The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutCOMP PLAN: Ch 12 - Urbanization CHAPTER XII 1962 '~~'~'~. ~.. -'~~ ~..~ '.~: ~ URBANIZATION ~ ~') ..... ~ " CHAPTER XII URBANIZATION The purpose of the Urbanization Element of the Comprehensive Plan is to ensure an order- ly transition of land from rural to urban uses. The main tools of urbanization control in Oregon are the urban growth boundary and annexation policies. This element spells out the method and logic used in drawing the urban growth boundary and the policies the City will use when considering annexation of land within that urban growth boundary. The criteria which are used to determine the location of the urban growth boundary must include LCDC Goal lg and the seven findings which it requires. The area within the urban growth boundary but outside the City limits, and, in some cases, areas outside the urban growth bound- ary are also subject to a joint management agreement between the City and the County where both jurisdictions will be able to com- ment on the effect of land use decisions, while the County retains a final authority. The urban growth boundary may also deter- mine the area in which urban facilities can be planned, such as sewer and water facili- ties, etc. Because of this, it forms an essen- tial element to the Capital Improvements Pro- gram of the City. Drawing the Urban Growth Boundary As mentioned before, one of the basic criteria for drawing an urban growth boundary is the Xll-1 seven findings required by Goal 1~ - Urbani- zation. The findings are as follows: 1) Demonstrated need to accommodate long- range urban population growth require- ments consistent with LCDC goals; 2) Need for housing, employment opportuni- ties, and livability; 3) Orderly and economic provision for public facilities and services; ~) Maximum efficiency of land uses within and on the fringe of the existing urban area; 5) Environmental, energy, social consequences; economic, and 6) Retention of agricultural land as defined, with Class I being the highest priority for retention and Class VI the lowest priority; and 7) Compatibility of the proposed urban uses with nearby agricultural activities. The general methodology used to determine the amount of land needed during the plan- ning period has been carried out in the other elements of the Plan, most importantly the Housing and Economic Elements. The method used based land need projections on the City' s population projections. Then assumptions were made regarding such fac- tors as the projected income of future resi- dents, the types of housing they would need, the level of economic activity in the City, estimates of the density of housing, the XII-2 number of persons per dwelling unit, and the number of employees per acre. Combining these numbers yielded an estimate of the num- ber of acres needed for housing and economic growth in the City between the present and the year 2000. It is important to note that, because of the number of assumptions made, the level of ac- curacy of these projections is not great. Small changes in each of those assumptions would result in large differences in the amount of acres projected to be used by the City. Therefore, the figures are not written in stone, but are simply extrapolations of existing and past trends. Since they are only estimates, the urban growth boundary cannot be located solely to implement the estimates made in this Plan. Once the number of acres needed for urbaniza- tion has been determined, the lands in the City limits which are suitable for develop- ment must be determined. These lands, ac- cording to State law and City policy, are to be used first. If lands are not available in the City limits, then additional acreage must