2/25/2015 - City Council Adopts Zoning RT '" City of Tigard
Press Release
13125 SW Hall Boulevard Tigard,Oregon 97223 www.fgard-or.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 25, 2015
Contact:
Kenny Asher
Community Development Director
City of Tigard
503-718-2443
kennya@tigard-or.gov
Development to Start in Tigard's River Terrace
Last night,Tigard City Council adopted an ordinance assigning zoning districts in River Terrace and
creating a new River Terrace Plan District chapter in the Community Development Code. Both
items go into effect immediately and allow applicants to submit their development proposals to the
city for review. The city expects to review proposals for over 1,000 new housing units in River
Terrace this year. Several developers have already held meetings to discuss their development plans
with neighbors.
The new zoning and code language,including the ordinance and all attachments, are available from
the city and can be viewed online here:
• River Terrace Map and Code Amendments
Kenny Asher, director of the Community Development Department, said, "River Terrace should
rapidly become one of Tigard's most desirable neighborhoods. It is being built to feature walking
connections to schools, commerce,natural areas and new South Cooper Mountain neighborhoods
just to the north."
Adoption of urban zoning in River Terrace caps a 13-year-long process that began when this area
was brought into the Urban Growth Boundary in 2002. Urban zoning allows River Terrace to
transition from rural to urban use to accommodate future housing needs in Tigard and the region.
The location and size of each zoning district was determined through a community planning process
that culminated in unanimous support from the project's stakeholders,Tigard Planning
Commission, and Tigard City Council. The adopted zoning districts support a range of housing
densities and types,including 70 acres of low density residential, 35 acres of medium density
residential, 39 acres of medium-high density residential, and 18 acres of commercial land.
The new plan district chapter addressing River Terrace development implements key aspects of the
Community Plan that was recently adopted by Council in December 2014. Susan P Shanks,River
Terrace project manager, said, "River Terrace development will affect existing neighborhoods,
infrastructure, and natural systems. These effects were identified in the planning process. The review
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process for specific development projects that begins with the implementation of zoning districts
allows the city to better assess and plan for development effects of all kinds."
The purpose of the River Terrace Plan District is to address development conditions unique to
River Terrace.This includes:
• Ensuring public facilities like water and sewer are available to serve new development,
• Ensuring development does not impede the future use or development of adjacent
properties,
• Implementing the design concept for River Terrace Boulevard,which will become Tigard's
most innovative street/trail design, and
• Tying open space requirements to the adopted Parks Plan for River Terrace.
For more project information, the project website is a great way to learn about how the project has
evolved and what's currently happening: http://riverterracetigard.com/. You may also want to sign
up for the project listsery to receive emails about project milestones and meeting announcements:
htti2s://lists.capalon.com/lists/hstinfo/river-terrace. Information may also be found on the city's
River Terrace web page:www.tigard-or.gov/river terrace.php.
Background
River Terrace is a 500-acre area south of Scholls Ferry Road, north of Beef Bend Road, and adjacent
to Roy Rogers Road. Almost all of the area is planned to be developed as housing. The city
estimates 2,500 new housing units will be built in the coming decades,which will expand Tigard's
population by thousands. The area will provide walking opportunities such as new parks and trails,
as well as amenities that will serve future residents and current residents in and around Bull
Mountain.
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