River Street

River Street Project Update
Check back here often to see the latest progress on the River Street project!



There has been some progress made towards a complete re-build of South River Street a project that will cover two biennia. First the Newberg Urban Renewal Agency (NURA) has accepted the recommendation from their Community Advisory Committee that two sections of River Street would make great candidates for early NURA public improvements.

An intergovernmental agreement (IGA) has been formed between NURA and the City to agree a bond that would be serviced by NURA tax increment funds. The engineering department has started scoping preliminary design options - but actual design and construction work will need to wait until the item comes before our city council for a motion to proceed. This is slated to occur in April.

On March 9th 2026 there was an initial listening session with many residents living on River street. After hearing residents concerns the City Council decided to create an Ad Hoc Committee on River street to hear more ideas and review design options. These forums collectively raised the following questions, comments and remarks:

1. Will the 1^st Street / River Street intersection be improved?  Several cited concerns regarding the bicyclists / vehicular movements at this intersection. This will need to be part of the design work and care will be taken to mitigate many impacts. It has been noted that the transition between 1st street and 4th will need to be handled with care.
2. Will trees be removed?  If so, will they be replaced? Several cited that the trees are what gives River Street its character and why they wanted to live there in the first place. Yes, many of the trees will need to be removed to carry out any rebuild option. The City of Newberg will work with residents to re-establish a tree canopy after the construction is completed. We would like to see the residents being fully involved in the process of choosing trees. Via the Ad Hoc process option four emerged as the one with the best chance of preserving some of the existing trees.
3. Comment that strong consideration needs to be given by City regarding "apparent" yard takes, with the understanding that many residents have landscaped, fenced, or have driveways that extend into the city ROW. Design work will need to do its best to minimize these impacts. Via the Ad Hoc process option four emerged as the tightest cross section and the one most likely to minimize impacts as that cross section will fit within the existing width of the street.
4. Comments that a few people don't want to see bike lanes on River Street, not really a "Newberg" thing. State law requires bicycle improvements for this class of street and it will benefit the future river front district and recreation possibilities. the Ad Hoc committee as of 6/25/2026 seems to be coalescing around the concept that a complete street with something for all modes of transport would in fact be best.
5. Several comments related to the existing trees, their condition, and the feel they give the area. Staff  noted that many are end of life trees and that repairs cannot occur without some tree removal.
6. If the road is the same width, how much green space beyond existing sidewalks will actually be taken? Staff noted this this will vary based upon the exact location, however, the emergent option four would fit inside the existing street width in most places and would have the best chance of minimizing impacts.
7. At the 6/25/2026 Ad Hoc meeting there was a general consensus that the new option four seemed to be best overall. Committee members also seemed by consensus to desire below grade water vaults versus bio-swale installations.

During the first Ad-Hoc meeting committee member Jim Talt proposed a fourth alternative to the three that had been suggested before. This found favor with the committee as having the advantages of providing a chance to save some trees and also a narrower cross section that would limit encroachments into front yards. Design alternatives one through three have therefore been archived.

At the second Ad-Hoc meeting (6/25/26) trees were discussed in depth with the City of Newberg committing to replace any trees that must be removed with one of larger caliper size to avoid the risks and appearance of saplings. The Ad-Hoc committee also heard a potential tree replacement plan and work on this is ongoing.

Here is a preliminary image of the cross section supported by option four AKA the "Talt Plan":



At the Ad Hoc meeting on 6/25/2026 Mr. Talt also presented some concepts for street design features that could add distinction and flair to the street. Note that Mr. Talt was not suggesting all of these features would be used at once or in any one location. Instead, this image is designed to spark curiosity and debate around ways to make the final street design unique and attractive:


The City of Newberg continues to receive comment on tree options and other street features. It is hoped that at our next meeting that a more complete image of the street in plan view will begin to emerge.