be supplied by lands presently in the County. This will help determine the even- tual amount of land in the urban growth boundary. Lands which are in the County but are presently supplied with City services and are committed to urbanization should al- so be included in the urban growth bound- ary. From all of the above criteria, a boundary line is then drawn showing the ex- tent of urbanization for the City. Land Needs Table XIl-1 shows. the land needs which have been estimated from prior elements of the Comprehensive Plan. For the specific method- ology of estimating the land needs, refer ~o the appropriate section. Buildable Lands Inventory Table XII-2 shows the buildable lands pres- ently available in the City limits. In assess- ing the buildable lands in Ashland, the City used relatively conservative criteria. There are large numbers of small parcels of land which, while technically divisible under the minimum lot size criteria of the prevailing zoning in the area, probably will not be divided and not be available for buildable lands. Also, there are lands which are too steep or are in a 100-year flood plain and will probably not be fully utilized. These lands cannot be counted as buildable lands. Therefore, the following criteria was used for establishing buildable land: 1) All lots in areas designated single-family residential of less than one acre in size were discounted if they contained at least one single-family home. 2) All land which was over ~0% average slope was discounted as being not build- able. 3) All lands within the 100-year flood plain were also discounted as being nonbuild- able. XlI-3 TABLE XlI-1 - Estimated Land Needs Housing Needs Acres Low-Density Residential 127 Single-Family Residential 388 Townhouse Residential 83 Multi-Family Residential 54 Economic Activity Needs Commercial 98 106 Industrial TABLE XlI-2 - Buildable Lands in City Limits Residential Land Zoning RR-.5 R-l-10 R-1-7.5 R-l-5 Acres t79 102 85 155 Commercial g IndustriM Land Commercial Employment Industrial Zones Zones Zones 8.3 52.6 3 R-2 13 TABLE XlI-3 - Land Needed and Available in UGB LDR SFR SR MFR C E* I Land Needs 127 388 83 54 98 202 104 Buildable in City 256 342 0 13 8 52 3 Needed in UGB '0 66' 83 41 * 139 * Available in UGB 0 160 89 49 5 138 27 DiFFerence 0 +116 +6 +8 * +1 * *Zoned "employment"; may be used For either commercial or industrial uses. Represents total demand For both commercial and industriM needs XlI-~ ~) In addition, a large amount of land on the north side of Bear Creek presently accessed by Mountain Avenue was dis- counted in the buildable lands inventory. While this land is in the City limits and has been since the early 1900s, it pres- ently contains very limited utility ser- vices and is accessed by a single un- paved road. Due to its distance from the existing urbanization in Ashland, we have not considered that this area will develop over the next 20 years unless major public expenditures are made to bring paved streets, sewer and water to this area. Therefore, in this particular instance, land was also rated as not buildable. Methodology To determine the amount of buildable land, all parcels in the City were inventorfed and identified by the type of land use present on the parcel. This map was finalized in Janu- ary, 1980, and was used as the basis for de- termining acreage of buildable land. The final totals shown on Table XI1-2 are the City's best estimates of the lands which are vacant and available for building sites in the City limits. Table XII-3 also shows the buildable lands minus the needs of the City which have been identified in the Comprehen- sive Plan. When more land is needed than can be supplied by buildable land in the City, these needs must be