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6/25/2019 Member News

Metro Agrees with the HBA and Denies Grant Dollars to Due to Nefarious 3-Party IGA


Last week, Metro sided with the HBA and denied Clackamas County’s request for an extension of a $170,000 Community Planning and Development Grant for the study of infrastructure issues in the Stafford area. The grant, initially issued in 2015, would have narrowly focused on existing infrastructure capacity, while failing to analyze the impacts associated with future housing and jobs. Following the cities Lake Oswego, Tualatin, and West Linn decision to sign the 3-Party IGA, which improperly places a moratorium on concept planning in Stafford for at least ten years, the grant became merely a tool to identify gaps in the existing infrastructure. 

The HBA opposed extending the grant since it would improperly reward three of the region’s most affluent jurisdictions with construction excise tax dollars that were earmarked for concept planning in the urban reserve areas. We believe that only cities that are actively planning for future growth should access these dollars and that no tax dollars should go to support work for recalcitrant jurisdictions who refuse to accommodate their fair share of new homes, particularly during this current housing crisis.  In a joint letter from Metro Council President Peterson and Clackamas County Chair Bernard, Metro and the County agreed with this analysis, and highlighted potential support for a future grant application that included an enhanced scope of work (e.g. full concept planning) coupled with a larger dollar request. The HBA fully encourages said future grant and believes that only through holistic planning – that examines future growth in conjunction with public infrastructure – can we move forward as a region to support the next generation of Oregonians’ housing needs. We thank Metro for their leadership on this issue and will continue to highlight the improper moratorium contained in the 3-Party IGA. To learn more about our efforts to support strong regional planning, contact Ezra Hammer at ezrah@hbapdx.org.

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