Last night at a Special Board Meeting, surrounded by the amazing evening beauty at the Fiala Farm, it was agreed 7-1 that we will have a vote this fall about the designation we want for the non-Borland area of the Hamlet.
The roads to this decision came from different directions. Over the last year some 80+ people signed a petition asking for the chance to have a vote to inform the county on whether or not we want UGB inclusion. There were also multiple requests for this to the board over the last two years, none of which were entertained.
Then the county, after Washington County got their Grand Bargain at last year's legislature, decided they wanted the same opportunity to fast track some employment land into the UGB. To do that though there should be a consensus among the cities, the county and the affected lands as to what should be added, maybe removed, maybe altered in the current designations. So now the County is actually asking us - what do we want?
Then there was the legal response to the lawsuit that Tualatin and West Linn filed saying that the Hamlet shouldn't be included in any planning until the traffic mess out here is dealt with. This was upheld. Where it's going to next isn't clear, but for now, there's no touching this area.
Which means prime Employment Lands in Borland can't be developed.
Anyhow, I hope I got that all correct because it is a little complicated.
So, in response to the County asking us What We Want, it was decided to have a vote in September to make sure that the wishes of our citizens are represented correctly. We've had surveys and town halls that have approached that question, but never an actual conclusive vote. Of course it's an Advisory vote to inform the County, but it is still a great chance to voice what the majority of the landowners out here hope will happen.
There will be information coming out with pros and cons, FAQ's, maps and places for discussion. Don't forget our staffordhamlet.com website which will be the source for that, too. And of course there will be newsletters.
Would you like to help with the outreach? Please contact Tracy Tolbert or Dave Adams if you'd like to help with signage, donate some $$, lick envelopes or write the materials. We could use a solid core of people to help create the message that will get people inspired to come vote!
