September 17, 2009

City faces plan block

Thwarted by gorge commission, city continues efforts to update land plan

By Kathy Ursprung
The Chronicle

     Call it a case of the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object.
     The City of The Dalles has pushed hard for the past couple of years to dot all the I’s and cross all the T’s with its goal to quickly qualify for an urban growth boundary (UGB) expansion through the gorge commission. But the gorge commission says budget cuts have left it without enough staff to adequately review boundary changes. So no boundary changes are being considered.
Not only does this mean the city must continue to operate within its ever-tightening boundaries, it also puts the city athwart state land use planning law. State law requires cities to have an adequate land base to meet 20 years of growth needs (Goal 14 of state land use planning laws).
     “The gorge commission is 90 percent of the reason why we don’t have an updated comprehensive plan at this point,” said Dan Durow, planning director for the city. “We’ve been waiting, discussing and debating the issue of minor versus major [urban growth boundary amendment] this whole period of time. The gorge commission is really no closer than they were two years ago.”
     A periodic review of the city’s comprehensive land use plan is required by the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) about every 10 years. The Dalles has made only one review (in 1994) since 1982, when the new land use laws took effect.
     The city launched a new review process with a meeting in April 2008.
     Durow came to the city with a list of findings from a periodic review evaluation. This is one of the first steps in completing a periodic review.
     “Although The Dalles has been actively engaged in planning and economic development efforts over the last 27 years, the UGB has not materially changed since its establishment,” the findings report. “Although population growth slowed in the 1980s, it picked up all throughout the 1990s and 2000s. The current load of applications for housing has dropped off from recent record highs, but commercial and industrial activity remains at high levels, despite the national economic downturn. Growth has continued since the bulk of the UGB amendment studies were completed over two years ago.”
     In 2005, the city worked with DLCD to develop a two-phased, four-year work program to update The Dalles comprehensive land use plan, urban growth boundary and land use regulations. The first phase, land use needs assessment and policy review, was completed during 2007, producing 10 studies and reports on specific land use issues, including population projections, residential land needs, economic opportunities and other topics.
     A series of questions evaluating land supply for various purposes offers the bottom line conclusion that The Dalles does not have enough buildable land for industrial, residential and other purposes, even when infill — increased building density within the city — is taken into consideration.
     Since urban growth boundary expansion is unlikely at the present time, the planning commission recommended a periodic review work program designed to update the comprehensive land use plan and continue pursuit of urban growth boundary and national scenic area urban exempt area changes, and to establish an urban reserve boundary.
     The work plan, phase two of the process will be funded with a $150,000 state grant request and a $40,000 cash match over the course of two years, plus an estimated $55,000 of in-kind services from the city for a combined total of $245,000 in cost, not including county DLCD, gorge commission or tribal staff time.
     Tasks of the study include:
     • revise, adopt and implement comprehensive land use plan policies and efficiency measures;
     • develop scenic and natural resource studies minimally necessary to demonstration compliance with national scenic area act criteria for urban growth area expansion;
     • develop cultural resource studies that are minimally necessary to demonstration compliance with national scenic area act criteria for urban growth area expansion.
     While city infill was one of the issues discussed, The Dalles City Councilors had related concerns at their meeting Monday.
     Councilor Jim Wilcox was concerned about the effect of denser development on fire danger, specifically because of two two-house fires in August in denser areas of the city.
     “Maybe we need to back up and think about density and fire danger,” Wilcox said.
     A response from Councilor Carolyn Wood suggested that tall weed buildup and other factors may have been as much to blame for the fires as density.
     “When people allowed that to happen on their own lots, it created a hazard in the area,” she said.
     Councilor Bill Dick was also concerned about poor road development evident in both eastern and western sections of the city, citing “inadequate, antiquated roads.”
     Durow told him all new development must include city-standard roads and sidewalks.
     Wilcox was also concerned that research and reports completed early in the land use plan review process may become outdated by the time it comes before the gorge commission again.
     “Some can fall into that situation, but I don’t think we’re there yet,” Durow said. “Others will not be — mapping, stuff on the ground and all that doesn’t change very quickly.”
     Durow also noted said there is a “serious possibility” the urban growth boundary from two years ago may not be the same urban growth proposal the city returns to the gorge commission in the future.
     After a public hearing in which no one spoke, the city council approved the work plan unanimously. Councilor Dan Spatz was absent.
     At the conclusion of the topic, Wilcox urged the city to work aggressively toward urban growth expansion by any means possible, despite the gorge commission’s refusal to hear the issue.
     “The council did pass a directive to staff on how to proceed and we are following that,” Durow replied.
     In other business the city:
     • unanimously approved purchase of an asphalt zipper machine that city staff said will save substantial money on road repair and disposal of road demolition waste by recycling old asphalt;
     • unanimously approved purchase of a used $88,500 boom crane truck and exempted it from competitive bidding requirements to replace a 46-foot crane that no longer meets the city’s needs;
     • unanimously approved a resolution to purchase no more than $14 million in general obligation bonds and rescind a previous resolution to purchase bonds. The original bonds included financing of a 9-1-1 center which no longer requires financing. It was determined that it was in the city’s best interest to combine issuance of bonds for the East Port Industrial Park LID ($2 million), refinancing prior urban renewal bonds at a lower rate ($2.195 million) and urban renewal projects ($8 million), according to Kate Mast, city finance director. The bonds will have a 20-year term. A related resolution was passed with the council acting as the urban renewal agency.
     • acting as the urban renewal agency, approved $8,013 for the American Legion to paint its building historical colors by a vote of 4-1, with Mayor Nikki Lesich voting against and citing the failure of the Legion to bring other resources to the table.