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West Linn staff present design updates for new Public Works operations center
Summary
City staff and consultants showed council renderings and environmental features for the proposed Public Works Operations Center, including wetland preservation, cross-laminated timber options, 250-panel solar arrays (estimated ~133,000 kWh/year), EV-charging infrastructure planning and a generator sized for multi-day emergency operation.
City staff and consultants briefed the West Linn City Council on design progress for a consolidated Public Works Operations Center, highlighting site layout changes to preserve an on-site wetland and a plan to split the facility into three smaller buildings rather than a single warehouse.
"We chose to work around the wetland rather than mitigate it and move it," the project lead said, describing how the design now features separate administration, warehouse and fleet-maintenance buildings and reserves buffer space for the wetland. Staff said the project is about 70% through design and that they plan to solicit a construction manager/general contractor late this year.
Architects and designers discussed sustainable materials and systems. The team described an interest in mass plywood/Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) framing and local sourcing options, and said the design currently includes roughly 250 photovoltaic panels. The consultant estimated those panels would generate about 133,000 kilowatt-hours per year in clean energy.
"We estimate that this will provide around 133,000 kilowatt hours per year in clean green energy for the project," a consultant said. Council members and a sustainability board representative raised questions about long-term fleet electrification and the number of EV chargers to plan for; staff said conduits and electrical infrastructure will be installed to allow future charger expansion.
On resilience, presenters said the administrative building will be sized with a generator to run critical loads for multiple days, and the diesel fuel tank will be colocated to allow refilling to extend runtime. Staff noted the design balances electrification with operational needs of large warehouse and maintenance spaces where gas-fired radiant systems remain the most efficient option for some uses.
The council did not take action at the briefing, which staff described as informational. Presenters said they will return with a recommendation for the construction manager/general contractor award in mid-June and hold neighborhood meetings as part of ongoing outreach.
