MARION COUNTYURBAN GROWTH MANAGEMENTFRAMEWORK
Urbanization Element of the
Marion County
Comprehensive Land Use Plan
March 1999 – June 2002
the Department of Land Conservation and Development and
in part with Oregon State Lottery Funds administered by
the Oregon Economic and Public Works Department
Marion County Comprehensive Plan Language:
Urban Growth Management Framework
URBAN GROWTH MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
Future population and employment growth projected in Marion County creates both challenges and opportunities for maintaining the quality of life in Marion County. Resources such as water and farmland will be limited and congestion and travel times will probably increase in urban areas. Without coordination with and among the cities, development may occur in areas that result in even greater negative impacts on the transportation and infrastructure systems. For example, the ability to move freight and people throughout the County may be jeopardized if growth occurs in areas where the transportation system is not adequately developed to serve additional capacity. Uncoordinated development may also result in patterns of growth that are not desired by the citizens in Marion County and may ultimately reduce the quality of life in the County. However, if managed effectively, the impacts of the additional growth can be minimized. Through a collaborative and coordinated effort to manage growth, development can be planned in locations that best serve the County, and the accompanying transportation and infrastructure systems can be developed with the greatest efficiency. The quality of life can be preserved by maintaining the characteristics in each community that makes it unique, and by directing development in each community to be consistent with each community’s values.
Understanding the importance and need to lessen the impacts of growth, the Marion County Board of Commissioners initiated the Marion County Urban Growth Management Project in 1998. The growth management project utilized a long-range 2050 planning horizon, and was undertaken to provide the data needed to address growth issues and to engage the cities and other interest groups and individuals in a cooperative effort to look at where growth is likely to occur under current development trends and where it should be encouraged or discouraged in the future. During the various phases of the project, coordinated population projections and land capacities for the cities for the year 2050 were analyzed and a countywide growth strategy known as the Growth Management Framework was created with input from the public and the 20 cities in the County.
The values driving the Growth Management Framework are a set of 24 guiding principles identified in the initial phase of the growth management project through collaboration and consensus, that provide a link between quality of life, economic development, and land use planning as a way to sustain the values deemed important by residents in their vision for the County. The guiding principles focus on regional elements of growth management that go beyond jurisdictional boundaries such as transportation, housing, environmental, and economic needs and are the basis for the goals set forth in the Growth Management Framework.
The purpose of the Growth Management Framework is to:
1. Identify common goals, principles, and tools that will lead to more coordinated planning and a collaborative approach to developing solutions to growth issues.
2. Be consistent with local plans for growth by modifying the growth projections in response to local government feedback.
3. Protect farm, forest, and resource lands throughout the County by considering the existing capacity of each community, fostering the efficient use of land, and evaluating urban growth boundary expansion needs.
4. Maintain physical separation of communities by ensuring that areas between cities are not urbanized.
5. Maintain community identity by allowing each community to decide how it should grow and by promoting local decision-making control.
6. Support a balance of jobs and housing opportunities for communities and areas throughout the county that contribute to the needs of regional and local economies.
7. Provide transportation corridors and options that connect and improve accessibility and mobility for residents along with the movement of goods and services throughout the county.
The Growth Management Framework is designed to accommodate approximately 500,400 residents and 212,500 jobs within the 20 cities and unincorporated portions of Marion County by the year 2050. The Growth Management Framework Preferred Alternative growth scenario focuses the majority of the growth in the County to the larger communities of Salem, Keizer, Woodburn, Stayton and Silverton, with growth occurring primarily inside the current UGBs of cities where there is available capacity, and through infill and redevelopment where appropriate. The long-range population and employment targets of the Framework were identified for the cities by elected officials, and business, environmental and neighborhood leaders representing the communities.
How the additional population and employment is accommodated will be at the discretion of individual communities in accordance with the goals, policies, and standards identified in this Growth Management Framework, local comprehensive plans, and the state land use laws dictating the priority of lands to be urbanized.
During selection of the Growth Management Framework preferred growth alternative, participants in the process chose a countywide land use pattern that best suited the many, sometimes conflicting goals of the County and its cities. Following this work, and using the County adopted 2020 forecasts for the cities, tentative agreement was arrived at on preliminary forecast numbers for the year 2050. Comparing the land use patterns of the preferred alternative, the calculated capacities of all the individual UGBs, and the preliminary 2050 forecast numbers, revealed the need for further refinement of the 2050 forecast. The 2050 forecast in turn reveals the need in terms of actual land consumption to accommodate growth for each of the cities. The 2050 forecast represents the combination of existing trends and city capabilities, and works in direct coordination with both the land efficiency standard and the existing capacities within Urban Growth Boundaries.
