December 2022 THE CHARBONNEAU VILLAGER 15
Civic Affairs
By STEVE SWITZER
Wilsonville government continues to advocate for Charbonneau ’ s interest
The city of Wilsonville , led by Mayor Julie Fitzgerald , continues to voice concerns on issues that have a direct impact on our Charbonneau communi-
SWITZER
ty .
The city was very involved in the legal battles with the Oregon Department of Aviation , resulting in an Appellate Court victory that , in effect , declared the flawed 2012 Airport Master Plan invalid . Councilor Charlotte Lehan is on the airport PAC committee with me and has been a leading voice for cooperation between the department and the various communities that are impacted by the airport . To that end , city staff has put together a legislative bill ( to be introduced next session ) that will require the ODAV to work collectively with the cities of Wilsonville , Aurora , and Canby as well as Clackamas and Marion counties in an interagency agreement before any expansion is considered .
It was the city that issued a Freedom on Information ( FOIA ) request to ODOT to determine whose idiotic idea it was to merge the on-ramp from Miley Road with the on-ramp from Highway 551 into the exit only lane to Wilsonville . As of this writing , we have heard nothing back from ODOT but will continue to voice our concerns .
Led by Fitzgerald , the city has been a vocal opponent ( along with other cities ) of the ODOT tolling plan that would divide Wilsonville and force Charbonneau residents to pay a toll just to go into town . The mayor has testified twice in front of the Oregon Transportation Commission and meets regularly with her counterparts in the affected communities .
And , just when you thought we only had the airport expansion and tolling on our freeways to worry about , here comes Clackamas County with an effort to re-classify important agricultural land into industrial development . The county has asked Metro to re-classify the 800 acres to our south ( which includes Langdon Farms Golf Club ) into the Urban Growth Boundary , and out of Rural Reserve . In 2010 , the regional planners went through an extensive process and designated those lands south of the Willamette River as Rural Reserve , warranting protection for at least the next 50 years . Apparently there are some at the county that may need remedial math . We were alerted to this effort by Wilsonville ’ s Public and Government Affairs Director , Mark Ottenad . He continues to be a valuable resource to us here in Charbonneau .
This is the same issue that came up in 2016 . Then President Tony Holt spoke at an “ informational meeting ” held in Wilsonville by the county . He said it was a bit disingenuous ( the presentation by the county ) because they had not mentioned that the area is Foundation Agricultural Land , identified by the Oregon Department of Agriculture as lands that provide the core support to the region ’ s agricultural base and is vital to its long-term viability .
Now , of course , it should also be noted that we , here in Charbonneau , sit on that same base . Fifty years ago when Charbonneau was developed , there were many of the same concerns . It also should be pointed out that the effort to develop the 800 acres south of us is centered on the building of a computer chip plant and other industrial uses that would provide an increased tax base and jobs . There is a term , “ Not in My Backyard ,” which could apply here as we support the idea , just not here . It is just as fair to point out the large campaign contributions to various political allies from those interested in developing the land .
The decision for this designation change lies exclusively with Metro . The county , at this point , is simply asking Metro to consider the issue . For us , we appreciate the city of Wilsonville ’ s balanced approach in representing our concerns .
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