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