The 2050 forecast represents a long-range planning tool, one that provides cities with and the County with an image of what may be on the horizon. It adds an additional level of detail to crucial planning decisions, ranging from the amount and locations of different allowed uses, to critical sizing of infrastructure. The forecast informs all 20 cities, and the County as they plan for the future, and coordinates their comprehensive and other plans with a long range forecast.
One of the most important functions of local plans is the ability to plan for urban growth boundary expansions. As a tool for planning, the forecast will be revisited every five years, examining actual performance within jurisdictions and available updated forecasts. If at any time, actual performance or growth rates indicate a needed modification to the forecast, the City and County may revisit the forecast and make appropriate changes with their intergovernmental agreements, or to the County’s official coordinated forecast.
The following chart contains the coordinated 2050 long range forecast, and the amount of additional land that could be needed to accommodate the 2050 forecast using the land efficiency standard. The forecast and the efficiency standard is the basis for many of the Growth Management Framework goals, policies, and standards.
City
2000 From Census
Coordinated Long Range 2050 Forecast
Urbanization Land Need
Aumsville
3,083
8,000
346
Aurora
655
1,500
-
Detroit
262
605
Donald
608
2,200
169
Gates
429
1,100
Gervais
2,009
3,572
186
Hubbard
2,483
3,300
74
Idanha
134
250
Jefferson
2,487
3,700
24
Mill City
313
426
Mt. Angel
3,121
4,755
Salem/Keizer
169,127
342,387
1,800
Scotts Mills
312
430
Silverton
7,414
13,500
St. Paul
354
475
Stayton
6,675
10,600
Sublimity
2,148
3,836
0
Turner
1,199
2,451
72
Woodburn
20,100
38,000
549
Marion County Unincorporated
61,921
59,313
Total Marion County
284,834
500,400
3,220
(Note: In addition to the population forecasts, housing and employment forecasts will be included upon availability.)
* The Marion County Framework Need is the acreage required in addition to that within the current Urban Growth Boundary assuming that the land use efficiency standards of the Framework are met.
Marion County, like the rest of the State, is a place of changing demographics. While there are many trends that can be examined, the two with the most profound effect on growth management strategies are age of the population, and the mix of ethnicity. The following data and forecasts are from the national demographics firm of Woods and Poole.
Age of Population
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
2025
Percent 0-19
37.4%
31.7%
29.7%
29.9%
28.6%
28.8%
Percentage 20-64
50.4%
55.6%
56.0%
58.1%
59.1%
55.3%
53.7%
Percentage 65 and Over
12.3%
12.6%
14.3%
12.1%
16.1%
17.4%
The table above depicts a trend toward a growing number of older residents within the County. An older population will require changes in housing and transportation needs and preferences in the County. Additionally, alternative transportation choices become increasingly important. Usually this is associated with a decrease in the proportion of people under the age of 19, but a countervailing trend in increasing family size will stabilize the number of children as a proportion of the population. This is largely due to the increasing number of Hispanic households in the County.
Ethnic Background
Percentage White-Not Hispanic
95.9%
93.0%
88.4%
83.5%
77.5%
72.4%
70.0%
Percentage Hispanic, Any Race
2.7%
4.3%
7.4%
11.8%
17.7%
22.7%
25.1%
Percentage Black
0.3%
0.6%
0.9%
1.0%
Percentage Other
1.1%
2.1%
3.3%
3.6%
3.8%
3.9%
This table describes the ethnic makeup of the County in the past, today, and projected for the future. Both of these changes will likely lead to a shift in housing preferences, with fewer residents desiring or affording the traditional single family home, and a larger proportion desiring various forms of attached, small lot, or rental housing. In addition, the need for affordable housing choices will probably remain as acute as it is today for the foreseeable future.
An important part of the Framework is the ability of the County and city plans to function together to meet the housing, employment, and transportation needs of the residents. An integral and necessary component of the Framework will be to ensure that new growth is allowed to occur in a way that matches the demands of this new and changing population, and that communities ensure that their planning efforts allow all members of Marion County to feel welcome to settle in a place of their choosing.
