Hello Mr. Allen,
This email is in response to the questions you sent me about the Rock
Creek employment area study. I'll first address the question about being
part of the planning process by starting with a brief background on the
regional plan that included this Rock Creek area. This is not meant to
divert attention from the planning work that will be starting for the
Rock Creek study area, but to provide an overview of how the County has
arrived at this point of planning for some type of industrial uses in
the Rock Creek area.
4) Why we haven't been made a part of the process already?
Until recently, the planning process that included the Rock Creek and
Damascus areas was conducted by Metro. Metro had carried out varied
studies and public outreach processes during the 1990's to determine
how and when to expand the urban growth boundary (the UGB). Part of this
"Region 2040 Growth Concept Plan" work identified lands for potential
industrial uses and the Rock Creek site was one of the "light
industrial" sites in the concept plan.
Metro also was responsible for the public involvement process during
2002 when another decision was to be made about expanding the UGB.
According to its website, Metro hosted "open house" workshops in
Damascus in June 2002. In September, Metro notified property owners
(those whose land was being considered for inclusion into the urban
growth boundary) of Metro Council hearings on the proposed UGB
expansion. Metro then held public hearings in October, November and
December, and adopted the UGB expansion on December 5, 2002. The Metro
website also states that in Dec. 2002 "affected property owners received
a postcard to announce the urban growth boundary decision, explain what
the decision means to them and offer instructions on how to get more
information "
It was after the UGB expansion decision that local juridictions became
responsible for developing a detailed planning process to work towards
implementing the "growth concepts." Clackamas County is now at this
stage and is just embarking on the Damascus/Boring Concept Plan. A
detailed public process is being established, including a committee to
help plan that public outreach.
The Rock Creek employment study area is considered part of the
Damascus/Boring planning work, but it is receiving more attention up
front. The County Commissioners felt that it was extremely important
that the County create more job opportunities within the county by
planning areas to support industries with family-wage jobs. With the
"industrial" concept designation from the "Region 2040" work, the Rock
Creek site became a focus for the Commissioners. They requested a
separate planning process that would provide the comprehensive plan and
zoning designations for Rock Creek by the end of 2004.
Thus, the County's public involvement efforts for the Damascus/Boring
Concept Plan as well as for the Rock Creek employment area study are set
to begin next month. You will be part of the process as we set up the
open houses and workshops for the property owners and other
stakeholders.
1) What is the current status of the project?
For the Rock Creek employment site, the County is just finishing up
writing a scope of work with a consultant who will develop design
alternatives for the site. A contract with the consultant will be agreed
upon and then signed by the County Commissioners in the first part of
January.
2) What and when are the public meetings regarding this project?
The Rock Creek planning process is considered part of the larger
Damascus/Boring Concept Planning work. Information about Rock Creek will
be available in January when the Damascus/Boring project has two
meetings to develop the "core values" to guide this concept planning
work.
Subsequently, the Rock Creek plan work will meet with people who own
property within the Rock Creek study area itself and then set up a
workshop to meet with people who own property around the study area.
Those meetings will be in February and March/early April, but we do not
have any dates set at this time.
3) Who can we contact to provide our input?
For the Rock Creek study, you can contact me or Lori
Mastrantonio-Meuser. Our contact information is:
Shari Gilevich
PH: 503-353-4523
email: sharig@co.clackamas.or.us
Lori Mastrantonio-Meuser
Ph: 503-353-4511
email: lorim@co.clackamas.or.us
Your name will be on our list of property owners and so you will receive
all materials that are mailed out.
Planning for any type of land use change is never easy, but I hope that
these responses at least give you some answers to start. If I can be of
further help, just contact me. (I will be out of the office 12/23 -
12/29)
Shari Gilevich
Shari Gilevich is the project manager for the Rock Creek industrial
area accelerated planning study
Contact Shari Back to
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