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Last week, HBA filed a Notice of Intent to Appeal (NITA) pertaining to Oregon City’s annexation code amendments, adopted last month. The NITA followed HBA’s formal letter of opposition, as well as HBA analysis and educational briefings to stakeholders as a result of the city’s legislative findings. HBA's position is that the revised annexation code violates clear and objective standards regulating the development of housing, pursuant to Oregon Revised Statute 197.307(4). HBA believes that annexation code regulates the development of housing which would require a clear and objective path for bringing residentially-designated land into city limits. Unfortunately, Oregon City’s annexation code amendments would allow the city unfettered control to deny annexations, which are critical to providing land to accommodate the city’s housing needs. HBA will monitor implementation of the new ordinance and will be prepared to support those seeking to build projects within the potentially annexable areas. The adopted amendments are in response to a 2020 Court of Appeals ruling, which upheld Senate Bill 1573, and requires cities to process certain qualifying annexation applications without a vote. Unfortunately, the city’s current annexation policy still requires voter-approved annexation notwithstanding SB1573, and continues to stymie housing production. No land has been annexed into the city since the commission implemented its restrictive process in 2019. Following the Court of Appeals ruling, HBA encouraged the city to remove its voter-approved annexation policy, as reported in a 2020 Portland Tribune article. To learn more about HBA’s involvement in clear and objective standards for housing, or in Oregon City, contact Roseann Johnson at roseannj@hbapdx.org.