GROWTH MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK GOALS
The Growth Management Framework incorporates existing goals and policies found in County planning documents, the local comprehensive plans, and state land use planning law. New goals and policies have been added to implement the planning principles identified in the countywide urban growth framework. The goals and policies also make the logical connections between the common goals and values of our County’s residents, and lays out solutions to the possible conflicts that may be encountered. It brings together a series of common objectives that will better coordinate the policies of the many jurisdictions within the county. The Growth Management Framework recognizes that every community is unique. The policies should be implemented to balance local priorities with the countywide goals. There are some issues however, that cannot be effectively addressed solely at the local level as they have impacts beyond jurisdictional boundaries and are regional issues. For these issues, a countywide approach of the county and cities working together to manage and develop solutions is more appropriate and effective. The goals best addressed through a coordinated and collaborative regional approach include the following four key issues:
1. Transportation
2. Environment
3. Economic Development
4. Housing
In addition to the Growth Management Framework, coordination and UGB agreements with local governments will be utilized to implement the Framework and will also reflect the general policies and specific standards, with variations incorporated to reflect the specific situations and growth concerns in each city and its environs.
Overriding all goals and policies related to the four key issues identified above are growth management goals that must be met to protect the integrity of the Framework at the local and countywide levels. These goals include:
1. Base decisions on a long-range vision for the area, incorporating both local community visions and long-range plans.
2. Foster the use of creativity and innovation in planned growth and development projects to maintain the unique character of all cities.
3. Provide for balanced and managed growth to ensure equity among the cities and allow for more efficient use of our natural resources.
4. Honor the unique identities of communities and preserve unique characteristics.
5. Embrace ethnic and cultural diversity and address the needs of different cultures in land use decisions and consider ethnic and cultural differences in the long-range vision and zoning designations.
6. Rely on the strengths of local decision-making coordinated with a countywide vision.
7. Encourage coordination among the County, cities, and special districts.
TRANSPORTATION GOALS
The transportation goals that are part of the Framework address the role of transportation in providing efficient movement of people and freight throughout the county. The goals include:
A. Encourage use of alternative modes of transportation including mass transit, bicycling, walking and carpooling.
B. Address transportation needs appropriate to both urban and rural areas throughout the county.
TRANSPORTATION POLICIES
In creating a countywide framework to manage growth, it is necessary to provide implementation measures to effect their purpose. The transportation policies can provide the greatest guidance in making the land use decisions that will direct the future location of jobs and housing in the county through their integration with land use planning policies. The mutual agreement of the cities and the County to these policies is vital to the effective coordination and cooperation necessary to create a transportation system that can move people and goods efficiently throughout the county. The following policies and standards provide guidance as to how this transportation system can be developed.
1. Marion County shall jointly plan with communities to meet the transportation needs in the future.
Standards:
· The Marion County Transportation System Plan (TSP) will be designed to accommodate the forecast population, housing, and employment identified in this Framework, as well as the areas that are planned for urban expansion, in coordination with the communities involved.
· The Marion County TSP will investigate countywide alternative transportation, such as inter-city transit, vanpooling, and passenger rail service serving the county and the Willamette Valley region.
2. Communities should implement street connectivity standards.
· For cities forecast to be greater than 5,000 people by 2050, new subdivisions will have internal connectivity of at least 8 through streets per mile for new development, and sufficient collector and arterial systems for local access. Further, this Framework recognizes the Local Street Connectivity Element of the Salem TSP as a quality example.
· Adopt a map depicting future street connections for areas to be urbanized.
· The County will coordinate and adopt similar standards for urban areas within its planning jurisdiction.
· When feasible, the County will utilize local standards such as those in the Salem TSP and Salem Revised Code, for example, for development that occurs on unincorporated lands within UGBs.
3. Coordinate the enhancement or addition of transit connections within and between cities.
· Local transportation plans for the two transit systems (Woodburn Transit System and Salem Cherriots) must contain a transit element coordinated with both the Framework forecast and the preferred alternative. Future small transit systems should be investigated for cities that will exceed 10,000 people in the foreseeable future. The County will investigate and encourage inter-city transit provision through a variety of public and private providers.
4. Allow for a complementary mix of land uses and transportation systems.
· Cities will address opportunities to provide for zoning that allows the co-location of employment and residential uses (mixed use development) in all communities over 5,000 persons in size, and encouraged in all communities.
