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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 3, 2018)
SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 39, NO. 44 SECTION A AUGUST 3, 2018 $1.00 Urban expansion in other areas offers lessons for Keizer By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes In a June meeting to discuss the potential for the growth of Keizer, consultants highlighted three other Oregon cities that have fought to expand the boundaries hemming in urban sprawl. The future they portend for a Keizer expansion isn't exactly sunshine and roses. Three other areas were called out in particular. Two achieved successful, limited expansion at high costs in terms of time and effort – North Bethany and Woodburn – and one which failed to launch – McMinnville. McMinnville The City of McMinnville launched its campaign to expand its Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) in 2003 and saw it fall apart almost 10 years later. The city based its request on three years of study and research showing it would fall short of the land needed for its projected growth by 2023. As a result, it sought to expand its boundary to include an additional 1,200 acres, about 900 acres of which would have McMinnville Woodburn North Bethany 900 acres 971 acres 716 acres What they got nothing 619 acres 716 acres Recent status may reattempt planning for development 500 of 5,000 homes built — 14 years later What they wanted been developable. After getting initial approval in 2008, court challenges over the inclusion of high-quality farm land in 2011 eventually led the city to abandon its bid in 2012. While future expansion is not out of the question, Keizer could likely run into the same issues because high-quality farm land would need to be rezoned if it were incorporated into the city's UGB. Woodburn By the time the city of Woodburn received approval to expand its UGB in 2016, the city had spent 10 years and more than $1 million in time and capital reserves to achieve its goals – and even then the results were diminished. After two court cases appealing the city's justifi cations for the expansion, the court fi le was reportedly more than 10,000 pages long. Woodburn initially requested an expansion of 971 acres that included space for residential, industrial and commercial development. Court challenges from local farmers, residents and 1000 Friends of Oregon led to a substantial reduction – down to 619 acres – after entering into mediation. In addition, the city agreed to limit certain types of expansion for the next 20 years. The challenges to the case again rested on inclusion of fertile farm land. North Bethany Comparatively, North Bethany, which north of Beaverton, had the easiest path to UGB expansion. But hidden costs delayed development for years. The expansion faced court challenges over the inclusion of farm land, but overcame them and an additional 716 acres were brought into the UGB in 2002. However, the city and county faced enormous challenges in building out the infrastructure needed to support additional development. By the time it was complete, it's estimated that the county had invested more than $100,000 per potential home in building roads and installing water and sewer systems. Successfully funding the infrastructure alone meant tapping into county reserve funds, signifi cantly raising the system development charges on new development in the expanded area and adding an additional property tax to the residences as they were built. In 2016, 14 years after the approval of its UGB expansion, only 573 of a projected 5,000 new homes had been built. The least expensive was more than $400,000. Even if Keizer were able to successfully separate itself from the UGB it shares with Salem, many of the same Holiday wins all-city swim meet PAGE B1 Please see GROWTH, Page A7 Refugees take fl ight Foster youth take at Sparrow Furniture reins in setting new policy goals These policy recommen- By CASEY CHAFFIN dation presentations are the Keizertimes Intern On Tuesday, July 24 a group result of Oregon Foster Youth more than 30 current and for- Connection’s (OFYC) annual mer foster youth from around Policy Conference. OFYC is a the state met at Willamette program of Children First for Oregon, and Univer sity aims to em- and presented power youth their policy “ We want to to share their recommenda- remove as By CASEY CHAFFIN voices and pro- tions on how KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald Keizertimes Intern voke change in the foster care many barriers You’ve fi nished your Blandine, a refugee from Ivory Coast, makes a sale to one a system Or- system should Sparrow's fi rst customers under the guidance of another as possible so degree. You’re working in of egon Secretary change to bet- employee, Jess Virtue. your dream career fi eld. of State Den- ter accom- they can share You’re living your life the one percent of refugees no currency here. Even the nis Richardson modate the and doing the work that’s worldwide who apply for language you've spoken from their voice.” has declared to needs of foster and actually get resettled, birth becomes an obstacle important to you. be in a mo- youth. Their — Lisa McMahon, ment of crisis. to overcome between you Then your country falls somewhere. audience was Program Director, OFYC Hope blossoms. Then and others. An identity apart. And you fl ee. In terms a cross-section The next years – maybe the plane lands in your constructed over a lifetime of big-picture of lawmak- decade – are spent in a new country, and you’re has been subverted. This is change, the ers, Oregon makeshift camp alongside no longer the person you starting from scratch. Department of Human Ser- goals of this conference What do you do? throngs of people who fl ed were at home. Degrees and vices administrators, service are twofold: to let people similar circumstances. Finally, experience as a farmer, a Please see SPARROW, Page A8 providers and community who control foster care the call comes. You’re part of doctor, an entrepreneur are policy know what youth members. need from the system, and to lay the groundwork for the next long legislative session, when OFYC youth members will choose one policy recommendation to turn into a bill and lobby for at the Capitol. Giving foster youth access to policymakers is what OFYC and the policy conference are designed for. “We want to remove as many barriers as possible so they can share their voice,” said Lisa McMahon, program director of OFYC. The policy recommendations, which the foster youth spent the weekend hashing out, covered needed changes to foster care governance, including expanding mental health services, increasing funding for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) and prioritizing housing needs of youth at risk of becoming houseless. See sidebar onpage A7 the full list. But for foster youth, OFYC and the Policy Conference KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald have a more immediate Jeannise Whitmer, of Vancouver, Wash., strikes a pose beside her 1958 Edsel Ranger. Whitmer and her husband, Ron, were purpose: empowering youth in Keizer to take part in the Edsel Owners Club national convention. The group pulled into the order kiosks at Sonic on right in the moment. River Road North to snap some retro photographs. The Ranger originally belonged to Ron's stepfather and has been in the family for almost 60 years. The car even sports a Cuban license plate. Raven Sherrett has been Old school cool Please see FOSTER, Page A7 Steamed! PAGE A2 McNary students tour Germany PAGE A6 Reynolds back on the mat PAGE B1