Land-use rules could change for Marion County

By Katie Moore 
WillametteLive, Jan 08, 2008

Recently the Marion County Board of Commissioners has submitted a proposal to weaken the guidelines of the Urban Growth Management Framework that was adopted in 2002. A hearing has been set for January 15.

The Framework ensures that local residents have choices in housing and transportation while protecting community identity and economic opportunities. It also encourages more efficient urban land use by adopting specific residential density guidelines for cities to meet and helps protect agricultural land.

According to Oregon League of Conservation Voters Marion County representative Tresa Horney, focusing on compact urban development is more important now than ever before.

"We cannot afford to be moving backwards," she said. "The guidelines for compact development reduce our carbon output by making new development more walkable and bikable and making driving trips shorter. The guidelines should be strengthened, not weakened."

Horney also says that the Framework protects farmland from urban sprawl, which, she says, is extremely important.

"Locally grown food doesn't take huge amounts of fossil fuel to transport to our table, and because agriculture is the backbone of Marion County's economy.  Weakening the guidelines threatens our health and safety, and our economy.
Horney hopes that this hearing will show the Marion County Board of Commissioners that there is broad support to keep Marion County's widespread growth under control.

The hearing will be held before the Planning Commission on January 15 at 6:30 p.m. on the first floor of the County office building at 555 Court St in Salem.

Public comment is welcome. Written testimony can be e-mailed to the Planning Commission through January 15 at Planning@co.marion.or.us.

For information on OLCV visit olcv.org.