What should decide what communities are designated as town or regional centers – the Metro Council or the free market?
In a Thursday afternoon worksession, councilors grappled with the idea that the market might be getting saturated with too many town and regional centers, areas targeted for increased development and accompanying transportation improvements.
The region has 28 town centers and seven regional centers. But three communities have come to the council this year asking for changes to the designations.
In the least controversial of the proposals, Happy Valley is requesting its town center be re-designated from an area near King Road and 129th Avenue to the area near its city hall and main shopping center, along Sunnyside Road at 162nd Avenue.
But two other changes drew questions from councilors, although they indicated they would likely go along with the requests.
Cornelius is asking its downtown area be designated as a town center, an upgrade from its current "main street" designation. That drew a mild rebuke from Councilor Robert Liberty, who said he didn't think Cornelius is large enough to support a town center but would support the bid anyway.
Most of the discussion revolved around Hillsboro's request for the Tanasbourne town center to become the AmberGlen/Tanasbourne regional center, because of planned dense developments and a proposed MAX line.
Some councilors expressed concern that the regional center might detract from efforts to spur development in the downtown Beaverton and downtown Hillsboro regional centers.
"AmberGlen/Tanasbourne may be appropriate, but then I question whether (downtown) Hillsboro will be successful," Liberty said.
Councilor Rod Park had similar concerns.
"At what point do we start losing synergism and have too many?" Park said. "I don't think we have the basis to say no, but we should raise concerns so we can monitor performance so we can actually see how to make things happen."
Councilor Kathryn Harrington, who represents the area, said the cities of Beaverton and Hillsboro have asserted they don't think the AmberGlen designation would have a negative impact on their communities.
Harrington said that opponents of the regional center designation failed to recognize that the Tanasbourne town center area consists of more than just a shopping mall. It also includes several apartment complexes. Hillsboro's future vision for AmberGlen resembles denser suburban developments in the Vancouver, B.C. area.
"It's very clear to me folks hadn't bothered to look at the State of the Centers report and had no clue how much multi-family housing there is in that town center as it exists today," she said.
Another concern, expressed by Councilor Carl Hosticka, was that jurisdictions might be trying to block investment in nearby areas.
"I actually would support some of the strategies which say 'Let 1,000 flowers bloom and fertilize the ones that smell good,'" Hosticka said. "Some of the discussion we've heard has been based on people feeling they want to succeed in holding other people back."