Port of Woodland
The Port of Woodland voted unanimously to dedicate $100,000 over the next two years to help the city develop a transportation plan, the port announced last week.
According to the announcement, the port was asked by Woodland Mayor Will Finn to support the city’s effort to address traffic issues. In it, commissioner Bob Wile called on partners including Clark and Cowlitz counties to join in on developing solutions.
The announcement cited “expansive growth being proposed outside the city” that would impact transportation, likely referring to a recent push to put hundreds of acres beyond city limits within the city’s urban growth boundary, opening it up to future annexation and potential development. The port’s investment would be $50,000 annually for the next two years.
The announcement referred to growth, “whether proposed or underway,” along both sides of the upper Lewis River along with the Woodland Bottoms, the latter of which was subject to analysis by the city for potentially bringing it into the city’s growth boundary. Following the city’s request for assistance this summer the port had discussions during budget workshops about the matter.
“The Port’s future developments will contribute to the traffic issues, not as significant as residential, but it will. We need to be sitting at the table, understanding how all the decisions from industrial to residential will impact our community for years to come,” Executive Director Jennifer Wray-Keene stated in the announcement. “Examining it holistically rather than project by project, will be telling and will require all entities to address it. It will not get better as we are seeing it everyday with each trip to the grocery store, or trying to turn in and out of businesses. Day by day we feel it and we need to address it now.”
— The Reflector
