How and Where Will Molalla Grow?

John Atkins, City Manager

On April 16^th, the Molalla Planning Commission and City Council will meet in joint session to hear your comments on the draft Molalla Comprehensive Plan and a proposal for 50-year “urban reserve area.” At 4pm staff will be on hand with maps to talk to individuals on a 1on1 basis.  The meeting will then be held at 6 p.m. at the Molalla Adult Center located at 315 Kennel Avenue.  Your participation in this important public hearing is encouraged!

For several years, the Planning Commission has been involved in a long and arduous process of preparing plans to accommodate population and employment growth while maintaining the quality of life we all value in Molalla. 

Our community vision may be summarized in a few words:

Molalla – A recreation-oriented and family-friendly community

with a vibrant downtown and livable neighborhoods

The Comprehensive Plan is based on a series of studies and maps that provide a factual basis for the City Council to decide how and where Molalla will grow.  These studies are also necessary to comply with state law. 

We’ve accomplished a lot in the last two years: a draft comprehensive land use plan and proposed new development code; a parks and recreation master plan; a downtown plan and streetscape concept; and an urban renewal feasibility study. Here are some preliminary conclusions that will be considered at the April 16^th hearing:

·         Molalla has experienced rapid growth over the last decade.  Molalla’s future growth is expected to moderate over the next 50 years.  However, even accounting for decreased growth rates, Molalla’s population is expected to increase from about 7,000 today to 15,570 by 2050.

·         The City’s “urban growth boundary,” or UGB, was established in the early 1980s.  At that time, it was intended to accommodate 20 years worth of growth.  Today, the UGB is almost full.  All told, the UGB has about 2.8 square miles.  Of this, 2.4 square miles has been developed, leaving about 0.4 square miles of land that is suitable and available for development.  The shortage of land for future residential use is especially acute – with only 71 remaining buildable acres inside the Molalla UGB.

·         Additional land will be needed to accommodate employment, residential, recreational and school needs.  To meet planned growth needs over the next 50 years, the Molalla urban reserve area will need to encompass about two additional square miles of land. Only some of that land would be developable. Molalla has completed a natural features inventory that maps steep slopes, floodplains, streams and wetlands—which would be off-limits to construction.  Plan policies call for protecting these areas while directing growth to land that is suitable for development.

·         In planning for growth, the City will need to adopt and implement policies and strategies that will provide for new infrastructure (streets, schools, parks, sewer and water systems).  Residents of the community have expressed concerns about retaining Molalla’s small town character and quality of life. The Comprehensive Plan calls for growth to pay its way and includes new design guidelines to protect neighborhood livability, to create parks and open spaces, and to provide for community safety.

·         Downtown revitalization, the redevelopment of the old mill site, coordinating with the school district, and fostering family wage jobs are high priorities for the City Council.  These issues are supported in the City’s draft Park and Recreation Plan, Downtown Master Plan, and long-range Comprehensive Plan. 

Where to grow?

The big question that needs to be answered over the next few months by the City Council – with advice from the Planning Commission and the community– is: Where should Molalla direct planned growth? 

Oregon’s land use laws and Clackamas County‘s farm land protection policies generally direct growth away from large, contiguous blocks of the farm land located to the northwest of the city.  The City must also show that urban services can be provided efficiently to urban reserve areas.

Accordingly, the proposed Molalla urban reserve area is meant to provide for growth in areas adjacent to the current UGB that would: meet specific community needs (residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, recreation); are committed to non-farm uses or have lower quality soils; and that can be provided with urban services in a cost-efficient manner.

This is a pivotal moment in Molalla’s history.  Now is the time for everyone who has an interest in shaping Molalla’s future to take part in our long-range planning effort.