Keep Digging
Chris Recently, the Albany City Council took up the issue of sanitary sewer connection where residents are required to transition off of an existing septic system in favor of connection to the city’s sewer system. Generally speaking, the sewer is a topic that most residents either prefer not to think about, or can comfortably put out … Read more
The use of Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras has featured prominently in the news in recent months, particularly throughout the Willamette Valley as several cities have terminated their contracts with Flock Safety over concerns about data being shared with federal immigration authorities, allegations of unauthorized use of the cameras, and privacy concerns from citizens. … Read more
The Central Albany Revitalization Area (CARA) was established in 2001 to address blight and neglect in the city’s historic downtown area and the surrounding neighborhoods. This tax increment financing district essentially froze property tax receipts at then-current levels for the area for all taxing agencies, such as the City of Albany, with increases in property … Read more
Previously, we explored some possible root causes of why Albany’s grocery access landscape looks the way that it does as of this writing, including population dynamics, historic grocery locations, and the ultimate consolidation of most store locations to their present spatial cluster. In this post, we will explore potential paths forward, from the purely theoretical … Read more
In the previous post, grocery retailer behavior was examined in Corvallis, Springfield, Salem, and Eugene, all of which pointed to Albany being treated differently than similar communities in that, on average, one would expect to see one Safeway or Albertsons store per about 21,000 residents, while Albany has only one for almost 60,000 residents. When … Read more
In previous posts, Albany’s walkability was found to be closely tied to the presence of grocery stores, and that Albany fares much worse on this metric than similar communities in the Mid-Willamette Valley. Not only are Albany’s grocery stores clustered in one part of the city to a greater degree than other cities, Albany has … Read more
In the previous post Comparing Walkability in the Mid-Valley, grocery access within walking distance was established as a primary limiting factor in the walkability of Mid-Willamette Valley cities. Albany was identified as having fewer grocery stores overall than the two most comparable communities analyzed, Corvallis and Springfield, both of which also fared significantly better on … Read more
Previously, walkability in Albany, Oregon was analyzed in the post How Walkable is Albany?, with the walk index analysis indicating that only about 13% of the city’s population live in a highly walkable area where one can access services and amenities within a 15 minute walk of one’s residence. While as a raw percentage, this … Read more
Albany, Oregon has a lot to recommend it as a place to live. Ideally situated in the Mid-Willamette Valley, it’s within easy distance of the coast and the mountains, practically right next door to Oregon State University in Corvallis, and three of Oregon’s major cities, Salem, Eugene, and Portland can be reached inside of 90 … Read more