The land-use advocacy group 1000 Friends has agreed to participate with the city of Woodburn and the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) to settle concerns over the city’s plans to expand its Urban Growth Boundary (UGB).

An Urban Growth Boundary is a legislated border that separates the area a municipality can develop dense, urban-style properties on and the more rural exurbs of the city. The UGB is designed to be a check on urban sprawl, protecting unspoiled areas outside the city limits from being plundered by developers.

However, many cities complain that the process of changing a UGB to reflect the new realities of population growth and needed new resources is difficult. At no point does the State comment on proposals to alter UGB’s until it renders a decision. As a result, cities can spend years and huge amounts of money on a proposal only to be denied without explanation.

Opposition from local residents and 1000 Friends is another complication to an already-difficult task the city has set for itself. There is some concern that the city is undermining the negotiations by continuing to pursue State legislation via lobbyists that would change the way urban growth boundaries can be determined – in the city’s favor.

However, both sides of the dispute have expressed optimism that the mediation process will be effective in resolving the dispute to everyone’s satisfaction. Regardless, the DLCD will be the final deciding factor in the city’s UGB alteration plan.