met by land pres- ently not in the City limits or, in other words, land in the urban growth boundary. Special Cases Table XII-3 shows that Ashland has a great deal more land designated Low-Density Resi- dential in the City limits than it is pro- jected to use (about 129 acres), and more land in the urban growth boundary zoned Single-Family Residential than it is projected to use (about Ilk acres). Both these special cases deserve some explanation. The City annexed a great deal of land in the early 1900s. The City limits were drawn in a large rectangle, following secticn and town- ship lines rather than any specific property lines. The northwest and southwest corners of this old annexation are still visible in the present City boundaries. The northwest sector was addressed in the buildable lands inventory. The southwest sector, however, has services available to it and is largely vacant. It has very severe terrain, with slopes generally over 30%, and locally up to 100%. The hills are covered with a pine- madtone vegetation which has a great wild- fire hazard. While these problems do not in all cases prevent development from occurring, they do limit density to less than two dwell- ing units per acre. Because of the amount of land in the City limits of this type, the land available for low-density development exceeds the projected demand. However, this does not conflict with Goal lg (Urbanization) as they are not resource lands. Three areas have been included in the urban growth boundary as Single-Family Reserve. Two outside the City limits, (Wright's Creek area, and Crowson Road area), and one inside (North Mountain Street). This is either because the land may or will be within the service boundary of the sewer or water supply because of topographic reasons, or is already committed to development due to small parcel sizes. The North Mountain and Crowson Road areas are for the most part already served by City sewer and water. The areas are not needed for the projected housing demand. With the exception of these special areas, all of the land within the urban growth boundary is projected to be needed for urban uses. Drawing the Urban Growth Boundary The urban growth boundary must include all land which will be urbanized by the year 2000. Table XII-3 shows the amount of land needed in the urban growth boundary produced by the above methodology and shows the amount of land actually available in the urban growth boundary. There is a fairly close match in all of the categories except in the single-family residential areas, where there are 12~ acres more than are needed, using the strict mathematical method- ologies described above. However, as men- tioned above, there are reasons other than the strict application of our assumptions for including land within the urban growth boundary, especially for areas which have been partially urbanized and are served by City services but are not presently in the City limits. Description of the Urban Growth Bounda_.ry The Ashland Urban Growth Boundary is rela- tively compact for a city of its size, even for the moderate growth description of each segment of the urban growth boundary uses xt 1-5 the points of reference in Map XII-1. Beginning at point A, which is on the north side of .!