Connecting dots - SW Corridor Plan includes LO

A must-read website for a look at the future as designed by Metro - with the assist of local representatives on the SWCP Steering Committee.  I bet no one in the general public ever heard of the SW Corridor Plan and that despite what any LO rep. said, community buy-in is non-existent.

Southwest Corridor Plan 
SHARED INVESTMENT STRATEGY RECOMMENDATION 

The Southwest Corridor Land Use Vision – a community
vision for places throughout the corridor 

Each city in the Southwest corridor began this collaborative effort by looking at its downtown, main streets, corridors and employment areas to define a vision for these places that reflects their

unique characteristics and local aspirations. The area contains a wealth of opportunities for jobs and stable neighborhoods and is expected to grow significantly in the future. The corridor includes important regional retail and employment destinations as well as many major trails and one of the nation’s few urban national wildlife refuges.
Population and employment projections are based on Metro's growth estimates and have been distributed to cities based on their population allocations.  It would be nice if job growth could be predicted and that these would be full-time, family-wage jobs. 

            Households      Jobs

2010    78,800               187,900
2035    111,900              259,200 
For built-out cities like Lake Oswego, the only way to accommodate more growth is to increase the density of low density zones or change the uses within zones through code changes.  LO code changes are being crafted now.  

The Southwest Corridor Land Use Vision compiles local land use plans and puts them into a common language, creating a foundation for the many projects (ranging from transportation to parks) to be categorized and prioritized based on how well they support the shared corridor land use vision.

• Mixed use The corridor includes opportunities for areas with a mix of housing, employment and services in a walkable environment. Good access to transit with high quality pedestrian and bike facilities are critical elements for these mixed use areas to help leverage infill and redevelopment.
  
• Higher intensity residential Infill and redevelopment is likely to be the primary generator for new development in the corridor. The majority of new residential development that does occur will be found in the mixed-use areas, and these areas will need to integrate natural features into development to ensure a high quality of life and connections to nature. 

To develop the land use vision, each city identified key places and categorized them based on the importance of a high capacity transit investment to connect them (see map pg. 7). These key places were used to draw the draft high capacity transit alternatives, thus ensuring that the transportation solution supports the community’s vision for growth. The prioritized key places also help focus investments for other types of transportation as well as parks and natural resources. 

Recommendation: Shared investment strategy

The Southwest Corridor Plan and Shared Investment Strategy includes a strategic project list for transit, roadway, active transportation and parks and natural resources as well as ideas for policy change and development strategies. The Southwest Corridor Plan evaluation, project partner priorities and public input provided the foundation for the Southwest Corridor Shared Investment Strategy. 

Achieving desired development: Regulatory environment and financial incentivesNatural areas

The public sector plays a key role in realizing a community’s land use vision. Often, the development forms desired by communities are limited by the regulatory environment or not financially feasible.  Two important tools can help the public sector set the stage for
development consistent with community goals. Those tools are 1) changing the regulatory framework and 2) providing financial incentives. Together, these actions can catalyze market value and stimulate private investment. 

Here's how it works:

1.  Metro creates a Plan with the help of a few key people in each community.  Metro planners do the planning with help from consultants.  There are usually a few open houses for the public.   This is public input.  

2.  Local communities are encouraged by Metro to do planning for new land uses by offering grants for the planning work. The same consultants might work with multiple communities on similar plans for each.

3.  New land use designations are codified in a comprehensive plan.  Metro's plans are useless unless backed up by a city's own plans and policies.  Metro cannot act - only its "partners" can do that.

4.  New development codes support the new vision for the new land uses - typically high-density, mixed-use.

5.  Local jurisdictions create funding mechanisms for achieving elements of the plan - streets, paths, bikeways, parks, transit, and subsidies for preferred types of development.

CHECK MAPS on pages 3 and 7 to see where Lake Oswego connects with the SW Corridor .