 |
Yamhill County clerk Charles Stern dies suddenly
Newberg revising
transportation system plan
Get your gobble
on -- it's turkey time
Barrier
draws the
ire of local motorists |
Fred Meyer closes access to its Newberg store from
southbound Springbrook Road drivers |
By Gunnar Olson, Newberg Graphic
reporter
E-mail Gunnar at golson@eaglenewspapers.com
|
Shoppers at Fred Meyer this past week may have found their usual
entrance blocked off.
Fred Meyer installed a concrete barrier Nov. 4 on the store’s west side so
vehicles couldn’t turn into the store’s parking lot from Springbrook Road.
Vehicles can still enter the driveway coming from the south on Springbrook, and they can
still exit the drive way to the left or right.
There are two entrances to the store from Portland Road, as well.
“People using the Fred Meyer store need to learn to use those,”
said Barton Brierley, Newberg city planner.
The barrier stems from the expansion project Fred Meyer has undertaken. The
barrier became one of the conditions Fred Meyer agreed to in order to attain a design
review for the expansion, Brierley said.
As part of the application process Fred Meyer conducted a traffic survey,
which concluded that the larger store would add traffic, Brierley said.
Fred Meyer’s traffic survey recommended changing the driveway, and Fred
Meyer counseled with the Newberg community development department. One alternative was to
add a driveway further away from Portland Road, so that cars would enter at the back of
the building. However, Fred Meyer ultimately opted for the barrier.
The driveway had potential problems before the barrier went up.
“The driveway already had some problems, because there isn’t any
left turnway to get in the driveway,” Brierley said.
Cars wanting entrance to the west Fred Meyer driveway had only the driving
lane to wait in and at times that caused traffic to back up. There was also potential for
waiting cars to get rear-ended. This is of special concern, Brierley said, because of its
close proximity to Portland Road (Highway 99W).
“If (the driveway) were further away, it would be a whole lot easier to
deal with,” Brierley said.
No accidents had been reported to the Newberg Police Department as of Sunday,
according to Sgt. Tim Weaver.
“Most people are complying,” Weaver said, adding that the majority
of commuters are adapting to using the driveways on Highway 99W.
What the department has received, Weaver said, is a few complaints. Rob
Boley, spokesperson for Fred Meyer, said the store has also received complaints. |
|
From Nov. 12,
2003, Newberg Graphic
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