and look ahead to the new year. St. Helens St. Helens Mayor Rick Scholl said there are a lot of things on the city’s horizon to look forward to in the new year. “Hopefully, we will be able to transition back to more normalcy,” he said. Two new city council members will join the city council starting in January. “With the new councilors, I am looking forward to new ideas and input on current city projects. There has been a lot of planning occurring the last several years and people have joined the council.”
As far as projects go, St. Helens residents can look ahead to the construction of two park projects. He said Campbell Park is getting new sports courts, additional parking and improved storm drainage. McCormick Park will have a new all-abilities playground installed, partially funded through the Moda Assist program competition the city won in April. The new year will also launch the first phases of the waterfront redevelopment project. “[The waterfront project] hopefully will include the start of construction on a riverfront boardwalk, expansion of Columbia View Park, and a street expansion at S First Street and Strand Street,” Scholl said. “Site preparation will start at the St. Helens Industrial Business Park to attract new business to the area.” One of the most important upcoming projects, Scholl said, will be increasing community support for the city’s aging police station. “We will be engaging the community and letting them know about our need for a new building,” he said. “Our current station is 50 years old and very small.” Scholl said the police department has outgrown the
space and a new facility is needed to help the community as it continues to grow. In that vein, he also said one of the city’s constant top priorities is public safety. “We hope to improve overall safety by finding funding for a new public safety facility to allow us to better meet the safety needs of our officers and the community,” he said. Two other priorities include communication and public engagement. The city wants to inform the public about what is happening and how staff and elected leaders are working for them. “We encourage people to reach out to us and engage,” Scholl said. “We want to hear from you. We are adapting to increased growth. If you have ideas, please reach out to us. Your thoughts are important to us.” Scappoose In his state of the city address, Scappoose Mayor Scott Burge said the city has a few projects in the works for the next year, including park projects and multiyear planning to shape how Scappoose will look over the next 50 years. This year, 2021, is the 100 year anniversary of the city of Scappoose and the 50th com-
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Drawing courtesy of the City of Scappoose
The Grabhorn project development in Scappoose is a key economic project outlined by Mayor Scott Burge. Early discussions included development of a city pool at the site.
memoration of the dedication of the World Peace Candle in Scappoose, which he said will be unaltered by the new development forming around it. Also in the works is the expansion of the park system. The goal is to have every citizen within a 10-minute walk of a city park and provide safe access to quality parks and green spaces, he said. As it is now, 63% of the community is within that goal, he said.
“The most recent acquisition was the Grabhorn Property,” Burge said in his address. The Grabhorn Property abuts Veterans Park and South Scappoose Creek, and he said the city council is in the process of updating the conceptual park plan by incorporating public comment. “The next step in the process is adding the conceptual plan to our master plan.” The city also plans to address aging infrastructure by updating several master
plans and improve sidewalks throughout the city. “The city remains committed to serving the public through these challenging times,” he said. “Even through it has been a difficult year, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the city has overcome the obstacle and remains agile and responsive to the needs of the public by finding new and innovative ways of achieving its goals and providing the best public service possible.”