-5, the urban growth bound- ary follows the City limits down to point B. This area is North Mountain Street, an area that is presently in a semi-rural state. While it has been in the City limits for some time, it remains sparsly developed. It is included in the urban growth bound- ary because of the availablity of City water, sewer and electrical uti]ities, and its status as land committed to urban devel- opment. From point B the line leaves the City limits to enclose the area around Fordyce Street to point C. This is an area which is highly parcelized and con- tains City water service. There are sev- eral houses in a rural environment in this area, and it is included as single- family residential land. The urban growth boundary then fo]lows East Main Street, including areas which are designated for future expansion by Southern Oregon State College, single-family residential, townhouse residential, and multi-family residential areas. Across the freeway, the urban growth boundary continues along East Main until it comes to the City's Municipal Airport and two areas reserved for expansion of the Munici- pal Airport. However, there are no plans for any residential development in this area. The urban growth boundary con- tinues across the northern boundary of the Airport to point E, where it intersects Dead Indian Road. The urban growth boundary continues down Dead Indian Road to Highway 66 at point F and includes homes across from the present City limits which have water and sewer service from XlI-6 the City. The urban growth boundary then crosses the freeway at point G. From this point, the urban growth boundary parallels Crowson Road, including additional homes serviced by City water, to Siskiyou Boulevard, again reaching the City limits near Tolman Creek Road at point H. The area enclosed by this boundary includes land needed for economic development uses. The urban growth boundary then follows closely the City limits line, including two small areas of County land between point J and K and points L and M. The next point of departure for the urban growth bound- ary line is including a small area on the east side of Thornton Way starting from point N to point O. This area is included since a portion of the area has been divided in an old 1910 subdivision and contains future rights-of-way. Also, this small area can be served by existing urban facilities on Thornton Way, while expansion of the Thornton Way area will require a sewer to be placed through the middle of this area, along Wrights Creek. The urban growth boundary then includes an area which is partially urbanized on Ashland Mine Road. From here, the urban growth boundary encloses the north Ashland area, an urbanized area in the County which grew up around the intersection of Highway 99 and Valley View Road, with its access to the I-5 freeway. The urban growth bound- ary returns to the City limits at point Q. The only other departure of the urban growth boundary is point R to point S, where it includes the City' s sewage treatment plant and a portion of the Bear Creek Greenway. GOAL: IT IS THE CITY OF ASHLAND'S GOAL TO MAINTAIN A COMPACT URBAN FORM AND TO INCLUDE AN ADE- QUATE SUPPLY OF VACANT LAND IN THE CITY SO AS NOT TO HIN- DER NATURAL MARKET FORCES WITHIN THE CITY, AND TO ENSURE AN ORDERLY AND SEQUENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF LAND IN THE CITY LIMITS. POLICIES: 1) The City shall strive to maintain at least a 5-year supply of land for any particu- lar need in the City limits. The 5-year supply shall be determined by the rate of consumption necessitated in the pro- jections made in this Comprehensive Plan. 2) The City shall incorporate vacant land only after a showing that land of similar qualities does not'already exist in the City limits, or if annexation is necessary to alleviate a probable public health hazard. 