Land Use Discussion at Oregon Catalyst

There is a discussion on land use planning going on over at the Oregon Catalyst blog. Check it out and contribute. I've cross posted this to the blog here as it is relevant. As always, feel free to comment or contact me. My contact info can be found on the PAC roster over at the Clackamas county website for the reserves process.
http://www.clackamas.us/transportation/planning/urban.htm

The discussion over at the Catalyst can be seen here -
http://www.oregoncatalyst.com/index.php?url=archives/1408-In-Oregon,-Words-Matter,-Results-Dont.html&serendipity[csuccess]=true


I would like to invite anyone who is interested in land use planning, especially the potential effects it has on rural land to visit Clackamas county's website for the urban and rural reserves work that's being done right now. I'm on the policy advisory committee for Clackamas county representing the hamlet of Mulino.

If you live in Clackamas country, especially outside of the urban growth boundary of a city, you really, really, really, need to educate yourself about this issue. In the next 18 months recomendations will be made for areas to be designated as either urban reserves, rural reserves, or they may be left as they are now. Why is this important to land owners and residents? Because if you are in an area that is designated as a rural reserve your options for development will be severely restricted, if you are in an urban reserve and you are farming or even homesteading, you may get more development around you than you would like eventually. What the PACs do or don't do will have an impact on land use planning for the next 40-50 years according to Metro and the counties.

Irregardless of whether you like the whole planning thing or not, this will probably impact you in one way or another eventually. The PAC meetings are all open to the public and the roster and schedule for the meetings is up at the county website along with many other documents related to the reserves process. The PAC held it's first meeting last month, and the next meeting will be this month on the 27th at the Sunnybrook Service Center over by Clackamas Promenade. The address, date, time and room are over at the country's website. Meetings are tentatively scheduled for the 4th tuesday of each month, but that may change if there are too many scheduling conflicts with the members of the PAC. To be sure about when/where a meeting is scheduled check the county's website.

Discussions on blogs like this are extremely helpful, but the real work is happening at the meetings. Please come to the PAC meetings, keep up with what's going on, and contribute any input you can.

I'm the webmaster and registrar for the hamlet of Mulino, and I've set up a few pages on the hamlet's website and I've set up a blog where I will be writing articles and asking for comment that will be forewarded on to the rest of the PAC and the Clackamas county commissioner who is on the CORE4, which is Martha Schrader right now. I'll also be accepting articles for the blog from anyone who would be interested in writing about the reserves issues in the tri-county area and Metro.

So, if you are concerned about land use planning and want to be involved, either to move it foreward, stop it dead in it's tracks, or just to keep tabs on what's going on, here's your chance. My contact info is on the roster along with everyone else's. Feel free to contact me, especially if you live and/or own property in the hamlet of Mulino. A map of the hamlet and the other CPOs, hamlets and villages is also at the hamlet of Mulino website. I look foreward to either hearing from some of you or seeing you at a meeting. Also, if you do happen to live in Mulino, I'll be talking about the reserves projects at each meeting and giving a report on the progress of the PAC to the hamlet board and anyone else who cares to attend. The next hamlet meeting is this Thursday. 7:00pm at the Mulino airport. Hamlet residents are encouraged to attend but you don't have to be a hamlet resident or property owner to attend. Meeitngs usually last until 9:00pm.

This process will be repeated in Multnomah and Washington counties too, but I'm not sure what their status is. Please check with them directly. I believe that Metro will have a PAC as well, but have to check on that and it's status.Joanne RiguttoHamlet website - Hamlet of Mulino
County website for the reserves process - http://www.clackamas.us/transportation/planning/urban.htm