Consultants present Old Town strategic-action plan, urge targeted infrastructure and mixed-use catalysts

Consultants from First 40 Feet presented a strategic action plan to the Sherwood City Council work session on June 3, 2025, asking council members to prioritize a short list of redevelopment “catalyst” sites and related infrastructure projects that could accelerate growth in Old Town over a five-year window.

The plan centers on two corridors — Pine Street and Columbia Street — and proposes a mix of regulatory, programming and public-space changes to increase Old Town’s visibility and walkability, support ground-floor commercial uses, and leverage city-owned parcels as development anchors. "There's really 3 buckets that we're focused on," a First 40 Feet consultant said during the presentation.

Why it matters: Council members and the consultants framed the plan as an attempt to move from a broad list of ideas to a smaller set of actions that can realistically advance in five years. Several of the infrastructure ideas discussed — a curbless extension of Pine Street, a new Columbia–Oregon connection, and a pedestrian crossing near the rail line — would affect circulation, property access and the feasibility of retail and mixed-use development in key blocks.

Most important details: The presentation identified Pine Street as a "signature" route into Old Town with several vacant or underused infill parcels at its ends and middle. Consultants described a potential strategy of creating an "edge-to-edge" retail condition with anchors at either end (the art center and Cannery Square) and mixed-use buildings with ground-floor commercial and housing above. They showed example massing that generally conforms to existing height limits and said some sites might be viable for three to four stories, retail storefronts, or a boutique hotel depending on access and visibility.

On infrastructure, consultants proposed extending the curbless Pine Street treatment from First to Third Avenue and studying a new Columbia Street connection that would align Columbia with Oregon Street to create a more direct “front door” into Old Town. The team also floated a more ambitious roundabout option at the rail crossing; the consultant noted that similar rail-adjacent roundabouts exist in other U.S. cities ("It's been done in 7 other cities, 3 of which were done in 1 city in Indiana"). The presentation emphasized that rail and right-of-way owners would be key stakeholders and that agreements with rail operators could take political and technical work.

Council reaction and next steps: Council members generally supported the goal of prioritizing a short list of near-term actions. Several members emphasized preserving Old Town’s historic character (cornices, vertical bays, active ground floors) even as new mixed-use buildings are introduced. The group discussed a range of possible city roles: regulatory changes (design code adjustments or targeted variances), pursuing infrastructure studies and engineering (alignment with HHPR and utility providers), and negotiating with right-of-way owners to enable pedestrian connections or a rail-trail. A council member said site D (a city-owned parcel identified as shovel-ready) and site A (the art-center block) feel like priorities; consultants noted that making the Columbia connection would increase viability across multiple parcels.

No formal council action or vote occurred during the work session. Consultants asked the council for directional feedback and for staff to return with a refined draft that narrows the action list, provides timelines and identifies near-term funding or study needs. As one consultant put it, these are "big lifts" but "the rewards are exponential" if the city can secure the necessary alignments with rail, utilities and right-of-way owners.

Ending: Consultants will incorporate council feedback into a draft strategic action plan that the city will review in coming months; staff and the consultants signaled they will pursue additional engineering and right-of-way conversations to test feasibility of the proposed street and rail connections.