Legislative Amendment LA 24-01: Proposed Woodburn Comprehensive Plan Map Amendment to amend the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) and incorporate the previously established Urban Reserve Area (URA)

What is an urban growth boundary (UGB)?

Under Oregon land use law, cities are required to anticipate and plan for growth. Every city in Oregon is within and surrounded by a UGB, which is the area outside of the city limits intended to ensure a 20-year supply of future land for housing, public spaces, employment, and infrastructure needs. Oregon law requires that we plan for and accommodate a 20-year supply of land for predicted population growth.

The City last evaluated our residential land needs via a Housing Needs Analysis (HNA) in 2019 and the City Parks Master Plan was updated and adopted in 2024 to help ensure the city has sufficient park and recreational opportunities to meet the needs and desires of current and future population.

After a nearly year-long process of technical analysis and public outreach, the City Council adopted a new Buildable Land Inventory, Economic Opportunities Analysis, and amendments to the Comprehensive Plan economic goals and policies in January 2024 via LA-23-02/Ordinance 2619. The adopted BLI and EOA included:

• A forecasted annual employment growth rate of 2.3%, resulting in adding roughly 6,830 jobs by 2043,

• Findings that Woodburn faces a deficit of 107 gross acres of Commercially zoned land to meet our adopted 20-year population projections, and

• Findings that Woodburn faces a deficit of 273 gross acres of Industrially zoned land to meet our adopted 20-year population projections.

Designation of Urban Reserve Areas (URA) achieve the following objectives: (a) It identifies appropriate lands to be reserved for eventual inclusion in the UGB; (b) In conjunction with Marion County’s adoption of policies and regulations for the URA, it protects this land from development patterns that would impede long-term urbanization; and (c) it provides more certainty for jurisdictions, service districts and property owners to undertake longer-term planning for public facilities and services such as transportation, sewer and water, schools and parks.

Timeline

March 25, 2024:   City Council Resolution initiating consideration of proposed Legislative Amendment to the Woodburn Comprehensive Plan Map to amend the UGB and incorporate the previously established Urban Reserve Area (URA). Resolution No. 2230.

*Pending adoption of the UGB expansion to incorporate the 230-acre Urban Reserve Area into the UGB, any subsequent annexation and zone change of the URA property is subject to a separate legislative land use application initiated by the property owner.

Contact

For more information contact Renata Wakeley at renata.wakeley@ci.woodburn.or.us or 503-980-2415.