Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Planning Work Program topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Washington County planning staff present draft 2025–27 work program emphasizing housing and fiscal responsibility
Summary
Staff outlined the draft planning work program for the 2025–27 biennium, prioritizing housing production and affordability, climate and natural resources, multimodal transportation and a new fiscal responsibility category that includes an urban services framework and park SDC assessment.
Planning staff presented a draft planning work program for the 2025–27 biennium that the county will release for public comment, with adoption expected by the Board of Commissioners in July 2025.
Theresa Cherniak, community planning section manager, described the program’s five themes: housing production and affordability; natural resources and climate; multimodal transportation system planning and funding; planning code updates; and a new fiscal responsibility category. Staff emphasized that much of the work is mandated by state statute or rulemaking and that staff capacity and budget constraints shape the program’s achievable scope.
Key initiatives flagged in the draft include: developing a housing capacity analysis and housing production strategies (work that must be completed in future cycles), a rural accessory dwelling unit ordinance, continued updates to significant natural resource protections in rural areas, land use changes to comply with Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities rules (including pedestrian‑friendly design), adopting town center boundaries identified in Metro’s 2040 plan (notably Raleigh Hills), and model ordinance language to address FEMA pre‑implementation floodplain compliance.
On transportation, staff described scoping for a major Transportation System Plan (TSP) update (primarily locally funded), updates to the county’s complete streets design standards and cross sections, and near‑term work on the Transportation Safety Action Plan. Staff also noted continuing involvement with neighboring cities on urban growth boundary (UGB) expansions and updates to urban planning area agreements, citing Sherwood and a possible North Plains relook.
Under the fiscal responsibility theme, staff highlighted two ongoing studies: an urban services framework examining the financial and practical considerations of providing urban services (sewer, water, fire, parks) to unincorporated urban areas and an assessment of the interim park system development charge program where the current fee is lower than that charged by Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District (THPRD).
Cherniak said the draft table that usually goes to the Board was not ready at the time of the commission briefing; staff plan to release the draft for public comment beginning the coming Friday and keep an online open house open until May 30, 2025. Staff will bring a recommended final work program to the Board for adoption in July 2025.
Commissioners asked about how adoption proceeds at the board (staff said the work program is not an ordinance and typically is adopted at a single meeting after public comment and any recommended changes). Several commissioners requested more orientation material and incremental check‑ins, and Vice Chair Monte Blanco asked for more guidance to help new commissioners navigate the CDC and the county’s planning documents.