· Require retail land uses that are over 60,000 sq. ft. or 300 employees per building be located in the Urban Growth Boundaries of cities that are in excess of 10,000 people.
5. Encourage Traffic Calming of through traffic in neighborhoods.
· Cities and the County will jointly develop recommended methods and procedures for traffic calming, developing recommended best practices for methods, locations, and processes for traffic calming in both existing and new developments.
6. Improve key freight routes.
· Cities over 10,000 and the County will jointly plan for freight movement by both rail and truck in their transportation planning activities.
7. Improve the walking and biking environment in all communities.
ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS
The environmental goals that are part of the Framework address the importance of natural resources to the local and regional economy, as well as the carrying capacity of the land. The goals include:
A. Preserve and protect agricultural and forest lands, wetlands, wildlife habitat and natural resource corridors and other natural resources through wise stewardship.
B. Encourage planning that does not exceed the capacity of water, energy, air and other resources.
C. Promote conservation, recycling and the efficient use of resources.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES
The environmental policies provide guidance in making the land use decisions that will protect and preserve the natural resources of Marion County. The environmental policies listed below are minimum requirements, often less stringent than Federal regulations and already adopted city regulations. The mutual agreement of the cities and the County to these policies is vital to the effective coordination and cooperation necessary to create a system that does not exceed the resources available in Marion County. The following policies and standards provide guidance for protection of natural resources.
1. Identify land use efficiency standards that must be met before a city can amend its Urban Growth Boundary
· The efficiency standard serves multiple purposes in this framework. It has been listed with the Environmental Standards as the amount of new land consumed is directly related to the average density of development. This standard, however, is also geared to support other portions of the urban fabric. From an environmental standpoint, using the highest possible efficiency standard would of course preserve the most land. The standards however have been set to in a manner appropriate with existing development and are based on the size of the cities where they are applied. In this fashion, the standard ranges from no minimum for the smallest cities up to 9 units per acre for Salem.
This standard measures the average density all new residential development in units per net acre, minus land needed for roads, schools, parks, or unbuildable lands. Housing through redevelopment counts as new units, but no new land consumption, effectively increasing the density measurement. The land needs in the Coordinated Forecast include an additional 30% of land estimated to be needed for commercial or industrial uses.
This standard can be replaced by a comprehensive plan that is mutually agreed upon. It represents only the average density for new housing that will be zoned and allowed by the city. There is no requirement in this framework for adherence to any minimum density zoning standards. The purpose is to ensure that comprehensive plans are permitting the housing market to freely meet the community needs for housing.
There are a variety of reasons for the increase in the efficiency standard as cities grow. Larger cities in Marion County serve as employment centers for their portions of the County. As job centers, it is important to locate a choice of housing opportunities within close proximity. Additionally, larger cities have a higher percentage of multi-family housing, making their average densities higher. These cities are also more likely to be served by transit, which both assists and relies on the greater densities found there. There may be situations that require that the standards be adjusted. These situations can be addressed at any time through the Intergovernmental Agreements between the Cities and the County addressing this framework.
The following chart defines efficiency standards, in housing units per net acre, for new residential development created since the adoption date of the Framework. The residential efficiency standard is a composite number of all residential development (single-family and multifamily) occurring within a community, including housing through redevelopment (for which no land is considered consumed). The standards are divided into five categories in accordance with projected city size in 2050. For cities forecasted to be larger than 25,000 people the standard is 8 housing units per acre; for cities between 10,000 and 25,000 people the standard is 7 housing units per acre; for cities between 2,500 and 10,000 the standard is 6 units per acre; for cities between 1,000 and 2,500 people, the standard is 5 housing units per acre; and for cities less than 1,000 no efficiency standard would be applied. Salem, the largest city in the County has an efficiency standard of 9 units per acre which is based on results from the “Salem Futures” project, and may be modified based on their final adopted policies.
UGB 2050 Population
Compact Land Efficiency Standard in Units Per Gross Acre
Less than 1,000
1,000 to 2,500
5
2,500 to 10,000
6
10,000 to 25,000
7
Greater than 25,000
8
Salem (From Salem Future’s Project)
9
2. Require buffer zones to protect streams, floodplains, and significant wildlife areas from the negative effects of development.
