Page 64 - Wash Co First and Last Mile Background Report

TECHNICAL MEMO #1

4.0 Land Use Context

In 1995, Metro adopted the 2040 Growth Concept, the long-range plan for managing regional
growth. The Growth Concept states the preferred form of regional growth and development and
includes the Growth Concept map. Consistent with this concept, Washington County and its
cities began to plan for areas of more intense activity by defining and planning for city and
community centers, nodes along corridors, employment areas, and higher density residential
communities consisting of smaller single family lots and multi-family housing options.

Adoption of the 2040 Growth Concept established a new direction for planning in the region by
directly linking urban form to transportation decisions. Development of Orenco Station in
Hillsboro, which began in 1997, is a well-known example of a new growth area guided by the
2040 Growth Concept. Land use patterns, guided by the 2040 Growth Concept, are changing
throughout Washington County, which can influence the demand for and viability of travel
options. The following maps show the current and future land uses in Washington County.
Descriptions for each classification are included in the Appendix.

 Figure 4-1 Housing permits in the Portland Metro area, 2009-2017 – units per square
mile: Since 2009 the region has experienced significant growth in housing choices. Much
of the growth has occurred in transit rich mixed-use centers like Inner Portland, Orenco
Station and Amberglen. However, new urban areas, like North Bethany, South Cooper
Mountain (Beaverton) and River Terrace (Tigard), have seen substantial growth and
currently have minimal or no transit service.
 Figure 4-2 Washington County Existing Zoning: Major transit corridors are primarily
developed as commercial, industrial, and multi-use residential uses. Multi-use
residential uses are closer in proximity to a variety of travel options—high frequency
transit, local bus services, car-sharing—than single family residential uses. These lower
density land uses that do not have convenient access to frequent transit service may be
more likely to utilize other travel options, such as biking or walking, community shuttles,
carpooling or vanpooling, micro transit or ridesourcing.
 Figure 4-3 Washington County Future Land Use: By the year 2040, targeted
development is expected to occur in North Hillsboro, along the 217 corridor, Tigard
Triangle, and the Basalt Creek employment area. These targeted areas of development
are expected to have the most employment growth in the future. Urban Transit
Corridors and Regional Corridors, primarily located along high frequency transit, such as
the MAX and WES, are planned to continue to provide future opportunities to offer
additional housing, commercial, and employment choices. New urban areas including
South Cooper Mountain (Beaverton), River Terrace (Tigard), South Hillsboro, AmberGlen
(Hillsboro), West Sherwood are expected to develop as mixed-use centers with
residential neighborhoods, commercial nodes, and employment districts.

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