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Staff representing the cities of Beaverton, Hillsboro, King City, and Wilsonville, all which recently received Metro approval to expand into the urban growth boundary (UGB), presented an overview of their expansion areas, discussed planning challenges, and their efforts to address local needs for new housing, reliable transportation networks, and economic development. Additionally, staff from Washington County explained efforts to tie together these planning efforts through an enhanced regional transportation network. Beaverton Long Range Planning Manager Brian Martin gave an overview of the 1,200 acre Cooper Mountain Expansion area. Beaverton is planning for 3,700 units in the area. Over the next three years, the City plans to work through community planning efforts, which in include updating existing market analysis, identifying and addressing community concerns, and developing infrastructure funding plans. Hillsboro’s Witch Hazel Village South is an expansion area located in the South Hillsboro urban reserve area. Colin Cooper, Development Services Manager for the City, reviewed the 150 acre area, which is an extension of the existing Witch Hazel Village. Witch Hazel Village South will support an additional 850 low to medium density housing units, which will help address the shortage of both workforce and executive housing available in Hillsboro. The City expects the area to be ready for development in 2024. King City plans to add 3,599 new units, nearly doubling the size of the City. City Manager Michael Weston addressed King City’s plans for the expansion, which includes five new neighborhoods and different types of housing. In addition to housing, the expansion area will include a town center, five improved parks and open space areas with accompanying trails. Miranda Bateschell, Planning Director for the City of Wilsonville, presented highlights of the Frog Pond expansion areas, and how they fit into the City’s long term growth plans. The expansion area will accommodate 2,000 units of needed housing. The City’s plans for infrastructure include new transit, bike, and pedestrian paths. Infrastructure costs in the expansion areas will primary be covered by developers and through a combination of SDCs and a supplemental fees. However, recognizing that high development costs affect the price of housing, the City is are exploring ways to reduce costs of development through it’s a new equitable housing analysis. Washington County Principal Transportation Planner Erin Wardell provided an overview of the County’s role in transportation planning throughout UGB expansion areas. She highlighted the transportation challenges associated with growth, including pressure on rural roads and urban arterial facilities. To address these challenges, the County is providing technical expertise on internal transportation, impacts of development on county arterials, and realistic funding plans for improvements. Additionally, Washington County is updating the urban planning area agreements with the cities and conducting a traffic impact analysis on county roads with the development of the urban reserve land. For more information on the recent UGB expansion areas, please contact Ezra Hammer at ezrah@hbapdx.org. Next Article Previous Article