Scott & Hilary
Dear Fellow Cyclists and Concerned Citizens:
I am writing to ask for your help to keep the Urban Growth Boundary from
being expanded into some prime cycling areas on the Northwest side of the
Portland area. (Caveat: Yes, I do live in an area that is being considered
for inclusion into the UGB. . . I'll get that out up front, and you can say
this is "NIMBY" if you want; but, I honestly believe it will impact many,
many more cyclists than just my wife and I).
As you may know, the Portland Metro Regional Planning agency (known as
"Metro") is reviewing the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) around the Portland
area. Oregon law requires that regional planning agencies review growth
plans and growth boundaries at least every five years - the main aim is to
make sure that there is supply of land available for any necessary
development over the next 20 years. Many areas in Multnomah, Washington,
and Clackamas Counties have been reviewed over the past several months.
Metro has decided that approximately 17,000 acres of additional land need to
be brought into the UBG in the tri-county area to accommodate future growth.
On August 1, 2002, the Metro commission that studied the areas for possible
inclusion into the UGB recommended that most of the 17,000 acres come from
the Damascus area. Areas near Skyline Boulevard and the Bethany area near
Beaverton/Hillsboro were not recommended for inclusion.
Unfortunately, at the behest of a handful of developers and large
landowners, Metro literally snuck in a new proposal to include areas along
Skyline Boulevard from Thompson Road Northwest out to near Germantown Road.
Metro also voted to include areas near Bethany, out across Springville Road
. . . For those of you who have seen the Forest Heights development near
Cornell/Thompson/Skyline . . .well, picture this type of development
extending along Skyline for several more miles. That means more traffic,
more SUV's, and more residents hostile to commuting and recreational
cyclists. It also means that future growth will, in all likelihood, creep
up the West slopes of hill along Springville, Germantown, Old Germantown,
and even Cornelius Pass road. This would destroy the rural, (fairly)
cyclist-friendly atmosphere of many of the roads that are now within close
reach of the Portland area.
Metro is having a public hearing and taking a final vote on Tuesday December
5, 2002.
If you are at all inclined to oppose the inclusion of these areas into the
UGB, I urge you to call/email/fax/snail mail the Metro commissioners. I
also urge you to contact the Portland City Council.
Here are more specific details re: the proposed sites:
Study Areas #84, 85, 86, 87 - 736 Acres, from the Multnomah/Washington
County line (at the Powerline) on the east, to 185th Ave. on the west; and
from Springville Road north to the Multnomah/Wash. Co. line (generally,
along Abbey Creek, more or less.) Study Area # 87 is the most egregious of
these, along the east and most of the north boundary.
Study Area # 94 - 571 Acres, all land on Skyline Blvd. to Forest
Park, between Thompson Road and a bit north of Springville Road. The south
part of this area is in the County; the rest is in the City limits.
Please - just a note that says, "I oppose inclusion of Study Areas 94, and
84-87 into the Urban Growth Boundary" can make a difference. Here are the
contacts:
METRO COUNCILORS
Carl Hosticka hosti-@metro.dst.or.us
Rex Burkholder burkho-@metro.dst.or.us
David Bragdon brag-@metro.dst.or.us
Rod Park par-@metro.dst.or.us
Bill Atherton ather-@metro.dst.or.us
Susan McLain mcla-@metro.dst.or.us
Rod Monroe monr-@metro.dst.or.us
Lydia Neill nei-@metro.dst.or.us
PORTLAND COMMISSIONERS
Mayor Vera Katz: 503-823-4120; ask for Tommy Brooks
mayor-@ci.portland.or.us
Randy Leonard: 503-823-4682; as for Ty
Dan Saltzman
Commissioner of Public Affairs
1221 SW 4th Ave, Room 230, 97204
Phone: (503)823-4151
E-mail: dsalt-@ci.portland.or.us
Erik Sten
Commissioner of Public Works
1221 SW 4th Ave, Room 240, 97204
Phone: (503)823-3589
E-mail: er-@ci.portland.or.us
Thank you for your support.
Scott Powell & Hilary Billington
Team Oregon / Residence of Skyline Blvd.
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