Standards: The following standards are listed as a recommended starting point for protection buffers.
· Streams shall be buffered at least 50 feet from the edge of bank.
· Wetlands shall be buffered at least 50 feet.
· Development in floodplains shall be restricted to balanced cut and fill, within the parcel to be developed.
3. Require developments to retain vegetation along streams, lakes, and reservoirs to provide shelter, shade, food and nesting for wildlife resources.
· Use the Division of State Lands (DSL) standards to identify locally significant wetlands.
· Within stream or wetland buffers, and areas within the 100-year FEMA floodplain, no more than 30 percent of natural vegetation may be removed.
· In the case of non-native species, native plant species may be used to replace existing vegetation so long as the overall quantity and distribution of vegetation remains the same, as based on a 15-year growth horizon.
4. Require preservation of more farm and forest land over the long term.
· Identify and adopt a rate of redevelopment and infill for calculation of UGB capacities in cities needing to expand onto lands protected under Statewide Planning Goals three or four.
· Set targets for mixed-use development. This can include a percentage of residential and employment land uses that are co-located to increase the efficiency of land within the UGBs.
· The County will manage the rural areas to encourage the preservation of the rural environment, and discourage the development of new communities of housing and employment outside of urban growth boundaries and designated unincorporated communities.
5. Require a plan to address how resources for the forecasted employment and population will be provided.
· Analyze existing vacant land for the capacity to meet future land need. A jurisdiction can consider the feasibility of rezoning vacant land to a different land use type in order to create additional capacity for the type of development a potential UGB amendment would seek to provide.
· Ensure that zoning is in place to meet or exceed residential and/or employment capacity targets, as identified by the Framework. If the identified capacity is less than the population or employment allocation, an UGB expansion should be anticipated. For cities that will require expansions of their UGB’s, monitor the attainment of the targets on a periodic basis
6. Encourage and work with jurisdictions and private landowners to protect water
resources in the county.
· The County will work with watershed groups, jurisdictions, and agencies to protect environmentally sensitive areas critical to watershed health.
· The County will promote and target restoration efforts to critical groundwater areas and develop water management approaches such as monitoring and evaluation programs based on collaborative actions.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOALS
The economic development goals that are part of the Framework address the importance of maintaining a diverse employment base with living wage jobs. The goals include:
A. Encourage diversity and balance of job types (e.g., service and industry jobs).
B. Promote economic opportunity for all segments of society.
C. Encourage a sustainable local and regional economy
D. Tailor economic development to the unique assets and needs of the county and its individual communities.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICIES
The economic development policies can provide guidance in making the land use decisions that will provide a diverse employment base in Marion County that allows for each city’s employment sector to complement each other rather than compete with each other. The mutual agreement of the cities and the County to these policies is vital to the effective coordination and cooperation necessary to create an economic development plan that allows for jobs and services to remain in the County. The following policies and standards provide guidance for an economic development plan.
1. Require identification of the existing capacity of employment uses.
· Create an inventory of lands suitable for employment use
· Calculate capacity for jobs categorized by land use type, of the employment lands
· Allow expansion of urban growth boundaries consistent with state land use planning law to provide needed lands for employment use consistent with other standards listed in this section.
2. Require a plan to provide for the forecasted employment.
· Examine plans and implementing ordinances and change where necessary to coordinate employment lands inventory with forecast.
· Determine if the development density allowed is too low to attract investment. If it is, consider modifications to zoning regulations that will be appropriate.
3. Support economic growth and development opportunities in cities in rural areas that
recognize their distinct character and economic potential.
· The County will assist and work with the cities, economic development agencies, area economic development groups, and major institutions to provide information to support development of a region-wide strategy promoting a sustainable economy.
HOUSING GOALS
The housing goals that are part of the Framework address the importance of providing a diversity and range of housing choices, both in style and affordability. The goals include:
A. Encourage the availability of a wide variety of housing choices to meet the needs of a diverse population.
B. Encourage access to adequate housing for all citizens, commensurate with their incomes.
C. Encourage quality design for development that is sensitive to existing communities and the natural environment.
HOUSING POLICIES
The housing policies can provide guidance in making the land use decisions that will provide enough housing to meet the anticipated demand for housing. The mutual agreement of the cities and the County to these policies is vital to the effective coordination and cooperation necessary to provide adequate housing while still protecting the unique characteristics of each community in the County. The following policies and standards provide guidance to create a housing plan that maintains and enhances the livability of each community.
