McMinnville has an exciting opportunity to develop more than 200 acres of highly visible parcels near the existing hospital, airport and Air Museum. The Three Mile Area Plan, 3MLAP, is within the Urban Growth Boundary relieving the City of Department of Land Conservation and Development regulatory hurdles. Downtown McMinnville, centered on Third Street is one of Oregon’s most picturesque main streets. Growing interest in the state’s wine country is a major economic force changing the nature of downtown McMinnville. 3MLAP aspires to steer much of that growth in a positive direction.

One challenge involving the new area is connecting 3MLAP with existing McMinnville without impeding the flow of transit traffic on Highway 18 that separates portions of the two. The Highway 18 by-pass has successfully routed through traffic around and not through McMinnville for decades with minimal interruptions to highway speed expectations. 3MLAP will enjoy high visibility to this major arterial, stimulating demand for a variety of high end uses for the land.

Citizen input, led by Heather Richards, McMinnville City Planning Director, has evolved a plan recognizing the many needs likely to emerge in the next generation of community growth. Originally thought to be primarily for airport related industrial use, the parcels can exploit nearby transportation and relieve downtown growing pains by offering office, commercial, and residential opportunities in addition to industrial use.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

One of several keys to success is vehicular transportation improvements that utilize improved frontage roads and roundabouts to isolate through traffic on Highway 18 from a certain large increase in local traffic. Another key is creating an aesthetic that yields both an attractive place to live and work plus one that easily draws patrons. McMinnville, like most densely populated areas in Oregon, has a severe housing shortage with resulting home prices that threaten affordability for many. 3MLAP can offer some relief. Another key is numerous parcels of “fresh canvas” for planners to work with, allowing a genuine opportunity for meaningful impact, an incentive for developers. One measure of long term success will be whether or not 3MLAP helps the average income for local residents to rise faster than the cost of living.

The plan states, “The Area Plan envisions land uses that are different than what is currently planned for on the City’s Comprehensive Plan map. To allow for the area to develop consistent with the vision for the Three Mile Lane Area, the City will need to change the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map. The predominant change is from an Industrial designation to a Commercial designation for 40 acres south of Highway 18. The other change south of the highway, west of Norton Lane, is from Industrial to Commercial and Residential. The needed amendment north of the highway and west of Norton Lane changes Industrial designated land to Commercial and Residential designations to enable the subject properties to develop as a mixed-use area”.


--Tom Hammer

Post Date: 2022-07-07 11:30:26

Last Update: 2022-07-07 11:56:43