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Your
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leGislAtion • GoVernment relAtions • politics •
mAy, 2013
• pAGe 11
HBA
News
HOME BUILDING
HBA
pdx
.
org
PROTECTING
Oregon Update
HBA’s own Justin Wood testifies at the
National Congressional Subcommittee
on Public Lands & Environmental
Regulation
—See page 12
Around the Region Online
Your source for real-time HBA
Government Relations and Updates
is available online.
—See hbapdx.org/government-relations
Home Building is on the rise in
the Portland area and has been
more of a challenge due to many
factors, including but not limited
to, the shortage of available lots
and an increase in prices. I’ll lay-
out a bit of history and informa-
tion below which should help ex-
plain this shortage and increase
in pricing,
In l979 Metro was given the re-
sponsibility for our land use plan-
ning and the first Urban Growth
Boundary was established in Or-
egon. This Boundary was estab-
lished to insure that our Farm and
Forest Land was protected and
that we had enough land inside
this boundary to last us for sever-
al years of projected growth. The
idea was for us to have enough
land inside the boundary to last
us for twenty years of growth and
Metro was charged with review-
ing this supply every 5 years. As
growth occurred the boundary
was continually expanded to
meet the needs of our growing
region. There were expansions
of the UGB in 1998, 1999. Then in
2002 a huge expansion of 18.867
acres occurred which included
Damascus. This accounted for
a 9 percent increase when our
population had expanded by
17percent since 1990. In 2004
and 2005 acreage was added
to the boundary for industrial
lands. Then in 2011 1,985 acres
was added to the boundary and
that decision was finalized last
year and was appealed which as I
write this article the appeal is still
pending. The Damascus area still
remains unused due to the cost
of planning and infrastructure.
Much of the acreage that was put
into the boundary in 2002 is yet
unusable. The areas that came
into the boundary in 2011 are in
the process of being planned and
the municipalities are working on
the infrastructure while that deci-
sion is still under appeal.
Due to the recession and the
lack of acquisition and develop-
ment money, development activ-
ity has been way down in the past
four years. During the last four
years of recession many of our
buildable lots went back to the
banks and were resold thus the
See INSIDE LINE/ page 12
Justin Wood,
HBA Associate Director of Government &
Builder Relations
Builders and developers in the Portland
Metro area have heard calls from elected lead-
ers and planning officials to increase density
within our Urban Growth Boundary (UGB).
Density (including redevelopment and infill) is
championed as a way to increase the capacity
for new housing in existing neighborhoods
and areas, thereby handling the influx of pro-
jected people moving to the Metro region.
Our industry has always been a proponent of
a mix of housing, from denser developments
such as townhouses, apartments or condos
to less dense single-family detached homes.
However, the region’s push towards density
in recent years has begun to create problems
and is getting a lot more pushback from the
public.
Density mandates set by Metro for UGB ex-
pansion areas have increased from 12 units
per acre to 15 units per acre (with proposals
for even higher goals). This creates density in
areas where it doesn’t make sense and is lim-
iting the availability of single-family homes
with family sized yards. HBA is concerned
about high densities in outlying areas as well
as areas that aren’t suitable for urban-style
development. We’re also concerned about the
limitations current policies are having on pro-
viding choices in housing preferences, prices
and locations. On the flip side, while the pub-
lic has generally supported density in outly-
ing areas (due to the mistaken opinion that
it doesn’t affect them as much), more people
are pushing back now that density is happen-
ing in their own neighborhoods.
Recently there have been two examples of
HBA advocacy that illustrate some of the chal-
lenges and difficulties that regional density
policies have created – one urban and one
rural.
Do apartments need parking?
For years
the City of Portland has led the charge as a
city that embraces more dense development
and developments that encourage modes
of transportation other than auto. Almost 20
years ago, Portland passed code provisions
that allowed developments to be built on
transit lines without being required to provide
parking. The thinking behind these codes was
that people living in these transit friendly de-
velopments would not need cars and could
live in a building without expensive parking.
For years these types of developments did not
get built, largely due to difficulties in obtain-
ing financing. Banks were not willing to lend
to a project with no parking for fear the mar-
ket would not support them.
Recently, however, we have seen apart-
ments with no parking being built in transit-
heavy neighborhoods. In fact, they are flour-
ishing, with very high demand and popularity
from the renters. Even though these develop-
ments were exactly what the City of Portland
envisioned when the codes were passed, the
pushback from existing neighborhoods over
the changes to their communities and con-
cerns over parking caused the City to pause.
