Proposed urban and rural reserves

About the area

This area surrounds Oregon City and extends from the Clackamas River south to Molalla. The area in general is within approximately three miles of the current urban growth boundary and includes the Hamlet of Beavercreek as well as the rural community of Carus and part of Redland. It is bounded by the Willamette River on the west and by Hattan Road and Clear Creek on the east. This is a varied landscape of well drained uplands, steep and rolling hills, and deep creek canyons.

Most of this area is identified as conflicted agricultural land, with smaller amounts on the eastern and southern edges identified as important agricultural land. There are very few industrial forestland parcels. The area includes a mixture of rural residences and farms that produce Christmas trees, berries, nursery crops, hay, cattle and horses as well as small woodlots.

Proposed reserves

Areas proposed for either urban or rural designation by Metro and Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties

3A options

This 1,255-acre area lies northeast of Oregon City with the current urban growth boundary on its western edge. It is bordered on the north by South Clackamas River Drive, on the east by South Hilltop Road and Southeast Pam Drive, and by Holcomb Creek to the south. Southeast Forsythe Road runs east to west through the area, providing access to Oregon City. The area is moderately suitable for urbanization but connection to the existing urban area is challenging given the Clackamas River to the north and the difficulties in linking this area to Oregon City's transportation network. The entire area is identified as conflicted agricultural land.

The area is being considered for designation as an urban reserve to offset development that is currently proposed on foundation or important agricultural land in other parts of the region. However, given the challenges of urbanization, it's also a consideration that the area or portions of it be left undesignated.

3B urban

This 382-acre area lies along Holcomb Boulevard, east of Oregon City and north of Redland Road. Its relatively flat areas would complement the recently planned Park Place expansion area. Abernethy Creek is identified as an important natural landscape feature and is proposed as a rural reserve to define the extent of future urbanization. The entire area is identified as conflicted agricultural land.

3C urban

Highway 213 and Holly Lane run north and south through this 696-acre area southeast of downtown Oregon City. Holly Lane provides a key transportation connection for the city and contains some flat areas suitable for development. Newell Creek Canyon would be included in this urban reserve. Although the canyon is an important natural feature, it is not proposed as a boundary to future development but would, if left out, ultimately be surrounded by it. Oregon City has agreed to provide stewardship of the canyon's resources through a variety of techniques including public acquisition and zoning limitations on development on steep slopes. Much of the canyon is in public ownership. This area is identified as conflicted agricultural land.

3D urban

This 486-acre area on either side of Maple Lane was identified by Oregon City as suitable for its needs and as complementary to the city's transportation network. Urbanization would have little impact on commercial agriculture or timber production. The area is identified as conflicted agricultural land.

3E rural

Two fingers of rural land east and south of 3B urban and 3D urban along with the urban growth boundary contain a mix of land uses, topography and natural landscape features. They are dominated by Holcomb and Abernethy creeks and their associated slopes and riparian areas. These fingers are proposed for rural reserves in recognition of these two creek systems. The vast majority of this area is identified as conflicted agricultural land with a small piece of important agricultural land to the southeast.

A strip of land between the Clackamas River and South Clackamas River Drive to the north is being proposed as a rural reserve due to the designation of the river and its floodplain as important landscape features. The area is identified as conflicted agricultural land.

3F urban

This 362-acre area runs along both sides of Henrici Road. It has good access to Oregon City and would help with transportation connectivity between Highway 213 and Beavercreek Road. The area is identified as conflicted agricultural land and is already developed in relatively small parcels.

3G urban

These three separate and small bench areas totaling 220 acres would be designated urban reserves due to their location along the city's existing edge on a plateau that drops south to Beaver Creek. These bench areas would help complete adjacent neighborhoods and the topography limit urbanization to the south. The area is identified as conflicted agricultural land.

3H rural

The large area south of Oregon City, extending from the Willamette River on the west to the rural subdivisions along Foothills and Meadowridge roads on the east, is proposed as rural reserves. This area is a mixture of large-lot rural residential in the west and farms in the central and eastern sections. Beaver and Parrott creeks run east to west throughout. The area is identified entirely as important agricultural land.

Two large areas interspersed between the proposed rural reserve areas described above are proposed to remain as undesignated for either urban or rural reserves. The area west of South Hattan Road and south of the Clackamas River, extending south beyond Redland Road to Abernethy Creek, does not meet either designation due to the existence of significant rural residential uses, a conflicted agricultural designation, and an area not conducive to urbanization.

The second area, southeast of Oregon City, includes the community of Beavercreek which
functions as an extension of the urban area and is dominated by rural residential development with small scale farms and woodlots. A golf course and several large churches could potentially limit the long-term viability of this area for commercial agricultural production. These pressures combined with a conflicted agricultural land designation prevents the area from meeting required urban or rural reserve factors and thus remains undesignated for either.

3I rural

This relatively small area of 1,294 acres lies north of Molalla and is proposed for designation as a rural reserve. It would define the northernmost extension of future urban development for Molalla. It frames a smaller area adjacent to the city that will be available for future urban growth boundary extensions if the city can gain approval from the state.