Recent Urban Renewal News
January 2012: Alliance weighs in on PDC's central city urban renewal budget priorities
The Alliance recently shared its position with the Portland Development Commission (PDC) on the 2012-13 central city urban renewal budget priorities. The Alliance urged the City of Portland and PDC to preserve tax increment financing for development projects that have the ability to generate tax increment; have private-sector participation, and create a local and widespread "halo effect" of economic development and private investment. Read the letter >>
Back to top
04/27/11: Urban Renewal Legislation
Legislation (SB 217) that would allow the creation of so-called “satellite” urban renewal districts passed the Senate Business Committee and was moved over to the Finance and Revenue Committee. In 2008, the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals rejected the City of Portland’s attempt to create a satellite district in the Reynolds school district as part of the expansion of the River District. The bill is intended to reverse that decision and allow non-contiguous districts to be created. The Alliance sent a letter opposing the legislation.
Back to top
03/10/11:
Two new urban renewal proposals in development
Two new urban renewal district proposals for downtown areas are in the works. The Portland Development Commission and Mayor Adams are currently working on the proposals, the first of which would create a district centered over Portland State University (PSU).
The purpose of the district would be to help leverage PSU investments and carry out the university's long range development plans, including the construction of new on-campus student housing. The Alliance included the adoption of a PSU urban renewal district in its Jobs Summit Action Plan as a way to support higher education and economic development.
Additionally, micro-urban renewal areas centered on neighborhood commercial districts are the framework for the second urban renewal proposal, which is still in the preliminary stages of development. The goal of the second proposal is to provide the benefits of tax increment finance to areas of the city that have not been able to access these resources, while also minimizing the impact on overlapping jurisdictions. Initial conversations about micro-urban renewal areas are underway with the counties and school districts.
Learn more about urban renewal >>
Back to top
11/05/10:
LCDC decision on Urban and Rural reserves delays Urban Growth Boundary decision
The Coalition for a Prosperous Region and the Alliance were successful in urging Oregon's Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) to review the controversial land use decision that designates urban and rural reserves for the next 50 years. The LCDC recently decided to largely uphold the reserves decisions made by representatives from Metro and Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties, known as the Core 4. However, a specific area of land was sent back for further review and another area was rejected. As a result, urban growth boundary expansion decisions may be delayed.
What are the Urban and Rural Reserves?
The urban and rural reserves designate a 50-year land supply of developable land eligible for urban growth boundary expansions, as well as a 50-year protection of other portions of land, saved for faming. The designation of urban and rural reserves allows for employment and housing development to locate close to existing and planned infrastructure.
How is the Alliance involved?
Leading up to the counties' reserves decision, the Alliance and the Coalition for a Prosperous Region (a consortium of business and labor organizations) urged Metro and the three counties to adopt urban reserves sufficient to accommodate future employment growth since the region expects to double in population and employment in the 50 years of the plan.
The counties, however, designated urban reserves that the coalition believes are insufficient to accommodate that projected growth. The Coalition for a Prosperous Region, with the support of the Alliance, submitted comments to the LCDC challenging the amount of land supply that the counties designated as urban reserves. There were 45 other objections to the decision.
What areas of land are the issue?
The two areas in question are in Washington County. An area set aside as an urban reserve north of Cornelius was deemed unacceptable by the commission, and another urban reserve north of Forest Grove was sent back for further review. To allow Washington County to have access to other areas for possible urban development, the commission asked the county to review the designation of rural reserves abutting urban reserves or the current Urban Growth Boundary. The review may result in some select areas being re-categorized as 'undesignated' land. This could allow a second look at those areas for urban development in the future if Washington County needs more land to grow within the next 50 years.
Since urban and rural reserves have not been fully decided on in Washington County, it is unlikely that Metro Council will vote on an urban growth boundary expansion in the near future.
Back to top
08/05/10:
Alliance comments on new downtown Urban Renewal Area
A new Urban Renewal Area (URA) is being considered in the downtown area. Through the Alliance's Urban Renewal Task Force and Mayor Sam Adams' Central City Urban Renewal Evaluation Committee, the Alliance has been advocating for a new urban renewal district in the central city.
The Alliance believes that the new URA would preserve the central city as the regional economic center by leveraging private sector investment in job creation and economic development. The Alliance used a set of criteria for evaluating what characteristics the new URA should have:
- Blight or blighting characteristics
- Sufficient land to provide an appropriate mix of land-use types
- Ability to form a single, contiguous boundary
- Demonstration of private sector participation
- Sufficient infrastructure investments to support new development and land-use planning strategies
- Ability to leverage economic development and job creation
The Alliance position also states that URA-funded projects should result in specific public benefits, including:
- The ability to generate an incremental increase in assessed value
- Private sector participation directly in the project or related to the project
- The ability to stimulate a local and widespread "halo effect" of economic development and private investment
- Appropriately timed project execution that maximizes tax increment generation potential over the life of the district
Mayor Adams recently released a draft proposal consisting of a suggested geographic boundary and a 25-year investment strategy for the new URA. The Alliance Urban Renewal Task Force has reviewed the proposed map and investment strategy and made comments and recommendations. The Alliance supports the focus of the proposal on job creation and leveraging private investment. The Alliance also recommended that some parcels or blocks of land that are in other URAs be moved into the new URA, or that areas that are not in any URA be included in the new URA.
The URA process is progressing and the Alliance will continue to work with property owners, the city, the county and others on the proposal moving forward.
Back to top
08/05/10:
Alliance continues coalition work on urban and rural land use decision
The Coalition for a Prosperous Region, a consortium of business and labor organizations supported by the Alliance, recently submitted comments with the State Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) challenging the amount of land supply that the counties designated as urban reserves. There are 45 other objections to the decision.
In February, a group of representatives from Metro and Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties decided what land in the tri-county region would be designated as urban and rural reserves for the next 50 years. Urban reserves are set aside for possible development, and rural reserves are kept for agricultural and open space purposes.
The coalition supports regional growth that balances urban development and natural resource protection while promoting a vibrant regional economy. Leading up to the counties' reserves decision, the Alliance and the coalition urged Metro and the three counties to adopt urban reserves sufficient to accommodate future employment growth since the region expects to double in population and employment in the 50 years of the plan. However, the counties designated urban reserves that the coalition believes are insufficient to accommodate that projected growth.
Read the coalition's press release >>
Back to top
|