Last month city leaders, bowing to neigh-
borhood pressure, passed a series of code
amendments which will now require parking
on all buildings of 30 units or larger. HBA was
highly involved in this process and coordi-
nated testimony from people who we tradi-
tionally are on opposite sides with, showing
our organization’s support for dense devel-
opment where it makes sense. Initially, much
more onerous parking requirements were
considered, but due to our efforts and sup-
port from others, the City ultimately crafted
changes that we considered reasonable. How-
ever, it shows a shift from the City’s original vi-
sion and the challenge high density has even
in urban areas that support it.
Is Stafford right for dense housing?
While
the Stafford Triangle (the area between Lake
Oswego, West Linn and Tualatin) remains out-
side of the UGB, there are many who believe
that this area is perfectly suited for develop-
ment in future UGB expansions. In fact, Metro
has included it as an urban reserve, meaning
it’s available for consideration when more
UGB lands are needed. While the area does
pose some infrastructure challenges, it is well
suited for development due to its prime loca-
tion between three cities, nearby urban ser-
vices and freeway access.
Recently the Mayor and City Council of West
Linn signed a letter toMetro Council President
Tom Hughes, stating their opposition to de-
velopment in Stafford at any time in the next
25 years or beyond. The City of West Linn had
asked the cities of Lake Oswego and Tualatin
to join in signing the letter. HBA has reached
out to the leaders of these cities to ask them
not to sign the letter as written.
The biggest concern that most nearby resi-
dents adjacent to the Stafford area have is
that they would like the Stafford area to keep
its existing character. As mentioned earlier,
Metro has asked for densities of 12 – 15 units
per acre for housing in new UGB areas. Den-
sity at that level would translate to develop-
ment of townhouses, condos and apartments.
HBA supports the neighboring cities concern
that this dense development in a rural area
that provides a country buffer between the
three cities does not make sense. Most who
support development of Stafford believe that
single family detached homes on an array of
lot sizes are best suited for this area. There
may be some pockets near the neighborhood
centers that would support some higher level
densities but these are more the exception
than the norm.
While HBA agrees with the concerns the
cities have expressed over density mandates,
infrastructure requirements and impacts to
existing residents, we do not support cat-
egorically rejecting consideration of Stafford
for development. The best way to overcome
these challenges is to work together on them.
The Stafford Triangle is too important to fu-
ture growth, both for jobs and housing, and
must be planned appropriately. We were suc-
cessful in getting Lake Oswego and Tualatin
to modify their position on the issue, respect-
ing their right to express concerns over how
Metro would like to see it developed without
stating their opposition to planning for the
area.
What next?
As both examples show, our re-
gion will continue to deal withmore andmore
density issues as we continue to grow within
our constrained land supply. HBA has long
argued that there are appropriate places for
density. Density should be placed close to ur-
ban centers where there are more transit op-
tions, infrastructure support, job access and a
desire for this kind of lifestyle. There are ap-
propriate places for 15 units to the acre (such
as Portland) and appropriate places for 5 units
to the area (such as Stafford). For our UGB to
be successful, it is important that the cities in
our region and the Metro government work
together to provide the right mix of housing
in the appropriate places.
To increase density, or not to increase
density…this is the question
The skinny on
the squeeze of
available lots
By Laurie Butler,
Land Development / Builder
Services, First American Title
Inside
Line
A total of 45,000 copies of the magazine will be printed
and distributed to visitors of the show this summer and
at advertiser locations/showrooms, realtor locations,
and online with direct links to your website!
Call Schadia Newcombe today at
503.546.9881
to reserve your space or email her at
snewcombe@commnewspapers.com
Advertise in the
2013 NW Natural
Street of Dreams
Magazine!
Please join the HBA and PRO for the
PAC Texas Hold’em
Poker Tournament
Friday, May 10 at the HBa
6:00pm—Registration
7:00pm—Tournament Begins
Initial buy in—$100
Event features appetizers, beer and
non-alcoholic beverages. Prizes will be
awarded for the top finishers including
a $1,000 Visa gift card for first place!
All net proceeds will benefit
Oregonians for Affordable Housing.
Register online at
www.hbapdx.org/
calendar
or by calling (503) 684-1880.
For sponsorship opportunities, please
contact Justin Wood at
justinw@hbapdx.org
.