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St. Helens planning commission to inventory vacant and underused downtown storefronts; Main Street collaboration planned
Summary
Commissioners discussed a multi‑step effort to identify vacant or underused storefronts downtown, work with Main Street and property owners, and craft targeted questions and incentives; staff and volunteers will compile an inventory and return with a list for the next joint meeting.
City planning commissioners and councilors on June 11 opened a months‑long effort to understand and address vacant and underused storefronts in downtown St. Helens, focusing first on inventory and information gathering rather than immediate regulatory penalties.
A planning commissioner who volunteered to lead the effort described being “foolish enough to volunteer” to research models used by other cities and to start building a scope for action. The commission discussed models used elsewhere — including registry and penalty programs in some municipalities and incentive programs such as facade grant funds — and agreed the near‑term task is to identify the…
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