PORTLAND, Ore. (PORTLAND TRIBUNE) — The Metro Council voted no Thursday on expanding the Urban Growth Boundary, where new development can occur in the region.
The council voted against expanding the UGB for the first time, despite the fact that 400,000 more people are expected to live and work within over the next 20 years.
A resolution against expanding the UGB was supported by calculations showing there is currently enough buildable land within the boundary to accommodate the growth, provided local governments in the region complete their approved development plans and 123,000 additional housing units are built in Portland by 2035.
The Portland City Council will begin considering how to accomplish that without sacrificing the city’s highly touted livability next Thursday. That is the when the first hearing on updated Comprehensive Plan is scheduled. The Comp Plan — as it is commonly called — is a state-mandated land use document that shows where and how the city will grow over the next two decades.
The recommended update says 123,000 additional housing units can be built in Portland without harming livability if 80 percent are in multifamily buildings constructed primarily in downtown, designated urban centers, and along major transportation corridors. The remaining 20 percent would be constructed in existing residential neighborhoods.
More information on the Comp Plan Update is available on the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability website.
KOIN’s Chris Woodard contributed to this report.
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