1. Require zoning of vacant land be designed to accommodate expected housing needs.
· Identify a mix of housing types (single-family, townhouse, multifamily and others) in larger cities (more than 5,000 persons) and ensure that the vacant buildable land is zoned to provide for that mix, understanding however, that vacant land may also used for non-residential purposes..
· Allow diverse housing types in multiple residential zones, including a variety of ownership types.
· Develop a numeric goal of providing affordable housing distributed proportionally in the cities larger than 10,000 persons in the County.
· Cooperate with the Marion County Housing Authority in developing affordable housing projects in areas that have good walking, biking, and transit service and access to services.
· Allow expansion of urban growth boundaries consistent with state land use planning law to provide additional land for housing consistent with the other standards listed in this section.
2. Require identification of the existing capacity of residential uses.
Standard:
3. Ensure quality design of new construction
· Adopt clear and objective Design Standards for multi-family and commercial construction in cities over 10,000 and encourage their adoption in smaller communities.
FRAMEWORK IMPLEMENTATION
In addition to its population coordination responsibilities (ORS 195.025), Marion County has joint agreements regarding urban growth boundaries with all local cities, and participates as a decision-maker on all urban growth boundary amendments. The County will work with the cities to project any future urban growth boundary expansions that may be needed, and will use its authority to minimize the impacts of new development. Modifications to urban growth boundaries will be addressed through State planning law and this Framework process, including the protection and monitoring of urban growth boundary expansion areas for urban uses.
As urban growth affects many important parts of Marion County and its economy, a need to coordinate growth and develop a consistent growth management policy among the 20 incorporated cities is essential. As many of the growth issues transcend city boundaries and are regional in nature, coordination with and amongst the cities and engaging the cities to working together to develop solutions and strategies is an important coordination role for the County. It is equally important for the County to provide assistance to cities in the form of information/data collection and analysis, and develop tools that can be utilized by the cities in addressing growth issues or concerns.
The planning and growth management activities of many jurisdictions affect and are affected by the actions of other jurisdictions in the County. The future plans for development of each city impacts the development potential of neighboring cities. For example, a large retail operation locating in one of the smaller communities in Marion County will likely have a greater market draw than the immediate town. As a result, the opportunity for the neighboring cities to solicit a large retail operation is greatly reduced and the transportation impacts between communities is increased. The coordination of planning and development activities and recognition that these activities are part of an on-going and continually evolving process, is essential if urban growth management efforts are to succeed.
As part of the coordination with and between local governments, each city’s vision for the future must be taken into consideration and respected when neighboring cities are planning for their futures. One of the planning principles identified through the Marion County Urban Growth Management Framework is the need for each community to maintain the characteristics and qualities that make it unique. In recognition of each community’s unique character as well as growth being an issue that crosses jurisdictional boundaries, the implementation of the growth strategy has three components: 1.) the identification of and approach of utilizing possible subareas (groups of cities) of the county to meet local needs regarding key issues and to provide links between communities; 2.) letters of agreement and support from the cities for regional growth management and planning coordination by the County and cities for the broad policies that everyone can agree to; and 3.) individual intergovernmental agreements or compacts with each city or groups of cities and the County for the specific issues relevant to each city and/or subarea of the county. This process will result in a growth strategy that provides coordination between the different entities, but also maintains the integrity of the 20 cities within the County.
Countywide Growth Management Utilizing Subareas
Growth management including key issues and strategies is a regional issue that transcends jurisdictional boundaries. The integration of local planning efforts to address and manage key growth issues provides a collaborative approach and action that will be far more effective than the 20 cities and the County acting independently of each other. Cities within the county are linked to each other in many ways whether it be geographically, economically, transportation, housing, resources, services or other linkages. Utilizing these connections and the knowledge that communities in an area do impact on each other, the identification of subareas in the county, that is the grouping of cities together to collectively work toward common goals and strategies on key growth issues affecting each community, is an effective way to accommodate the needs of the cities and county within a countywide approach where individually, each jurisdiction’s role is limited.
