Over the summer, the public can weigh in on a proposal that helps focus continued growth and investment in the region’s downtowns, main streets and employment areas.
Today Metro’s acting chief operating officer, Dan Cooper, presented the Metro Council with several options to consider for small expansions of the urban growth boundary. These options are located in targeted areas to complement ongoing efforts that focus more growth and investment in existing communities.
“This proposal reflects the success of our region in getting more out of what we already have,” said Cooper. “Because we place a value on investing in our existing communities, we can attract more jobs and people to revitalize our established downtowns and main streets, which in turn protects our valuable farmland and natural areas for future generations to enjoy.”
The areas have been studied by Metro staff for their suitability to develop into complete urban communities in a timely fashion. Some of the considerations included whether an area has been subjected to preliminary planning efforts and whether adjoining cities have expressed an interest in annexing and providing services to these areas.
Options to consider
The proposal offered by Cooper recommends adding 310 acres along Northwest Meek Road, south of U.S. 26, on the northern edge of Hillsboro, to provide lands suitable for future large-lot industrial employment.
The proposal also outlines some options for the Metro Council to consider to meet anticipated needs for new housing over the next 20 years. These options include:
- 1,063 new acres south of Hillsboro and Tualatin Valley Hwy. to support more than 7,000 new homes in an area that has already received preliminary land use planning from the City of Hillsboro
- 256 acres located around the intersection of Southwest Roy Rogers Road and Southwest Beef Bend Road, west of Tigard, to help complete planning and public services for the West Bull Mountain Plan area
- 543 acres south of Cooper Mountain and west of Beaverton to help meet anticipated demand for new housing in this area
- 210 acres to the southeastern corner of Cornelius, in order to provide more residents to support economic activity and jobs in the city’s revitalized downtown area
- 496 acres west of Sherwood near Highway 99W and Southwest Kruger Rd. to provide for new homes and neighborhoods
- 316 acres adjacent to the City of Wilsonville to the east, around Advance Rd., which may help complete planning and services for an adjacent area, near Frog Pond, that is already inside the UGB
- 573 acres in the Maplelane area east of Oregon City, near a previous UGB expansion area that remains undeveloped
To put these acreages into context, the expansion of the urban growth boundary in 2002 to include what is now the city of Damascus, along with other areas, totaled nearly 18,000 acres. It is expected that the Metro Council will consider some, but not all, of the areas proposed by Cooper when it decides whether to expand the UGB this October.
Why the Metro Council is considering this action
Every five years, Metro is required by Oregon law to forecast the growth in people and jobs that that the region can expect over the next 20 years and then determine whether the current UGB can sufficiently accommodate all of that expected growth. The most recent analysis, which was completed in December 2009, indicated that additional public investments and new local policies would be needed to accommodate all of the forecast demand for new housing without a UGB expansion.
Throughout 2010, some local governments increased zoning in certain areas and made other policy changes to accommodate more growth inside the current UGB. The Metro Council also adopted the Regional Transportation Plan in June 2010 that included investments in future light rail and other high-capacity transit service that could enhance greater development inside existing communities.
Even with these measures, last December the Metro Council acknowledged the need for some expansion of the UGB to provide more large (50 acres or larger) sites for future industrial jobs. The Metro Council may also consider expansion of the UGB to allow for more residential development in specific areas, though it can also decide not to expand the UGB this year if it believes that the current UGB can accommodate future housing needs over the next 20 years.
The public is encouraged to provide comment and guidance to the Metro Council on this proposal. Over the next few weeks, Metro staff members will present these proposed options to community leaders and other interested citizens in several public meetings to be held throughout the region.
Metro also welcomes members of the public to take part in an open house to learn more about the proposal and when decisions will be made, and to ask questions of staff and offer suggestions and alternatives for the Metro Council’s consideration. This open house will take place on Thursday, July 28, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Hillsboro Civic Center Auditorium, located at 150 E. Main St.
Additionally, a survey will be sent out on Friday, July 15, to enrollees in Metro’s Opt In panel, an online public participation tool.
Comments may also be emailed or mailed directly to the Metro Council.