Wilsonville Spokesman Online

Langdon Farms heads toward rural status

County commissioners to make rural recommendation to Core 4

• By: Patrick Johnson  
• Published: 9/10/2009 3:14:09 PM

Photo By: Patrick JohnsonClackamas County Commission
County Chairwoman Lynn Peterson and commissioner Bob Austin listen to a staff report on the urban and rural reserves designations for land around Clackamas County on Thursday. Today the county commissioners recommended what land should, and shouldn't, be developed for the next 40 to 50 years. Now the process moves on to the Metro regional government.

The Clackamas County Commission voted unanimously today to forward its recommendations of what lands should, and shouldn't, be developed in the next 40 to 50 years.

While there has been much debate about the French Prairie area south of the Willamette River near Wilsonville, the board had little to no discussion about the property during its three days of public meetings on the urban and rural reserve process.

The county's Policy Advisory Committee recommended that the more than 2,000 acres south of the river be designated as a rural reserve, meaning that it could not be added to the Metro urban growth boundary for the next 40 to 50 years. However, in the past few weeks, there has been increased activity by the Klamath Tribes to put the land into trust. This action could lead to the development of 385 acres of French Prairie.

After a work session Wednesday, Commissioner Charlotte Lehan, a member of the next group of politicians to negotiate the area, said, "The area south of the river will be rural, period.”

County commissioners recommended that the area between Wilsonville and Sherwood should have some urban reserves. Those areas could be included in the urban growth boundary, but much of the property is either undesignated or rural reserve.

On Wilsonville’s east side, property around Stafford and Advance roads were designated urban reserves. This falls in line with what the city of Wilsonville requested.

"At this point I think we are happy," said Stephen Lashbrook, the city’s assistant community development director.

A final map will be produced by county staff before it moves on to the Core Four, a group consisting of one commissioner from Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties, and a Metro councilor. They will negotiate what properties should be included in the overall recommendation to the Metro Council.

"There will be much more public input on this process," said commission chair Lynn Peterson. "This is very preliminary and there will continue to be discussions about how this is all going to lay out."

For expanded coverage of the recommendation, including reaction, see the Sept. 16 issue of the Wilsonville Spokesman.

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