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Commission starts process to legalize section of Northwest Keiser Road after survey discrepancy
Summary
The board authorized staff to begin legalization proceedings under ORS 368.201 after county survey records were found not to match the road's actual location; next steps include a survey and a later public hearing.
The Multnomah County Board authorized staff to initiate proceedings to legalize a portion of Northwest Keiser Road (County Road No. 5032) after staff discovered the road's recorded location did not match the road as used by the public.
John Henriksen (Transportation Division director and county engineer) told the board the discrepancy was discovered while designing repairs to a culvert damaged in the Jan. 2024 ice storm. He cited Oregon statute ORS 368.201 as the legal basis for the county to begin a road‑legalization process when survey records are lost or inaccurate.
Henriksen outlined the three-step legalization process: (1) the board passes a resolution to initiate the process and the county surveyor performs a precise survey of the road as it is used today; (2) the county engineer files a report based on that survey and the board schedules a public hearing to consider legalization; and (3) after public testimony the board may adopt a resolution legalizing the road in its actual location if it finds legalization is in the public interest.
The board approved the initiating resolution. No public testimony was recorded on the item. Staff said the survey and report will be completed and returned to the board with a hearing date and property-owner notices as required by the statute.
Henriksen said legalization is mechanical in this case: the goal is to align county records with the physical road used by the public and to allow necessary repairs to proceed in the correct right-of-way.
