Citizens in Hood River County, Oregon are celebrating this week a zoning victory. Here is a report from the Citizens for Responsible Growth on the new ‘footprint ordinance’: “The Hood River County Board of Commissioners Tuesday voted to adopt size limits on commercial buildings in the area immediately surrounding the city of Hood River as “responsible” and “visionary. “The city has clearly defined the values it holds dear and defined limits to help it guide future growth,” said.local realtor and co-chair of the CRG. In a 5-0 vote, the board supported county adoption of zoning language for the C-2 commercial zone lying just outside the Hood River city limits but inside the urban growth boundary. That language limits building footprint size to 50,000 square feet, and requires review of designs for buildings between 25,000 and 50,000 square feet.The city of Hood River had adopted the limits in the fall of 2001. Under an intergovernmental agreement, the county was then obligated to consider adopting the rules for land inside the urban growth area, which it administers until the land is annexed by the city. Under Oregon’s statewide land use planning system, cities must establish boundaries inside which necessary and projected urban-density growth can occur. Boundaries are adjusted in response to need and in consideration of other land use values. Citizens for Responsible Growth formed in the fall of 2001, to support the “footprint ordinance,” to oppose development of a Wal-Mart Supercenter on C-2 land west of Hood River, and to foster family-wage job growth compatible with the features that Hood River County residents say makes for its attractive quality of life.
For information about Citizens for Responsible Growth, go to www.hoodriversfuture.org/ on the Internet, or call 541-386-6221 or 541-490-3051. For a copy of the Hood River ordinance, contact [email protected]
