Title
Letter of Support for a Transportation and Growth Management Program (TGM) Grant to Update the Transportation and Land Use Components of the Comprehensive Plan
Body
RECOMMENDED ACTION (Motion):
Staff recommends approval of the letter of support.
BACKGROUND:
The Oregon City Comprehensive Plan identifies our community values and vision for the future. The plan identifies goals and policies to shape the growth and development of Oregon City through a collective process. The topics discussed in the Comprehensive Plan include:
• Citizen Involvement
• Land Use
• Agricultural Lands
• Forest Lands
• Open Spaces, Scenic & Historic Areas, & Natural Resources
• Quality of Air, Water, & Land Resources
• Natural Resources
• Parks and Recreation
• Economic Development
• Housing
• Public Facilities
• Transportation
• Energy Conservation
• Willamette River Greenway
The Comprehensive Plan goals and policies play an important role in city decisions. It is not an ordinance or a set of rules, it is instead a guide for the city to move in the direction the people want. It is imperative to update the Comprehensive Plan to assure it equitably reflects the aspirations of all of our community members. Though significant development and different residences and businesses have undoubtedly changed since the Comprehensive Plan was last updated 2004, the purpose of this project is to assure that our future is reflective of all our community members. The equity-based approach to updating the Comprehensive Plan necessitates an inclusive process to empower all of our community members to participate in the creation of a shared vision which equally balances how the goals and policies will benefit us all. The success of updating a Comprehensive Plan is dependent on curating a process which includes all community members so that the resulting plan may serve everyone.
Updating the Comprehensive Plan will allow the community to discuss our historic assets and how they will be supported in the future. In addition to our two locally designated historic districts (one of which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places), Oregon City is full of a range of historic structures spread throughout the City. Potential topics include checking in on the success of our districts, or the appropriateness of public improvements, such as sidewalks and planter strips within them.
The City Commission adopted goals for the 2019-2021 biennium which includes identification of grant opportunities and initiation of an update to the Oregon City Comprehensive Plan. We anticipate using two separate grant sources: a Transportation and Growth Management Program (TGM) grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation as well as a Technical Assistance (TA) Grant from the Department of Land Conservation and Development. The City would like to
fund a portion of the public engagement as well as the Transportation and Land Use components through the TGM grant (including the Comprehensive Plan map). The remaining work is anticipated to be funded through the TA grant. The TGM grant will be submitted in the beginning of June and the TA grant is expected to be submitted in the fall.
Though the funding and management of the project will require care to manage two separate funding sources, the project itself is anticipated to be presented as a single project to the public. The general project approach would begin with educational opportunities followed by a robust effort to listen to the community about their vision for the future. The public vision will then be compared to the existing Comprehensive Plan and amended as needed. Note that the approach may change as we move through the grant application process.