How Our City Grows

Tigard lies within the Portland Metropolitan Region. As our region changes and evolves, there are times when more land is needed for housing, employment, and industry. Under Oregon law, the expansion of our region’s physical size is controlled by the urban growth boundary or UGB. This invisible line separates urban from rural development in an effort to preserve farm and forest land, mitigate the impacts of urbanization, and manage the cost of extending public infrastructure.

Thousands of acres were added to the region’s supply of developable land in the recent past to specifically address the need for more housing. Most of what is now known as River Terrace was added to the UGB in 2002. The remainder was added in 2011. Soon afterwards, property owners voluntarily annexed to the city, which added about 500 acres of residential land to Tigard’s corporate limits.

How River Terrace Became Part of Tigard

In 2010, Washington County completed the initial planning for this area with the adoption of the West Bull Mountain Concept Plan. The concept plan identified existing natural resources and hazards and included a preliminary land use and transportation framework. It also identified Tigard as a logical service provider.

 

In 2012, the City of Tigard agreed to complete the planning process and provide city services to the area, including but not limited to law enforcement, development oversight, infrastructure maintenance, and park development. Once the city agreed to provide these services, River Terrace property owners annexed to the city in stages. The final annexation was completed in 2013.  

Great Places Follow From Great Plans

In order to provide for the orderly and efficient transition of River Terrace from rural farmland to suburban neighborhood, the city needed to figure out how to ensure high-quality development, protect natural resources, and provide essential public services in a coordinated, logical, and fiscally sound manner. The process of engaging the community to work out these details is known as long range community planning.

 

Here’s how it works:

First, the city engages various stakeholders (service providers, property owners, neighbors, potential developers and partners) to create a development vision that becomes the blueprint for how this area will develop over time. The vision determines the type, scale, design, and location of things like housing, commercial areas, parks, trails, and streets. The outcome of this process is a community plan.

Second, the city uses this information to project future infrastructure needs. The outcome of this process is a series of infrastructure master plans for transportation, water, sewer, parks and stormwater. For River Terrace, this process involved answering the following kinds of questions:

• Transportation – How many new vehicle trips are expected, how can we minimize impacts on existing neighborhoods, and how can we address pedestrian and bicycle needs?
• Water – How much water is needed, do we have enough, and what is the best way to deliver it?
• Sewer – What are the best locations for needed pump stations and what is the plan for decommissioning older pump stations?
• Parks – How many acres of parks and how many miles of trails should be constructed and what are the best locations for these facilities?
• Stormwater – What are the best strategies for managing stormwater runoff in this steep and erodable area, and how can we prevent the kind of damage that has occurred elsewhere on Bull Mountain?

Third, the city completes a funding strategy to determine how to fund needed infrastructure. Some infrastructure will be built by the city and other service providers, such as Clean Water Services. However, the majority of infrastructure in River Terrace will be built by developers.

Last, the city adopts zoning and development standards that are specifically designed to implement the community plan and infrastructure master plans. The adoption of new zoning and development standards does not force property owners to develop their property, but it does require them to develop under the new rules if they choose to develop.

Changes Large and Small

River Terrace is primed to undergo dramatic changes over the next 20 years. In 2015, the city reviewed applications for more than 1,000 new homes in this area alone. However, it is also true that development in River Terrace will happen incrementally and may be barely noticeable at times.

 

In general, development occurs in very predictable phases. Initial site preparation includes site grading, installation of erosion control measures, construction of underground pipes for water and sewer, tree removal where approved, and construction staging. All infrastructure that is needed to serve a new development, whether it is above ground (e.g. new road) or below ground (e.g. new water line), must be in place before the city will issue building permits for the construction of new homes. The one exception to this rule is the construction of model homes.

How River Terrace Will Be Different

The city will review development proposals and permit applications just as it would anywhere else in the city, but some special circumstances exist in River Terrace that require unique solutions. As a result, development in River Terrace will be subject to:

• New stormwater standards that will better control downstream flooding and erosion and that will also provide the community with additional amenities in the form of wildlife habitat and/or educational and recreational facilities.
• New street design standards, including a design for River Terrace Boulevard, which is the area’s signature street. The boulevard includes a landscaped median and a regional trail corridor.
• New development standards and incentives that facilitate neighborhood park development and advance the city’s strategic vision to be the most walkable community in the Pacific Northwest.

Next Steps

Now and into the future, developers will work to obtain land use approvals and development permits from the city to build in River Terrace. It is through this process that the city ensures development conforms to the vision outlined in the community plan, builds or pays for their proportional share of needed infrastructure, and meets all required development standards.

 

In addition to processing land use applications and building permits, the city will also work on several projects related to community plan implementation, including but not limited to the following:

• New commercial development design standards
• Community park acquisition and development
• Wayfinding and signage program
• Developer and ratepayer fee updates
• Roy Rogers Road expansion