3) The City shall enter into a cooperative agreement with Jackson County. This agreement shall designate the City's and County's joint policies for land not urban- ized. Generally speaking, land not in the City' s urban growth boundary is to be maintained in a rural state. Land between the City limits and urban growth boundary is to be maintained in a rural state until annexed by the City. Urban- level development in the County, but within the urban growth boundary, is inappropriate to the needs and desires of the City of Ashland to implement its urbanization goal. The City shall develop its Capital Im- XI 1-7 provement Program to accommodate all the land within the urban growth bound- ary with an adequate level of lirban services for the needs expressed in the City's Comprehensive Plan. /~\ A ' /;/"\;-/ ; _I ASHLAND fb" ' /~!/ ' c -I _~/ e 1/~!ll'''''''~11t,.~. E _ 7/ :+~ / O",GO' 6~ ".'. ,",:.,,*, ) (5 ..'t~ "~ C' . - ~-;..,",-/ ~ ~~-- .:c ~ ~ ~ J ,- ~--<'~./'~ ~ R _. Y"'._._ ~ /&~~\ "I< " ,fl:;. ~ r_:'::J-:/ ..-~ F ":ll,- ~'t~""""",,;.J; ~*~ " 1% . /"jj ~~ \ ..'-::c-..--.- ~ . / ~~,._\ 'ti>, >~~/' \ ;~7 ~~.. ' _// ~~ ~ \.: ,:..,-.-..-...... ,,"''\\./..:'\.-0 \.. 'M . 't< B _ -~_nf- 11>.~" 'c\ - .}' --. \ -.-.-'lII1IA ~~'Jir '\', .:) .-" ~~ A'.!I: ~ c "'\\\\\\~\~~ / >.\ ~, -~, '. ' - ' ~',,\ '11/111. '/< ,,,'.r ,...... / . 't< :#>.~ /&'<F--- , < \ · .. It/ \ .q, ~ O.:J[~~'~ .., "\",, '-, ~ ~~ ~ ~ 1 ~}.\ ,~ ~', ,-. ",,, {\ / 'b:I~'::.W' ~~// ~: !ft""i?,}~ .-:..,~'~ ~ ~~~ \J\ )~> /'V;.'" ~ ;. - .llti;t ..-!ii~ ,\ ...~~. ".\,'/ . '. 0\//' I' \ y~ ~., /', < ~\.::, r/ < \ .,' ,,\ '.-" '-;./ !;:: . ~.. ". ,'" '_ ." ~M, " ~\ \ ,,'/ " ,~:.' ", ,; \ ~ < \" \ '.~ .... .. = , __ N "'''''' "" .' -' .' . , -,.\ , ' ~ , ~, " \,'y,; ,'>.'\ ". '..... ._, 11111111" _ _ ._.__. . . __ .., . _ '" \ '.. '. "-0'\:. '.' -- ~=U ",--. . ... ",,,... "\. '.. " .. . .,~ _ ;;"'5 / . ~~.""",,,,, ~ \ _ /~ '_~ _ = "'''-~~=--- . - ~- r/\ \ ='--------~, .,-' !Ooi ;:~t J/ .,.~~ " /. . ,"'" ,{t- <:c.;' _~'c:""/ . :~\-.. ) - //).\ I,) ../.l ;;/\\ \ ~ --'" -'-, t ~ . J.-." ,/.,'~.'~' , - ~~- . ,Y>:::--"::,' / . \ -.,~' .. ->; " · - ~_,~;G~--:1J.:: ..,,~~f:;"\" ,/' ) '-:'-.c';:, ., ~.. .~,';::0\J:.?~' \.f'" ,~..-//, i:: . , " (, "', \, L .;':::: G ,." _ , . ". ""',,- y:_~,' ,-',/ ,<7/\"" \. \\ .9"'. i> " .'" ",. ,~ ~ &~t 1,.. ~. \.- /. // ...P" ,;-"-, ,- &~-"'I\/<"~\\\~~~ "A<'- ~,\~.,~ .... . '. .:f!:" ,,\ .'"." \.' fjf4- ,&& ',"" ' , ';' . , ! ~ ,_~,,,,,.' \.-.). __ \ ) '. ,-' \ \ '" . ". . ,,"., , . \:::::. ," I 1\\\~ \~I\ '<<'\' ,v <:"', ....,...", ~~."~o./_I.~.::...\ ~'Q.-'(.j,0(~q. '\, ~\\:v>,XA...<:\~\' ",/ ,< ,".'" ,:;.l(,,\',>, \, '-<(..~J;Y' \, .~----~----~. '~If$ z. ',':;-"( ,', ,', ...' ".,-;;;';:'-'1" ,.\/;;--;l .,:;::::,:,," .' ,'...., ,\ ~ ,://' .' ':^'."~- <-'o \: "\\.~ . \', /.... ... w. ". ,," ,\ ". ,x , ", '.'.' '" ' ,,/ , ,w " J' ' .. '" .. O ~\\ ~:-"\' ,J "~ j" " I" . :,::" ":~. ,.,'.,/\\~..-"/\:,' ~ ",," (\.:;a..... ......:1~~;;"'\.,.". . .C' ' ~"UlIIIIIIIIIII";:: ~ . " .' ., ,.' . - . . . .,..... ... .. .,'. ... ... '. -..' ~" - ~ '"'oi,. ~'C". .\ .. ..." ,..'. .",.-.. . ~ ~- -;,,, . "~ '\ ,~~ ~ ~ \':~~" ~"-~::1,~<\~~~~~>~~~;:A\,~~~:<~)~~~ '\ \\~~~~ )~,~ H ~ --..' M '\ '. " . '-, ..' .f-.?"' ",'l, ." ,>.) \ \'\;' ('(,,\\.."v':".. -'~, ,~~ ~'\.y~ / " ',v, "., ",' "~ o ~~\\~~~)\' ,~<:,s:,,~%:<'~::~'$<&..('~':'~~~~~0<<-u)I~'~~I,~~~4~~~'%:~2~~~~ T ~" _ /': ' ~~~,\ ","Ai"'''\-5/~~\\\' ~\\> ?~), ;~0~.) )~.~".,..~~~~ -" ~\\~",'-....--I N ~ ,," '.' j"r.:" ,.~;'~~~'-":"\' ,,~t~.:t....,~~:.,~.( \\~~~\j~\:I~I(~~:'~.: ..~~~ ~~ ~~1, J ~ 4:~ ~ ..~\.\\~ '~" \\-.' '-.;, S~~>),( jy,I'~ '0, \, 1~/""\\};~' ~~' ~~~ > s~ \\K ~\, "'''''~ ~ ...,~... ~ .... ,,}, " . .1;-.,\, ", ..;>' . ~.. ~ ....or-.. .. '0,,/ - '~ ,~ ~ ' ".('- '. '.., . ;-.-ff';; ~ ' .. M ~ \'} ~~' "_"; ;,,' \~'\ ...~~ L ~ ; / ,~~ ~ i # ~ ~,~ # ~ ~,\ # -~ # ~ ~"t ~ ...~ " ~ ...~, ~ ~.. ~ ~~ ~.# _ To 1-5 <-'; ! LL-~ ~n"~'lllfilI~:'~~~I:~C'II"'\\\\~--' \,0 ,- ' / . ,~ " \ ' . - ~ c.. '11111". 5ImlllllllllUillIlIllqa '. ..~ p............ :- ,\, - ~- as ....2J.-::~: - Ill"",m~/, URBAN GROWTH BOUNDARY HH( ,.. '(IT ~t:i ~ ~~