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Residents tell Scappoose council heavy trucks, new development are causing house vibrations
Summary
Residents at the Aug. 4 Scappoose City Council meeting said vibrations and rattling from heavy trucks and nearby development are shaking homes along Keys Road; city staff said county jurisdiction and upcoming project paving could affect repairs and staff will pursue speed, paving and testing options.
Several Scappoose residents told the City Council on Aug. 4 that vibrations from heavy trucks and nearby construction are shaking houses on Keys Road and causing property damage.
At the council’s public-comment period, resident Stu Butler said he can feel windows vibrate when buses or heavy trucks pass and asked the city to look at the roadway transitions, speed limits and “vibration testing” related to the new housing development and reservoir project. “If the road was smooth, I would never know,” Butler said.
Council members and staff described interagency complexity and said the road may be a county facility. City Engineer Chris (surname provided in meeting as Chris) told Butler and other speakers that the Keys Road work relates to the reservoir project and coordinated work with Columbia County. He said the southbound lane will be repaved when a storm line tie-in occurs and the city will work with the county to address the northbound lane beyond the project boundary. "We're gonna take a look at it after construction of the reservoir…and we'll drag the county up there," he said.
Council and staff discussed temporary measures. Councilor (on record) recommended investigating a posted construction or lower speed limit at the short stretch; the city engineer said temporary speed postings may be possible but noted many roads' legal speed designations are set by ODOT and changes require legal review. The engineer also suggested short-term grinding as a possible interim fix until full paving can be scheduled.
On vibration measurement, the city engineer said vibration testing was completed as part of the reservoir project — in particular for stone columns used on that project — and the results were less than expected. He said the city does not normally require vibration testing for typical subdivision earthwork but can discuss installing monitors at the site boundary if warranted. Residents disagreed: another neighbor said several homes are experiencing abnormal shaking and asked the council to keep pressure on developers and agencies.
Staff said they are working daily with the developer and will keep neighbors updated. The council asked staff to follow up on jurisdiction (city vs. county), explore temporary traffic controls and report back on whether additional vibration testing or roadway smoothing can be scheduled.
The council did not take formal action at the Aug. 4 meeting beyond directing staff to investigate and follow up with the residents and county.
