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FAQ
FaqDetail
Who is Metro?
Does Metro have to expand the boundary?
How does Metro determine what should be brought into the boundary?
Is the current recession accounted for in the growth forecast?
How much land is being studied for the next expansion?
Development along Sunnyside Road has created transportation problems. How can we learn from these mistakes to ensure our area does not create a similar problem?
What is "Concurrency"?
The County Commission’s policy is that any new area to be developed at urban densities will be in a city. What does that mean for Damascus and Boring?
Who is Metro?
Metro serves 1.3 million people who live in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties and the 24 cities in the Portland metropolitan area. The regional government provides transportation and land-use planning services and oversees regional garbage disposal and recycling and waste reduction programs.
Metro manages regional parks and greenspaces and owns the Oregon Zoo. It also oversees operation of the Oregon Convention Center, the Portland Center for the Performing Arts and the Portland Metropolitan Exposition (Expo) Center, all managed by the Metropolitan Exposition Recreation Commission.
In 1992, voters in this region directed Metro, the regional government, to plan for the future and to actively manage the metropolitan area’s growth planning process. The growth management policy coming out of this long-range planning process is called the 2040 Growth Concept.
In 1995, the Metro Council adopted the 2040 Growth Concept, which established the region’s policy for regional growth and development. This policy is to:
Encourage more efficient use of land in cities.
Protect farm and forest land outside the
Urban Growth Boundary
.
Promote a balanced transportation system that includes all types of travel, such as bicycling, walking and using mass transit, as well as cars and freight.
Encourage mixed-use centers with housing and jobs and good transportation access.
Build complete communities by providing jobs and shopping close to where people live.
Work with neighboring cities just outside the region – such as Sandy, Canby and Newberg – to keep a separation between communities.
You can learn more about Metro by visiting their web site at
www.metro-region.org
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Does
Metro
have to expand the boundary?
All indications point to a need to expand the boundary this year. Even with a concerted effort in the last 10 years by the residents of the region to use land more wisely, anticipated growth assures that some boundary expansion will happen.
It’s estimated that nearly 500,000 more people will live within the Oregon portion of the metro area during the next 20 years.
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How does
Metro
determine what should be brought into the boundary?
The first step in this process is to determine the supply and demand. This requires estimating the future jobs and housing capacity inside the
Urban Growth Boundary
(supply) as well as estimating the regional job and housing need (demand). This capacity is compared with the expected population growth for the next 20 years. An Urban Growth Land Needs Analysis report (also known as the Urban Growth Report) summarizes the findings. The needs analysis will be released August 1, 2002.
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Is the current recession accounted for in the growth forecast?
The national economic forecast, as well as
Metro
’s forecast, incorporates both growth and recession cycles and therefore accounts for the current recession and 2000 census data.
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How much land is being studied for the next expansion?
About 80,000 acres, but only a portion will likely be added to the
Urban Growth Boundary
.
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Development along Sunnyside Road has created transportation problems. How can we learn from these mistakes to ensure our area does not create a similar problem?
Concurrency
. The County Commissioners are committed to “concurrency”, which is the principle that there should be a better tie between when public facilities are provided and when development occurs. A major concern is finding a better way to coordinate the timing of development with road improvements. This is difficult with our extremely limited state and local funding for road construction, and limitations under law, such as the requirement that developers can’t be forced to pay for improvements that are needed to serve the existing population.
The over population that you see struggling to use narrow Sunnyside road occurred before the County Commissioners embraced the rule of concurrency. As for Sunnyside Road, the County is on the defensive side in working to bring the road into concurrency so that it will support the surrounding area.
The concept behind concurrency is to be proactive about a support structure, instead of having to be in a defensive role and try to catch up.
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What is "Concurrency"?
Concurrency is the principle where there should be a better tie between when public facilities are provided and when development occurs.
The concept behind concurrency is to be proactive about a support structure, instead of having to be in a defensive role and try to catch up.
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The County Commission’s policy is that any new area to be developed at urban densities will be in a city. What does that mean for Damascus and Boring?
More detail on the rules and requirements for incorporation or annexation can be found in Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) 221 and 222, enrolled HB 2458 (Oregon Laws 2001, chapter 132) and Enrolled HB2978 (Oregon Laws 2001, chapter 557) that establish the state rules for incorporation and annexation, as well as
Metro
Code 3.09, which establishes applicable requirements and procedures for areas inside the
Metro
jurisdictional boundary.
What are the rules about incorporating a new city in an area that is an unincorporated rural community?
The County Comprehensive Plan currently designates both Damascus and Boring as designated unincorporated rural communities which lie outside of the urban growth boundary of a city or a metropolitan service district. In 2001, special provisions were added to modify the incorporation process for this type of rural community. Incorporation statutes are summarized below.
Residents of an area which are not presently part of an incorporated city, and in which at least 150 people live, may petition to incorporate a new city through election.
Before an election can take place, the petitioner must develop and file an Economic Feasibility Statement containing:
The services and functions to be provided by the new city (a minimum of five such cost effective urban services are required).
An analysis of those services and functions and other existing or needed government services.
A demonstration that the proposed city is planning for cost effective urban services that are adequate for future growth.
A demonstration of the ability to complete a public facility plan and a transportation plan for current populations and projected growth, if such plans are required.
Proposed first and third year line item operation budgets demonstrating economic feasibility.
The basis for a proposed tax base (permanent tax rate limit)
An Economic Feasibility Statement must be submitted with the petition for incorporation. The Clackamas County Commission must find that the Statement meets the statutory requirements found in ORS 221.035 and HB 2458. Otherwise, the Commission is required to terminate the incorporation proceedings.
A petition for incorporation that is signed by 10% of electors registered in the area, then certified and filed.
Discussions with any cities within three miles of the proposed incorporation concerning the effects of the proposal and The petition affidavit must say that petitioner has engaged in specifically regarding the expansion of the
urban growth boundaries
and, if applicable, urban reserves.
A public hearing must be held; the proposal may be amended. If any neighboring city objects to the incorporation, the city must participate in a public hearing held by the County Commission and must specify how the incorporation would adversely affect the city.
The incorporation must be approved by an election of a majority of the electors in an election where at least 50% of the electors registered to vote actually voted, or by a simple majority of the votes cast if the election is held at a general election held in an even-numbered year.
At the same time of the election, city councilors must be elected.
At the time of the election, a tax base (permanent tax rate limit) must be approved.
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