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St. Helens planners discuss tackling vacant downtown storefronts; Main Street outreach planned
Summary
Commissioners flagged vacant and underused downtown storefronts as a key economic and visual issue and agreed to revisit Main Street’s prior inventory and invite Main Street and local partners back to a planning commission meeting for next steps.
St. Helens planning commissioners discussed vacant and underused downtown storefronts Wednesday and directed staff and commissioners to revisit prior Main Street work and to invite Main Street representatives to present their inventory and ideas.
Why it matters: Commissioners said long-term vacancies and neglected storefronts harm adjacent businesses and downtown appearance. Participants cited examples where simple interventions—covering windows with historic or interpretive displays, keeping facades painted and maintained, or pursuing incentives—had improved other small cities’ downtowns.
Main points: Jacob (staff member) noted King County, Wash., and Astoria, Ore., as jurisdictions with programs that require registration of vacant storefronts, maintenance standards and fees. Commissioners discussed trade-offs between enforcement, property rights and incentives. Several speakers urged clear definitions (vacant vs. underutilized) and suggested partnering with Main Street and the Chamber to avoid duplicative work and to use existing inventories.
Practical steps: the group asked staff and commissioners to locate the prior Main Street presentation and invite Main Street leadership to a future meeting. Commissioners suggested researching programs in Astoria, Hood River, Ridgefield and Prineville for models that combine incentives, registration, and maintenance requirements. One speaker recommended using temporary historic displays on vacant windows to improve appearance while properties are marketed.
Next steps and direction: Planning commissioners agreed to contact Main Street and to ask the building official for any follow-up from Astoria. Staff will compile the prior inventory and research comparable city programs. The commission did not adopt any regulatory change at the meeting.
Ending: Commissioners recommended collaboration with Main Street and downtown stakeholders before pursuing any fee or enforcement program, and set outreach and research as the immediate follow-ups.
