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6/16/2021 Member News

Oregon Court of Appeals Rules in Favor of Urban Growth Boundary Expansions


The Oregon Court of Appeals recently issued a ruling favorable to new neighborhoods being planned for Beaverton, Hillsboro, King City and Wilsonville. The decision, issued on May 12, upheld the Land Conservation and Development Commission's (LCDC) approval of Metro's 2018 Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) expansion which had been appealed by Housing Land Advocates (HLA).
 
The appellants argued that in expanding the growth boundary, Metro failed to demonstrate that its estimated 20-year housing needs "cannot reasonably be accommodated on land already inside the urban growth boundary," as required by Oregon’s Statewide Planning Goals & Guidelines “GOAL 14: Urbanization.”
 
The court found that Metro had done enough to accommodate housing needs within the boundary, citing Metro's projection that 97% of housing needs in the next 20 years would take place within the UGB, with the expansion covering the remaining need.

An important takeaway from the court’s decision is the affirmation that LCDC's interpretation of Goal 14 does not require local governments to accommodate all of a projected shortfall in residential housing within an existing UGB.

While the court considered this appeal, the affected cities of Beaverton, Hillsboro, King City and Wilsonville have been actively moving forward with their expansion area community plans. Also known as master planning or comprehensive planning, HBA participates in these efforts through technical and community advisory committee participation, planning meetings, and individual conversations with staff and elected officials. To learn more about HBA’s work related to UGB expansions, contact Ryan Makinster at ryanm@hbapdx.org.