Recent Activities:
■ City Council confirmed the Planning Commissions approval and issued a notice of Final Decision
■ The project has been appealed to LUBA (Land Use Board of Appeals)
■ Harvesting of the overgrown Christmas tree farm occurred in early December
■ Harvested trees have been sold to local mills for a variety of purposes, including milled lumber and pulp
■ The district has been meeting to determine best ways to repurpose harvested trees from the site in the project
■ The City of West Linn has completed review for the Building Permit
■ DEQ approved the 1200-C Erosion Control Permit
■ General contractor bids were received. Emerick Construction was awarded the project with all alternates
■ Continued collaboration with the City of West Linn for the right of way work along Willamette Falls Drive
■ Furniture layouts and design meetings continue


Upcoming Activities:
■ Public Improvement drawings will be submitted to the City in February 2022
■ Procurement of long lead items will be addressed with the general contractor
■ The contractor will be fully mobilized and on site in Feb/March 2022
■ The district submits documentation for the LUBA appeal

The General Contractor, Emerick Construction Co., has mobilized to the Dollar Street site for the New Athey Creek Middle School.  Installation of construction/safety fencing began on Monday, Jan. 17, and equipment is onsite to perform the initial clearing.   

The community will begin to see activity at the Dollar Street property today (Nov. 29) in preparation for the construction of the new Athey Creek Middle School. The district has partnered with a firm for the harvesting of trees for reuse. Applicable permits have been obtained, and the work has been discussed with appropriate agencies. 

It is important that the community heed the warning signs and flaggers and maintain distance from the property throughout the work. 

To learn more about upcoming work on the property, including the district’s planning for preservation of natural resources on the property, please visit the bond website.

Questions can be addressed to the Office of Capital Construction at 503-673-7315 ext 4975. 

Soon, activity will start for the new Athey Creek Middle School located at the district-owned Dollar Street property in the Willamette Neighborhood of West Linn. 

These site preparations are part of the planning and construction process and begin with clearing portions of the land in preparation for a school building.  

Planning for Preservation of Natural Resources on the Property
The school district has carefully and intentionally planned for preservation of natural resources wherever possible in the site and building design of this new middle school project. These areas will be periodically inspected by a certified arborist, wetland consultant, soils engineer and civil engineer over the course of the project and they will make recommendations in support of this preservation as needed.

Our priority is to maintain select trees in the current landscape while incorporating natural elements that neighbors expressed interest in during the community engagement process. 

We want our families and community members to know that the site will look different as we prepare to break ground on the new school, and we are working thoughtfully with each area of the site to enhance or preserve the area wherever we can.  Here are more specifics of our plan:

Site Background and Layout
The District’s Dollar Street property is roughly 22 acres consisting of a variety of natural resources. The design team and engineers have worked to retain these greenspaces in the design, and to position the new middle school building to be enhanced by the surrounding trees, slopes, and greenery.

Eastern Site Planning
The eastern portion of the site has a steep ravine. This ravine will be preserved in its entirety. At the central base of the ravine there is an ephemeral stream that will have enhanced native plantings added within this Water Resource Area (WRA.) Trees will be added across the top of the ravine to increase the buffered area for those in the Arbor Cove neighborhood.

Western Site Planning
The far western portion of the site includes a Tualatin River Protection Area which is measured based on its proximity to the River. There will be a new path that will be built with minimal disruption. This new path will maintain connectivity to the path under Fields Bridge which connects to the park. There will also be enhanced tree and shrub plantings added at this location.

Northern Site Planning
Many of the perimeter trees along Dollar Street must be removed to accommodate the new street and sidewalks required. However, many new trees and shrubs will be installed in an enhanced buffer zone between the new sidewalk and school site features.

Southern Site Planning
Many existing trees will be retained along the southern slope of the property. The increased density from new plantings will meld with the existing landscape in a natural way over time.

Native Trees and Plants
The District has prioritized the use of native species in planting material throughout the site. This use of native trees and shrubs has been the basis of the design from the onset and was also a resounding comment heard from the Community during the neighborhood meetings in the planning phase. 

Repurposing of Existing Trees
The District is exploring opportunities to repurpose trees that need to be removed to accommodate the building, street improvements, and site amenities. Some potential repurposing ideas include timber benches, live edge planks, and instructional material for student interaction. By bringing the natural resource of wood into the building, trees will find new life within the walls of the school and reflect the greenspace on the exterior. Careful consideration of this valued resource will continue to provide a long-term benefit to the community.

Follow Along As Project Progress Continues
The District strives to keep neighbors and all interested patrons aware of ongoing progress with this specific construction project as well as all Capital Bond projects.  Patrons can subscribe to the WLWV-Bond-New-Athey-Creek-At-Dollar ListServ service as well as view the bond website. For project information and other updates related to the 2019 Capital Bond, please visit the bond website.

The New Athey Creek Middle School at Dollar Street Bond Project continues to progress with construction and site preparation expected to begin in the coming weeks. As part of the ongoing construction process, the District would like to share its vision and planning for the natural resources on and around the property. Planning is incredibly intentional to maintain desired aspects of the current landscape while incorporating natural elements that neighbors expressed interest in during the community engagement process.

Site Background and Layout:
The District’s Dollar Street property is roughly 22 acres consisting of a variety of natural resources. The design team and engineers have put forth every effort to retain these greenspaces in the design, and to position the new middle school building to be enhanced by the surrounding trees, slopes, and greenery.

