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Resident urges careful review of riparian habitat protections for Cooper Mountain development
Summary
A resident raised concerns during public comment about proposed development within riparian corridors near Cooper Mountain and requested access to engineering and environmental studies; she cited a Dec. 5 code amendment (No. 902) and noted steep slopes and watershed risks
Holly Wyberg McCullough, speaking by Zoom during the Jan. 21 public comment period, urged the Board of Commissioners to ensure proposed developments near Cooper Mountain protect riparian habitats and avoid erosion, water-quality and habitat disruption.
McCullough said changes reflected in a code amendment identified in testimony as No. 902 (an amendment to the Community Development Code relating to natural resources) had a Dec. 5 effective date. She said the amendment’s allowance for middle housing within riparian corridors — limited to a duplex on a lot of record when buildable land exists outside the corridor — raised concerns about projects she has observed in the Cooper Mountain area, including portions of Northridge Natural Woods.
McCullough described the site conditions she cited as having an average slope of approximately 31 percent and said steep-slope development raises erosion, runoff and soil-stability concerns that can affect the Tualatin Valley watershed and downstream habitat. She requested access to any studies or engineering evaluations performed or planned for these sites and urged balancing middle housing goals with habitat protections.
Ending The transcript records McCullough’s request for studies and assurances about habitat protections; she asked county staff to provide or identify environmental and engineering evaluations that would support development decisions. The meeting record does not show any immediate action or staff response to that request within the excerpt.
