County tries for country on highways - Oregon County plans for 'Green Corridors' to limit development

(Note from Julie Kay Smithson, who submitted this article: To translate the doublespeak in this article requires knowing the real agenda. Read with care, and know that "Green Corridors" is a GLOBAL project. Just put "Green Corridors" into the Search Box at www.Google.com and watch the over FOUR THOUSAND worldwide places where this Gang Green agenda is rearing its disguised head. Think it's not government at a national level in
this country? Just look at the last website reference below -- just one of a 'mere' 1,270 such sites!)

November 7, 2002

By Steve Mayes, The Oregonian

503-294-5916

stevemayes@news.oregonian.com

http://www.oregonlive.com

OREGON CITY, OREGON-- As growth nibbles away at rural areas around Portland,
Clackamas County plans to take a small step to stop sprawl from spilling
toward some small towns.

The county is working on a plan, known as Green Corridors, that would
put some limits on development along the highways that connect Oregon City
to Canby and Molalla.

The goals are to avoid a blurring of boundaries between towns and to
preserve the area's rural character.

But it isn't necessarily a highway beautification project, said Maggie
Dickerson, Clackamas County project manager. "Rural character and pretty are
two different things."

County Commissioner Michael Jordan said the idea is to maintain
travelers' sense that they have left one place and gone to another.

"It's a terrific idea ... but we're about 30 years late,"
Commissioner Bill Kennemer said. "It's already a hodgepodge of rural and
miscellaneous businesses and housing."

There are 110 acres of industrial or commercial land along Oregon 213
between Oregon City and Molalla that could be developed or redeveloped.

Businesses from the Oregon City Marina to Forest Park Mobile Village
are scattered all along Oregon 99E that reflect the highway's past: It was
once part of the West Coast's main north-south route and home to businesses
linked to Willamette River commerce.

"For the sake of community identities, maintaining a separation . . .
is an important issue," Jordan said. "But you run headlong into property
owners and what they think they have the right to do with their property."

Many landowners are wary of the county's plans, said Ariel Mars, a
farmer whose family has lived in the Molalla area for more than 130 years.

"I don't want anybody telling me what to do with my property," said
Mars, a member of the Green Corridors committee. "People are interested in
preserving a rural way of life," but they don't want to be limited by
inflexible rules.

Mars is concerned about a county proposal to limit development within
1,000 feet of the highway. "Private property is private business. None of us
are too enthusiastic about it," she said.

The Green Corridors effort is an outgrowth of work Metro did in the
mid-1990s. In considering where growth should occur during the next 50
years, one idea, which was discarded, called for promoting development in
small towns outside the urban growth boundary. Instead, Metro opted for a
policy that called for a buffer between the metropolitan area and outlying
cities.

The Green Corridors project recently got under way. A county-appointed
advisory committee -- representing cities, neighborhood groups and business,
agricultural and environmental interests -- will define what needs to be
done and the best ways to do it.

Federal planning grant The committee met for the first time last week.
The county is using a $150,000 federal transportation planning grant to pay
for the project.

"We're trying to figure out what people think of when they think of
rural character. It means different things to different people," said
Matilda Deas, a Canby project planner and committee member. "We haven't
gotten down to the nitty-gritty yet."

There is general agreement that a buffer is a good thing as long as it
isn't too burdensome on property owners and doesn't affect development or
expansion of urban growth boundaries around Canby and Molalla.

It is easy to see why there might be confusion about Green Corridors.
County officials have provided some conflicting information.

For example, county planners said there will be no reduction in the
amount of land available for commercial or industrial use.

Instead, they expect guidelines that will lessen the visual impact of
development -- setbacks, height restrictions, projects that would block
views and landscaping that would provide screening.

But the county's Green Corridors Web page says that "comprehensive
plan policies" or "zoning measures . . . will be considered" to achieve the
goals.

"We have no intent of changing the zoning," Dickerson said.

County residents can weigh in at open houses on Dec. 11 and in April.

Lengthy process The new rules will be debated at public hearings and
approved by the county planning commission and county commissioners. That
step is not likely to begin until next summer at the earliest.

Kennemer said he favors preservation efforts as long as they aren't
too burdensome on landowners.

"Within some limits it's a really good idea," said Kennemer, who owns
a home next to Oregon 99E. "It would be unfortunate to strip mall these
corridors."

He plans to keep a sharp eye on the effort. "I think I qualify as a
property rights advocate," but developers' interests need to be weighed
against community interests, Kennemer said.

Dickerson said the county isn't pushing for including areas within the
growth boundaries, but "if a city wants to do that, we wouldn't say 'nay.' "

Gene Green, Molalla city manager, said he needs to know more about the
county's intentions. Molalla wants to make sure that Green Corridors won't
hamper the city's need to grow.

"We don't have a lot of space left inside our urban growth boundary,"
Molalla Councilor Sean McElhaney said. "It might affect our ability to
expand."

Canby officials aren't concerned about the project's effect on the
city's urban growth boundary. A rural buffer between Canby and metropolitan
Portland, on the other hand, is something the small city "has always been
interested in . . . and supportive of," Deas said.

Around Portland, "one city blends into another," she said. "I would
hate to see the (rural) qualities lost."

 

Green Corridors Plan:

INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT ON GREEN CORRIDOR AND RURAL RESERVE AND
POPULATION COORDINATION AMONG CITY OF SANDY, CLACKAMAS COUNTY, METRO AND THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION: (excerpted: Definitions:

A. “Green Corridor” means the high performance, multi-modal
transportation facilities connecting the City to the metropolitan area along
Hwy. 26, and the surrounding identified rural lands within which the rural
and natural resource character will be preserved and protected to maintain
separation between the City and the metropolitan area and preserve the unique
identities of the City and the metropolitan area.

B. “Rural Reserve” areas are those areas in the County identified by the
parties pursuant to the terms of this agreement to provide a permanent
separation and buffer between Metro’s Urban Growth Boundary and Urban Reserve
areas and the City’s Urban Growth Boundary and Urban Reserve areas and
thereby maintain the distinct identity and character of the City and the
metropolitan area.)

http://www.ci.sandy.or.us/council/4_15_02/iga.htm

Transportation & Community & System Preservation Pilot Program

www.fhwa.dot.gov/tea21/fedreg3.htm

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Here's the response from Julie Kay SmithsonL

Letter to the Editor

11-7-2002

Re: County tries for country on highways

Put "Green Corridors" into www.Google.com and watch 4,100+ webhits. Think
it's not national government level? Read one of a 'mere' 1,270 such sites:
Green Corridors Plan:
http://www.co.clackamas.or.us/dtd/lngplan/htmls/green.html

INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT Definitions: "Green Corridor" … the high
performance, multi-modal transportation facilities connecting the City to the
metropolitan area … and the surrounding identified rural lands within which
the rural and natural resource character will be preserved and protected to
maintain separation between the City and the metropolitan area and preserve
the unique identities of the City and the metropolitan area.

"Rural Reserve" areas … identified by the parties pursuant to the terms of
this agreement to provide a permanent separation and buffer between Metro's
Urban Growth Boundary and Urban Reserve areas and the City's Urban Growth
Boundary and Urban Reserve areas and thereby maintain the distinct identity
and character of the City and the metropolitan area.)

http://www.ci.sandy.or.us/council/4_15_02/iga.htm

www.fhwa.dot.gov/tea21/fedreg3.htm