Unprecedented planning, compromises, leading to historic agreements on reserves
With a unanimous vote last night, the Washington County Board of Commissioners approved an agreement with Metro to designate urban and rural reserves in the county. Washington County is just the first to approve the historic agreement mapping out where the urban growth boundary can expand - and where it cannot - during the next five decades. Multnomah and Clackamas counties are set to vote on their respective agreements with Metro on Thursday morning. Metro will then vote on the agreements with all three counties Thursday afternoon.
After more than two years of research, study and public input, Metro and the counties have identified more than 271,500 acres in the region to preserve for rural use and about 28,100 acres to reserve for urban development if growth is determined necessary. In Washington County, the agreement passed last night designates 151,666 acres as rural reserves and 13,567 acres as urban reserves.
The reserves process is unique in the nation - never before has a metropolitan area mapped out a 40-to-50 year plan that identifies areas for growth and lands that should be set aside as rural. Focusing growth in designated urban reserve areas will give future leaders a better roadmap to a more sustainable region that creates jobs, protects water quality and wildlife habitat and makes for safe communities where people can live, work and play.
In the next two to three months, the Metro Council will pass an ordinance to amend the Regional Framework Plan and the three counties will also amend their comprehensive plans to formally designate the reserves.