Planning commission unanimously backs Mill Site concept plan, urges council to adopt by resolution

The City of Dallas Planning Commission on Thursday, June 12, unanimously voted to recommend that the City Council adopt the Mill Site Area Redevelopment Plan (MSARP) as a concept plan by resolution, advancing a proposal that centers on relocating and daylighting Ash Creek, creating a new east–west street, and preserving large industrial parcels while adding commercial frontage and limited residential uses.

The recommendation matters because the proposed creek relocation and street connection are designed to reduce chronic flooding on the mill site, unlock buildable parcels, and create new public open space and multiuse trail connections that proponents say would support economic development and tax revenue.

Consultant Jim Henke, who led the presentation for the consultant team, summarized the plan’s five objectives as land-use and transportation guidance, a balanced transportation system, housing and employment support, enhanced community character and natural features, and honoring the mill site’s historical context. Henke said the project team recommends “go big with the Ash Creek relocation. Don’t think small,” arguing the creek realignment is central to unlocking the site’s redevelopment potential.

The plan preserves a significant area of industrial zoning along the Birch Street rail corridor on the north side of the property while introducing a new east–west street paralleling the relocated creek and fronted by commercial uses. Consultants showed an 84-foot cross section for the proposed east–west street that would include a travel lane in each direction, parking on the north side and a multiuse path along the creek. A limited amount of residential zoning is shown on steeper hillside parcels; major open space is proposed to link the creek to hillside trees.

Consulting team members told the commission that the plan was built from about a year of work that included seven major tasks, five advisory-committee meetings, 12 stakeholder interviews, three community surveys (one with roughly 1,000 respondents), and two community meetings. Cadence Petros of Eco Northwest said the city and consultants received “a tremendous response” to public outreach and stressed the effort was intended to be transparent.

Commissioners and staff discussed flood control details and the role of Jacobs Engineering, which the property owner has under contract to study early-stage creek realignment design; the owner also received a state grant to support that work. Cadence Petros told the commission that owning the property would give the city the most control but noted other tools exist: “It is possible you could enter into an agreement with the property owner…You could ask for a dedication of a broader swath in order to preserve the opportunity for a multiuse path.”

On statutory and administrative next steps, the consultant team asked the commission to recommend that the City Council adopt the plan by resolution and that the city update its Transportation System Plan to reflect the new east–west connection. The presentation and staff report noted a midterm step would be to submit the concept plan to the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) for review and comment; Michael Duncan (ODOT) summarized the agency timeline by saying, “the short answer is 35 days.” The consultants said DLCD review is standard when comp plan or transport plan map amendments are proposed and that substantive DLCD comments typically lead to revisions prior to final adoption.

Commissioners asked about rail ownership (consultants said the rail line is technically active though the track currently terminates just west of Main Street), neighborhood concerns to the north (residents on Jefferson expressed worry about change and traffic), and funding options (consultants and commissioners discussed grants and incremental approaches; consultants said urban renewal/bonds were unlikely as a primary funding mechanism). Staff and consultants repeatedly emphasized that funding and property ownership make implementation a long-term effort and that public funding and partner agreements will be required.

The formal action was a motion to recommend that the City Council adopt the Mill Site Area Redevelopment Plan as a concept plan by resolution; the meeting record shows the motion was seconded and passed on a roll-call vote with all present commissioners voting yes (Commissioners Newell, Spofford, Schulte, Banford, Groh and Swanson). Staff said the City Council was scheduled to hear a similar presentation the following week and that the Planning Commission’s recommendation would move the plan into the council’s adoption track and then on to DLCD for review.

Implementation items the consultants identified included updating the comp plan and Transportation System Plan maps, amending development code (chapter 2.6 was cited), pursuing grants for creek relocation and trail conversion, and coordinating design with Jacobs Engineering and the property owner. Consultants emphasized the creek relocation’s multiple objectives: flood control, recreation, habitat and an economic catalyst by creating a “front door” for future development.

The presentation acknowledged community tradeoffs: the advisory committee emphasized economic development and flood control, while the broader public prioritized parks, recreation and active-transportation connections. Consultants said the plan aims to balance these inputs while preserving large industrial parcels adjacent to rail.

The commission’s recommendation is advisory; the Council must take formal action to adopt the concept plan and any implementing ordinances or code amendments. The consultants and staff noted that DLCD review and subsequent comp plan or code amendments would shape the timing and specific legal steps required to implement the concept plan.