Posts Tagged ‘ urban reserves ’

Breaking: Metro Approves Urban Reserves Plan

February 25, 2010
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UPDATE:

Council President David Bragdon releases a statement calling this a vote a “historic moment.” He goes on to write:

“Our work is not done. We need to refocus our efforts on how we can best invest in attracting more jobs and residents to our existing communities inside the urban growth boundary. Metro, local governments and the private sector need to work more strategically to invest limited public resources more wisely and encourage greater private investment in the communities we already call home.”

EARLIER:

The Metro Council put a final stamp of approval on a plan to guide growth in the region for the next 50-years. The vote was 5-2.

The plan creates 28,000 acres of urban reserves, areas outside the urban growth boundary that will be set aside for most new business and residential development.

It also preserves 272,000 acres as rural reserves, places protected as farmland and natural areas.

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Metro Ready To Approve Urban Reserves Plan

February 22, 2010
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Two years of political brawling and bargaining over where the Portland metro area will grow in the next 50-years could be settled by the end of the week.

On Thursday, the Metro Council votes on a plan to creating new urban and rural reserves in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties. Leading up to the big show on Thursday, each of the county commissions will meet separately this week to ratify the plan.

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Close Enough: Metro Moves To A Decision On Urban Reserves

February 8, 2010
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The Metro regional government is “almost” at a decision on urban reserves.

The latest plan, as proposed by a committee called the Core 4, includes setting aside 27,000 acres for urban reserves and 270,000 acres for rural reserves. That leaves about 2300 acres in the “undecided” category.

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Final Urban Reserves Hearing Thursday

January 21, 2010
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Tonight’s your last chance to get up in front of the Metro Council and tell them how you really feel about urban and rural reserves.

A two week period of open houses and public hearings wraps up this evening at the Wilsonville City Hall, 29799 SW Town Center Loop E. The open house starts at 430pm and the public hearing begins at 6pm. Metro is also taking online comments through 5pm Friday.

Metro, plus Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties, are drawing up a plan that will guide the region’s growth for the next 40-50 years. Areas called urban reserves will be set aside for future business, industrial and residential development. Rural reserves are preserved for farmland, forests and natural areas.

There’s been considerable debate over just how much land should be put into urban reserves, and where those areas should be located. The current plan being discussed by Metro includes about 29,000 acres, with half of them in Washington County. An alternative proposed by a coalition of conservation and agriculture groups calls for about 15,000 acres of urban reserves.

Metro Prez Candidates Debate Growth, Bridges and Traffic

January 20, 2010
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The three leading candidates for Metro Council President talked about growth, bridges, traffic and more during a forum Tuesday night.

It was billed as a chance for all of them to address issues surrounding sustainability. But they also talked about affordable housing, white flight, and issues of inequality. Since many of those in the audience were Metro employees, they discussed workplace respect and health care benefits.

I’ve edited the forum into three video segments focusing on some of the environmental related issues raised at the event.

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VIDEO: Jobs and the Economy Drive Metro’s First Hearing on Urban Reserves

January 11, 2010
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Job growth and the economy were the two major themes at Metro’s first public hearing on urban reserves. It didn’t seem to matter whether someone supported setting aside more areas for urban development, or preserving rural land. Missing from the debate were traditional green values. In the time I was there no one talked about preserving natural areas or protecting watersheds.

The message to Metro councilors was clear. Speaker after speaker told them that supporting economic growth should be their primary consideration as they plan for the region’s future.

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Portland Mayor Endorses Coalition Plan For Urban Reserves

January 11, 2010
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An urban growth plan released today by a coalition of farming and conservation groups picked up a key endorsement from Portland Mayor Sam Adams.

Speaking at Metro’s first of six public hearings on urban reserves, Adams told councilors he’s thinking of the economic needs of the region in offering his support. He says the plan is, “in keeping with promoting more jobs and better jobs for the region.”

His comments endorsing the coalition proposal were brief and to the point. Afterwards he began speaking more generally about what he thinks are the best ways for the Portland metro area to grow.

For more information on the coalition plan, please see: Farmers, Conservation Groups Come Together On Urban Growth

Farmers, Conservation Groups Come Together On Urban Growth

January 11, 2010
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As the Portland metro area kicks off a long debate over growth and land use, several farming and conservation groups are joining forces on a single vision for how we should grow over the next several decades.

The members freely admit that in the past, they often didn’t agree on big issues. What brings them together now are the common goals of wanting to contain urban growth and make it more dense, while protecting what remains of the metro area’s best farmland and natural places.

It comes as the Metro regional government begins a two week period of public meetings and hearings on the matter.

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The Great Debate: What’s The Best Way For Metro Portland To Grow?

December 15, 2009
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With more than a million new people expected in the metro area over the next 20-years, politicians are trying to figure out where to put all of them. Do we allow the area’s Urban Growth Boundary to expand to accommodate the growth? Or do we hold tight, and pack more people into the same amount of space?

Two very different men, with very different visions of the future, debated the issue Monday night in Hillsboro. On one side, Washington County Chair Tom Brian who supports expanding the boundary. County leaders are looking at plans to open another 34,000 acres as urban reserves, areas where farmland could be replaced by development.

Then there’s Portland Mayor Sam Adams, who believes in more dense development as a way to control sprawl, transportation costs and pollution, and create livable neighborhoods where people don’t have to travel far to find basic needs.

The debate was sponsored by OPB’s Think Out Loud program and the Forest Grove News-Times. It will be aired on Think Out Loud at 9:00am Tuesday morning.

Meawnhile, a short excerpt from the hour long event. The two men discuss infill, with Brian saying it costs more than people realize and could lead to more expensive housing. Adams says infill reduces costs.