Eastern Site Planning
The eastern portion of the site has a steep ravine. This ravine will be preserved in its entirety. At the central base of the ravine there is an ephemeral stream that will have enhanced native plantings added within this Water Resource Area (WRA.) Trees will be added across the top of the ravine to increase the buffered area for those in the Arbor Cove neighborhood.

Western Site Planning
The far western portion of the site includes a Tualatin River Protection Area which is measured based on its proximity to the River. There will be a new path that will be built with minimal disruption. This new path will maintain connectivity to the path under Fields Bridge which connects to the park. There will also be enhanced tree and shrub plantings added at this location.

The District has prioritized the use of native species in all planting material. This use of native trees and shrubs has been the basis of the design from the onset and was also a resounding comment heard from the Community during the neighborhood meetings in the planning phase. The new landscape buffers along Dollar Street, trees, and shrubs in the new courtyard, and all plantings surrounding the track and parking areas will also prioritize native plantings. This will ensure that the Pacific Northwest feel, and natural beauty of the property is retained.

Southern Site Planning
Many existing trees will be retained along the southern slope of the property. The increased density from new plantings will meld with the existing landscape in a natural way over time.

Repurposing of Existing Trees
The District is exploring opportunities to repurpose trees that need to be removed to accommodate the building, street improvements, and site amenities. Some potential repurposing ideas include timber benches, live edge planks, and instructional material for student interaction. By bringing the natural resource of wood into the building, trees will find new life within the walls of the school and reflect the greenspace on the exterior. Careful consideration of this valued resource will continue to provide a long-term benefit to the community.

More Information to Come
The District will strive to keep neighbors aware of upcoming construction activities. Neighbors are encouraged to look for communication through this ListServ service and the bond website. For project information and other updates related to the 2019 Capital Bond, please visit the bond website.

Recent Activities:
■ City of West Linn Planning Commission approved the project with conditions in August
■ Willamette Neighborhood Association appealed the Planning Commission decision
■ Permit drawing set completed in July and submitted to the City of West Linn Building Department
■ Advertisement to pre-qualify bidders sent to the DJC, qualifying method approved by the School Board
■ Continued collaboration for the City’s portion of the right of way work along Willamette Falls Drive
■ Furniture layouts and design meetings continue

Upcoming Activities:
■ Contractor proposals due October 6th, review period October 7-15 and the list of qualified contractors released
October 15th
■ Advertise to bid the project October 20th with bids due December 8th
■ City Council Meeting set for October 4th
■ Final decision from West Linn City Council meeting

New Arts Porch Rendering

Athey Idol Rendering from upper commons looking down

Lower level makerspace porch

Porch Rendering

Land Use documents were submitted to the City Planning Department in March and the initial Completeness was received on April 16^th.  The Land Use process has continued over the summer with the initial hearing, followed by subsequent hearings and findings.  The final hearing was held on August 18^th which ended in a vote by the Planning Commission.  The Planning Commissioners voted to approve the application with conditions.

Updated conceptual renderings of the main entry, as shown above, as well as the bus entry and interior spaces can be found in the project image slideshow as well as here, below.

The project documents have been completed and submitted to the Building Department for Permit.  The District has received the first round of comments back from the Building Department and is responding.  It is anticipated that the Permitting and Land Use processes will converge in a timely manner to allow Contractor bidding to begin in the fall.

The District has engaged with a Furnishings Fixtures & Equipment (FF&E) vendor and has begun the process of furniture selection.  These selections are all based on the final interior color palette selections, which were also finalized over the summer.

The District continues to partner with City of West Linn in developing Street Improvements surrounding the site.  Street improvements will occur on Dollar Street, Willamette Falls Drive, and the newly created Brandon Place Extension.  Final coordination efforts are nearing completion to allow right of way improvements to be submitted to the City in the fall.

Back side of school conceptual rendering

Commons Conceptual Rendering

Library conceptual rendering

Upstairs Classrooms/porch conceptual rendering

Recent Activities:
■ Land Use Completeness memo received April 16th
■ Project deemed incomplete with six conditions of approval noted
■ All completeness items issued
■ Design Review Mitigation with Operations Staff held in May
■ Technology review sessions held with District IT staff including security, technolgoy and AV Systems
■ Interior color palette and finishes selected
■ Furniture vendor selected
■ Construction Document Phase estimate received
■ Land Use Hearing held July 7, continued to August 4

Upcoming Activities:
■ Construction Documents scheduled for completion in July
■ Submitting for building permit in July
■ Continued work with City of West Linn on Right of Way design

Recent Activities:
■ Community Meetings #6 held in January, including an extensive Q&A session
■ Construction Document drawing phase launch
■ Arborist report sent to the City Arborist in February
■ Land Use submitted to the City in March for completeness review
■ Continued meetings with the City to complete Right of Way Design
■ Landscaping survey issued end of March asking for Community input
■ Second round of focus groups held with Athey Creek staff, including a student survey
■ Design Development Estimate received

Upcoming Activities:
■ Planning Commission land use hearing expected by end of quarter
■ Construction Documents scheduled for completion in July
■ Permit Coordination with the City of West Linn
■ Construction Documents Estimate expected in May
■ On-going coordination with PGE regarding existing powerline conflicts
■ Land Use completeness review in April

The community has expressed an interest in the plantings at the New Athey Creek at Dollar Street projects, and the West Linn-Wilsonville School District would like to hear feedback. Please take a few minutes to provide us with your input regarding locations and types of plantings you would like to see on the site. Community members can review the currently planned plantings on the site.

Community members are also encouraged to provide feedback through the District's online survey. 

The survey provides a link to the current planting plan(s) as well as the full list of proposed planting materials.  The materials list indicates the size and quantity of each species.