Review of the industrial replenishment concept show its benefits would be limited, Metro staff says. Meanwhile, work continues on creating an inventory of the Portland region's available large employment sites.

To get a first-hand sense of the communities in the Southwest Corridor between Sherwood and Portland, Metro councilors Carl Hosticka and Barbara Roberts led the Southwest Corridor Plan Steering Committee on a bus tour of the area Monday morning.

Today the Metro Council voted 6-0 to add 1985 acres to the region’s urban growth boundary for future housing and jobs. (Councilor Rex Burkholder was excused.) This represents less than a one-percent expansion of the region’s urban footprint to accommodate thousands of additional households and workers over the next 20 years.

Metro is providing detailed reports and information about different areas the Metro Council may consider for an expansion of the urban growth boundary.

At www.oregonmetro.gov/greatplaces, you can view interactive maps and download reports about each of 10 areas being considered. Three of these areas have been recommended to the Metro Council by Metro’s acting chief operating officer. Seven additional areas were requested by local cities for the Metro Council to consider. It is unlikely that all of the 10 areas will come into the urban growth boundary this fall.

Reports on each of these areas address:

• Traffic patterns and any resulting increase in traffic congestion, commute times and air quality;
• Whether parks and open space protection in the area to be added will benefit existing residents of the district as well as future residents of the added territory, and
• The cost impacts on existing residents of providing needed public services and public infrastructure to the area to be added.

As required by Metro’s charter, notices were mailed Thursday to households within one mile of each proposed expansion area with information about these reports and directing recipients to the website for more information.

The Metro Council will hold two public hearings on a possible urban growth boundary expansion in October. The first public hearing will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, at the Beaverton Library, located at 12375 SW Fifth St.

A final public hearing will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, at the Metro Regional Center, 600 NE Grand Ave. in Portland. The Metro Council is scheduled to make its decision at this hearing.

In addition, written comments may be provided to the Metro Council through other means, up through Oct. 20:

Join Metro’s online participation tool, Opt In, to provide feedback about this decision

Send comments via email to 2040@oregonmetro.gov. Email messages will be shared with Metro Councilors and included in the public record

Written testimony may be mailed to the Metro Council, 600 NE Grand Ave., Portland, OR 97232, and included in the public record.

You can also contact your Metro Councilor directly.

Learn more about how to contact the Metro Council

Learn more about this fall’s growth management decision

The process to approve a streetcar as the Locally Preferred Alternative for the Lake Oswego to Portland Transit Project is on hold. In a response to concerns raised by the Lake Oswego and Portland city councils, Lake Oswego Mayor Jack Hoffman, Portland Mayor Sam Adams and Metro Council President Tom Hughes have requested a stay in action by the other project partners.

Did you know your city government is working to prioritize how it will spend its share of state and federal dollars over the next 20 years? This process is called the East Metro Connections Plan, and it will result in agreement on near- and long-term investments. In your neighborhood, these improvements should help you and your neighbors better meet your daily needs. Read on to find out how and how to get involved.

The 38 regional and town centers in the Portland metropolitan area serve as mileposts on the path to achieving the region's goals for vibrant, livable and prosperous communities, as envisioned in the region's 50-year plan for managing growth. Learn about the new tools for measuring progress made by centers since the 2009 State of the Centers report. Download the report to see how the center in your town compares to the region as a whole.

Through a combination of land use planning and a strong regional transit network, the Portland metropolitan region is fighting long commutes, congestion and urban sprawl more successfully than other urban areas. Metro, local agencies and community leaders are also improving air quality, protecting farms, forests and natural areas, and helping people live closer to work. Thanks to careful transportation planning and management, high-capacity public transit and regional freight lines, our region has successfully employed investments and strategies that keep people and commodities moving without ignoring the reasons people live here: safe, reliable and affordable public transit, clean air and water, and vibrant, livable communities. Read on to learn how Metro's regional planning saves you time and money and reduces harmful environmental impacts like greenhouse gas emissions.

Advocates for the east side of the Portland metropolitan region agreed that economic vitality, livability, safety and environmental quality should be enhanced by the East Metro Connections Plan - a community investment strategy that will identify specific transportation, community and economic development projects in Fairview, Gresham, Troutdale, Wood Village and Multnomah County.

The recently completed strategic plan for Metro's Transit-Oriented Development Program will help guide the program's investments in the region by evaluating station areas and corridors for market readiness and existing urban form. Learn how Metro's partner in creating the plan, the Center for Transit-Oriented Development, helped identify and maximize Metro's investment opportunities in key development projects located near transit.