Stafford Triangle, a triumph of good government (Guest opinion)

By Jeff Gudman

On Thursday, a five-party agreement including Tualatin, West Linn, Lake Oswego and Clackamas County was approved by the final member, Metro, to guide what happens after the Stafford area is designated an urban reserve. Think about it: Five different sets of elected officials, representing the full range of viewpoints, unanimously agreed on the future of an urban reserve.

Stafford, actually four areas between Tualatin, Lake Oswego and West Linn totaling 6,230 acres, will be designated as an urban reserve that will potentially be open to development within 50 years.

From the beginning of what at times seemed an interminable process over the past decade, there were strong disagreements and concerns. Governments, residents and landowners worried about what a reserve designation might mean then or in 50 years: inadequate transportation facilities, conflicts with community values, excessive densification, unknown costs of infrastructure, and so on.

Yet a number of issues pushed the five parties to an agreement. There was wariness of continued litigation. There were questions about the willingness of Metro and the county -- pushing the limits of state law -- to guarantee the three cities substantially more control over the outcomes. And there were questions about the county's commitment to refrain from creating a new city or service districts in Stafford.

Most important was the recognition that the cities are best equipped to evaluate and address the longstanding concerns about the details and timing of change.

One year, five years, ten years or more years ago, this agreement would not have been possible. One year, five years, ten years or more from now, this agreement would likely not be possible. Yet, here we are, agreement in hand.

This agreement has been hard fought and long sought, and taxed the patience of many. But people persevered. Collectively, a big first step has been achieved.

Now there is much work to do. The next step is to forge an agreement between Tualatin, West Linn and Lake Oswego. It will be hard, but it can be done. All voices must be heard. Guiding principles must be identified, including:

Infrastructure: The cost of providing necessary roads, water, parks and systems for surface and wastewater will be enormous. The cities already struggle to maintain and improve their existing infrastructure, let alone taking on new projects in Stafford. The cities' current capital improvement plans collectively include $994 million in projects, with only $133 million funded. They can't immediately fund extensive new infrastructure in a challenging topography.

Transportation Impact: Where will all the additional cars go? Stafford Road, Rosemont Road and McVey Avenue are, for the most part, two-lane roads that will not be expanded. Although a top priority, Interstate 205 expansion between Oregon City and Interstate 5 will be years in the making. Congestion on Interstate 205 will be pushed onto roads that can't handle increased volume and cannot be expanded. The cities and Stafford residents do not want another Tualatin-Sherwood bottleneck. The costs of new infrastructure, lack of funding and inadequacy of the exiting transportation system to absorb increased population make this challenge significant.

Housing: If population growth in the metro area continues to increase, whether by the lowest or highest projections, housing needs can be accommodated by other cities that already hope to expand their boundaries.  

Now, thanks to the work of designated negotiators, government staff, and five sets of elected officials, the work can begin to thoughtfully and carefully address the needs of the region. We cannot guarantee success in Stafford, but we can continue to earn it.

Jeff Gudman is a member of the Lake Oswego City Council. His piece reflects his personal views, not necessarily those of the council.

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