Bear Creek Greenway Corridor Revisioning Jackson County, Oregon

A visioning and strategy process was initiated to develop an area action plan for lands and communities along Highway 99 impacted by the Almeda Fire. In leading this effort, Otak aimed to create zoning and development code language – informed by GIS analysis of impacted areas – that catalyzes redevelopment with a focus on smart growth principles, multimodal transportation, and multi-use hubs throughout the corridor.

A Cohesive Area Action Plan for Multiple Communities Along a Corridor Impacted by Wildfires

Communities along Highway 99 and Bear Creek Greenway, including the cities of Talent and Phoenix in Jackson County, were engaged in a visioning and planning process to redevelop lands impacted by the 2020 Almeda Fire. This provided the basis for a comprehensive plan that ultimately improves destination accessibility, by increasing residential and commercial development, while reducing the need more motor vehicle traffic. Planning heavily utilized GIS for analyzing impacted land and infrastructure, identifying key zones for redevelopment while highlighting opportunities to improve accessibility and functional use of neighborhoods. This effort involved interactive web mapping applications, bilingual online surveys and online partnered collaboration with data editing to streamline planning efforts and connect the community with the planning process. The vision would be implemented by updating local plans and zoning ordinances while supporting multimodal transportation options like walking, biking, and transit. These goals support the Transportation and Growth Management Program’s mission of integrated land use and transportation planning. Phase One of this project included an existing conditions analysis of the study area, community engagement, placemaking workshops, and a development code audit and action plan to guide the code updates needed to implement the vision. Phase Two of the project includes drafting zoning and land use code updates, additional community engagement, and assisting the jurisdictions through the adoption process.