Oregon Public Broadcasting

Ten years ago, Oregon’s land-use planners were bracing for a seismic shift. The last of those tremors may subside in the early part of this year.

A series of ballot measures quieted the debate over property rights in Oregon. But now, Portland area officials want more certainty about how the region will grow.

They’re on the verge of deciding which areas will be protected far into the future, and which will be developed. For more on that, I turn to OPB’s land-use reporter Rob Manning. Good Morning, Rob.

There was a flurry of votes at the Metro regional government in December – a transportation plan and one on the region’s long-term growth. Both were pretty hotly contested. Where do those stand?Rob Manning: "On the transportation plan – more or less, it is settled. And that’s key because, the region needs an adopted transportation plan, so that it can get and spend federal road money. But that plan provides insight into the regional conflicts that the Metro regional government is wrestling with. Here’s Metro’s president, David Bragdon."

David Bragdon: “Back in December, the city of Portland voted against it, because in their estimation it had too many big roads. Well, the Washington County commissioner voted against it as well, but for the very opposite reason – because it didn’t have enough big roads.”

Rob Manning: "The transportation plan ideally will connect road and transit lines to the places where people will live."

Geoff Norcross: "And on that score – there’s now a draft map of “urban and rural reserves.” And between now and February – that map should be final. How is this different from urban growth boundaries of the past?

Rob Manning: "The widely acknowledged problem with urban growth boundary decisions from the early part of last decade is that the new growth areas went places where it was difficult to develop, or there wasn’t high demand for development. But Metro was following existing state law – to avoid the best farmland.

"The existing law also forced Metro to evaluate expansion areas every five years – and stirring up controversy, every time. Now, a new state law allows Metro to use a variety of factors to create 'reserve' areas – urban, for future development, and rural ones, where farms and forests will remain. And it’ll provide some certainty, officials hope, for 40 to 50 years.

"There’s a catch, though. Metro can’t unilaterally create the reserves – councilors have to agree with the area counties."

Geoff Norcross: "And as we’ve seen over the last few weeks – and as was discussed last month on Think Out Loud, the various parts of the region have different opinions about growth."

Rob Manning: "Right, and that’s also been true for years. Business and farm groups in Washington County have battled, with farmers pushing for more smaller urban reserve areas. County commissioners basically sided with business groups. Some farmers felt ignored in the process and appealed to Metro last month. And when one Metro councilor suggested the farmers take their case back to Washington County,  farmer Larry Duyck hit the roof. Here’s tape from that meeting."

Larry Duyck: “I’m hotter than hell right now, because I’ve been involved in this process for two years. And we had to fight like hell to get one spot on the Washington County reserve committee. We had to fight to get one representative on that committee. How is that a fair process? What can we do? What can we do?”

Rob Manning: "Farmers have been joined, to an extent, by the city of Portland and Multnomah County, which prefer greater redevelopment and investment in existing neighborhoods. And two of the more conservation-minded councilors had an alternative map that shielded more farmland from development, but it failed to win support."

Geoff Norcross: "If farm groups are unhappy, does that mean business or city officials, are happy?"

Rob Manning: "Not happy either. Jonathon Schlueter is with the Westside Economic Alliance – a non-profit that represents government and business interests, mostly in Washington County. He says Metro initially looked at far more land for possible urban reserve designation, and he’s not happy with where it wound up."

Jonathon Schlueter: “Since the conversation began two years ago, the direction has been only one way, and that has been to whittle down, pair back, and reduce the ambitions and opportunities available in this region.”

Geoff Norcross: "Now you said before that the three counties need to agree with Metro. With all this disagreement, is there a chance that might not happen?"

Rob Manning:: "There have been articles in The Oregonian suggesting that lack of consensus could doom the whole reserves’ effort, and force the region to go back to the previous, much more prescriptive way of doing urban growth. But Metro president, David Bragdon, and he thinks ultimately it’s in everyone’s interest to make the reserves work."

David Bragdon: “Everybody shares an interest in collaborating and getting this done, and having some certainty about it. Actually, the discussions have been very productive and our coming to a consensus, and while they start with different perspectives, but I think they end up in a place where there is general agreement.”

Rob Manning: "Jonathon Schlueter with the Westside Economic Alliance may not agree with the map that Bragdon and the rest of the Metro Council approved – but he agrees with Bragdon. Folks who have been through the bitter land-use fights of the early part of the last decade are hoping that after a half-dozen public meetings this month, and a decision next month, they’ll have settled on something they can agree to. Even if they’re not all going to be happy about it."