Metro, counties finalize votes on urban and rural reserves
News release: Feb 25, 2010
Contact: Karen Kane, 503-797-1942, karen.kane@oregonmetro.gov
Collaboration, negotiations, compromises lead to further protection for farmland; strengthen future public and private investments
Regional agreements usher in new way of adding land for growing families, neighborhoods, jobs
Historic agreements between Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties and Metro will give regional leaders a new way to plan for growth as the area's population, housing and jobs increase. Today, a Metro Council vote of 5 -2 seals agreements with the county commissions to exclude vast areas from urban development and establish focused areas for future urban expansion for the next half century. Adopting urban and rural reserves will help existing communities grow in a planned, directed manner while protecting land for farms, forest and natural areas.
The unanimous votes by Washington County on Tuesday and today's votes by Clackamas and Multnomah counties and Metro identify 272,118 acres for rural use and 28,086 acres for urban. Each of the counties also agreed to principles under which new urban areas will be planned and developed and how natural areas will be protected if development occurs.
Focusing growth in urban areas instead of on the least suitable farmland, a method used in Oregon since 1973 legislation enacting the state's unique land use system, will give leaders a better roadmap to a more sustainable region that provides farmers with long-term certainty about the future of their lands, protects water quality and wildlife habitat, and helps to support jobs and growing communities.
"No matter what type of neighborhoods residents live in, they will benefit from this historic endeavor," said Metro Councilor Kathryn Harrington. "Protecting farmland and natural areas and directing growth to places where people want it and where it makes economic sense will create a region that can accommodate everyone."
The Metro Council maintains the urban growth boundary (UGB) surrounding the Portland metropolitan area. As directed by state law, every five years the agency calculates how much acreage is needed within the boundary to maintain a 20-year supply of land to accommodate projected population and job growth, and expands the boundary if necessary to respond to that need. Urban reserves and the legal agreements that guide their use will form the basis for future land decisions. Metro has already embarked on the next urban growth boundary study, which is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
By the end of May, the Metro Council will pass an ordinance to amend its Regional Framework Plan to designate urban reserves, and the three counties will amend their comprehensive land use plans to designate rural reserves.
The reserves process is unique in the nation - never before have elected officials from four separate governments determined the fifty-year future of a metropolitan area. The three counties and Metro - as well as a steering committee of representatives from cities both inside and outside the region, business, advocacy groups and state agencies- has worked for more than two years to develop these agreements. The counties and Metro sought extensive involvement from a variety of stakeholders and residents to identify areas suitable for development as well as the most significant natural features and agricultural lands.
The Metro Council in collaboration with local governments, business associations, agriculture groups, state agencies and land use advocates originally requested permission to use the urban and rural reserves process from the state legislature in 2005. Senate Bill 1011, passed in 2007, enables regional leaders to consider where to grow in a more flexible manner, rather than the previous approach of only choosing areas to avoid prime farmland.
The process was lead by the Core 4 - representatives of the Metro Council and each county commission - who worked in consultation with their council and commissions to craft the final agreements, are Multnomah County Commissioner Jeff Cogen, Washington County Chair Tom Brian, Clackamas County Commissioner Charlotte Lehan and Metro Councilor Kathryn Harrington.
The agreements and maps can be found online at www.oregonmetro.gov/reserves
Note: Metro Councilors Robert Liberty and Rod Park voted against the resolution to adopt urban and rural reserves.
Washington County Commission Chair Tom Brian said "The collaboration exhibited by the Core 4 and our Washington county commission has led to this decision. This collaborative spirit will continue as we work with Metro to craft and implement the programs achieving future livability.
Multnomah County Commissioner Jeff Cogen said "The designations we've made are here after many, many months of negotiation and good faith efforts from all parties. I'm grateful for the time and contribution from my colleagues in the other regional governments."