As expected, the Metro Council has unanimously agreed to expand the Urban Growth Boundary by 1,985 acres in four locations - all in Washington County.  Of this, only 330 acres north of Hillsboro will be designated for industrial development as future employment land.

   The latest expansion marks the first increase in the UGB since 2004, when 1,973 acres were designated for employment areas around the region.  An additional 345 acres were added in 2005 to provide future job sites north of Hillsboro.  

   Metro Councilors agreed this latest expansion represented a conservative decision, prompted by a recessed economy.   The Council heard testimony from 14 witnesses yesterday, including Westside Economic Alliance executive director Jonathan Schlueter, who supported the Council's decision, but added the Council's decision fails to account for population growth and the need for jobs in the region.  

   WEA questioned whether Metro has the 20 year land supply for future residential and industrial development as required by state law.  "Westside Economic Alliance rejects the notion that a recessed economy excuses the need to plan for future population growth and economic recovery in our region and for our state.  To the contrary, we must work harder and better to meet these needs," said Schlueter.

   The three expansion areas for residential development include 1,063 acres south of TV Highway in Hillsboro, 543 acres along Scholls Ferry Road, and 49 acres near Roy Rogers Road west of Tigard.  

   In order to meet the housing projections for these areas, Metro's ordinance for the UGB expansion area in south Hillsboro calls for nearly 11,000 housing units, becoming home to more than 25,000 people by 2030.   This would be more than three times the number of housing units in Portland's Pearl District and South Waterfront combined.

   The other large expansion area on the south slopes of Cooper Mountain will bring in 543 acres with a zoning requirement of an additional 4,651 homes.

   But the Metro Council ignored requests by Mayors Tim Knapp of Wilsonville and Pete Truax of Forest Grove to add developable land outside their communities.  Also, spokesmen for the cities of Cornelius and Sherwood were also disappointed when requests to include more land outside their cities were also dismissed.

   The ordinance now moves to the state Land Conservation Development Commission for final approval.