The Growth Management Framework Preferred Alternative focuses the majority of growth in the County to the larger communities of Salem, Keizer, Woodburn, Stayton and Silverton. The larger communities contain the essential components needed to accommodate growth such as infrastructure, services, developed employment lands, and a variety of housing options that are not all available in the smaller communities within the county. These larger communities serve as urban centers within several defined areas of the County around which several smaller communities are located and which are dependent upon the larger communities for various services. The transportation (roadways and rail lines) and natural resource (waterways) systems in the county provide the physical links between communities that are also influenced or impacted by growth in adjoining counties.
The cities of Salem and Keizer form the primary urban area located within the western portion of the County and are projected to accommodate nearly two-thirds of the additional growth within the county over the 2050 planning horizon. The City of Salem is also located in Polk County which is impacted by growth and development in the Salem/Keizer urban area. The City of Turner, located just to the south of the City of Salem is directly influenced by the Salem urban area. The north County area contains the cities of Aurora, Donald, Gervais, Hubbard, St. Paul, and Woodburn, with Woodburn being the largest community and projected to accommodate the most growth in this area of the county. The north County area is also affected by growth and development in adjoining Clackamas County which forms the southern boundary of the Portland metropolitan region. The central County area contains the cities of Mt. Angel, Scotts Mills, and Silverton, with Silverton being the largest community and projected to accommodate the growth in this area of the county. The south County area includes the cities of Aumsville, Jefferson, Sublimity, and Stayton, with Stayton being the largest community within this group of cities and projected to accommodate the most growth. The cities of Aumsville, Stayton and Sublimity are clustered together along Highway 22 to the east of Salem, while the City of Jefferson located to the south of Salem off Interstate 5 is also influenced by its proximity to the City of Albany which is in Linn County. The east County area includes the smaller cities of Detroit, Gates, Idanha, and Mill City which are located along the North Santiam River canyon with Gates, Idanha, and Mill City also located in Linn County, and are physically separated from the Willamette Valley cities of the County.
The various areas of the County and groups of cities within these areas, have different growth concerns and needs individually as cities and collectively as a region or subarea of the county. The interrelationship between cities and the hierarchy of cities based on size, the services they provide, and the impact of larger cities on surrounding smaller communities, make a regional approach to growth issues a sensible and efficient strategy. The willingness of a group of cities to pursue a collaborative approach to finding solutions to growth issues affecting both an area of the county and individual cities as they plan for their future, is a part of the countywide growth management implementation strategy for developing a regional approach to addressing key growth issues facing the cities in the County.
Letters of Agreement/Support
In order to have a consistent growth management plan for the County, the County and 20 cities will be asked to voluntarily sign/submit a Marion County Urban Growth Management Framework Letter of Agreement or Support. This letter references the countywide standards identified in the Framework that are applicable to all cities. Signing of a Framework letter indicates agreement and support for a countywide approach to growth management and working together to develop effective strategies to address key issues. Signing a letter of agreement also indicates support for the countywide goals, policies, and standards that frame the regional growth management approach, and requires efforts within a reasonable period of time to comply with the Framework strategy.
The countywide standards addressed in the Framework, will be reviewed every five years to assess growth and development patterns and the impacts on the cities and areas of the County. This review process will be the basis for determining whether changes or modifications to the Framework are necessary due to the actual growth patterns being realized in the County or to address countywide issues involving one or more of the four key growth issues, as they may occur. Revisions can be made at other times if half of the cities and the Marion County Board of Commissioners agree to the change.
Individual Inter-Governmental Agreements (IGAs) or Compacts
Each community within Marion County is unique. As a result, individual intergovernmental agreements or compacts will be signed with each city and/or groups of cities and the County to address the topics identified in the Framework and specific local growth issues that may effectively be addressed through such a city/county agreement. The Framework provides the overall growth management concepts needed to address the key issues regarding transportation, environment, economic development, and housing while identifying the roles that the cities and the County have in cooperatively working to develop solutions to these growth issues. The IGAs or compacts are the collaborative implementation mechanism between each city and the County which will contain the details as to how the city and County will address specific growth issues and concerns which will be different for each city. Growth boundary expansions, identification of possible future areas of expansion or concern, population forecasting adjustments, land efficiency and development standards, data needs and analysis, redevelopment and land needs, economic development strategies, transportation routes, natural resource plans, and growth management tools are some of the various items that can and will be included within the IGAs or compacts between the County and the cities. Modifications to the intergovernmental agreements or compacts can be made with the consent of both the city and the county. The intergovernmental agreements will be reviewed and modified as appropriate during the city’s periodic review process.