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HomeMy WebLinkAboutREOA Staff Memo MEMORANDUM TO: Deschutes County Board of Commissioners FROM: Peter Gutowsky, Principal Planner Nick Lelack, Planning Director DATE: September 27, 2011 MTG: October 3, 2011 Work Session SUBJECT: Regional Economic Opportunity Analysis / Next Steps BACKGROUND: Yesterday, the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners (Board) held their public hearing on the Regional Economic Opportunity Analysis (REOA). 1000 Friends of Oregon submitted an additional 52-page letter identifying issues with the REOA and the County’s policy framework. During the hearing, the Board mentioned they would like to avoid an appeal if possible and continued it to Monday, October 31 at 10:00 a.m. The purpose of the October 3 work session is to clarify the issues raised by 1000 Friends and determine how staff should attempt to address them prior to October 31. ISSUE IDENTIFICATION & COORDINATION: The following table lists the issues raised by 1,000 Friends and the entity(s) best able to provide a technical response. The responses may eventually be provided in a memorandum or a revised REOA and policy framework while still achieving the project’s intended outcomes Issue Technical Response Consultant DLCD Business Oregon & EDCO 1. There is no evidence that large industrial lots mean many jobs. X X 2. Are jobs from large lot employers better than small lot employers? X X 3. Evidence provided in the REOA, page 43, Figure 25, indicates that large industrial lots would result in a net job loss in the region. X 4. REOA does not show that large companies would set up shop in a community like ours. X X 2 Issue Technical Response Consultant DLCD Business Oregon & EDCO 5. It does not appear on page 40 of the REOA that lot sizes required by various industry types require 50 to 200+ acres. X X 6. Should each prospective industry identified in the REOA, pages 40-45 be reviewed individually for warranting a site requirement between 50 to 200+ acres based on its own site characteristic needs? X X X 7. How does REOA conclude that Central Oregon needs lots substantially large than those in and around Portland? X 8. What trends, activities, and success nationally indicate an opportunity exists to attract large lot industrial users in Central Oregon? How do national trends translate or apply to Central Oregon? X 9. Why should Central Oregon as a region invest limited resources to provide for large lot industrial sites (50 acres>)? X 10. What is it about competing regions and their industrial land supply that has enabled their success? X X 11. Does a competitive portfolio of large lot employment site create a strong and thriving economy? X X 12. The REOA’s recommended competitive large lot industry inventory, page 46, is difficult to discern given the short term and long term totals. X 13. What facts and assertions presented in the REOA justify the number of large-lot industrial sites is needed? X 14. Has the REOA fulfilled the requirement of OAR 660- 009-0015(2) and the requirement to identify the number of sites based on site characteristics typical of expected uses? X 15. Has the REOA satisfied the requirements of Goal 9 by providing an employment forecast within a 20-year planning period? X 16. What is the 20-year employment land supply for the REOA? X 17. Does the REOA and Deschutes County’s plan amendment require that the inventory for large-lot employment sites, OAR 660-009-0015(3) (immediate & 20 year) be completed as part of this legislative process? X 3 ALTERNATIVES & RECOMMENDATION: The Board has two alternatives: Alternative A If the priority is to avoid an appeal to the greatest extent possible, direct staff to: 1) Retain the services of Jerry Johnson, the consultant with Johnson-Reid who wrote the REOA, to have him respond in writing, either updating the REOA and/or providing a technical memorandum to 1,000 Friends' arguments as reflected in their August 11, August 18, and September 26 submittals. 2) Coordinate with Business Oregon and EDCO to revisit 1,000 Friends’ arguments, respond in writing and testify on the 31st; 3) Coordinate with DLCD to revisit 1,000 Friends arguments, the questions identified in the table above, respond in writing, and testify on the 31st; 4) Develop additional replenishment policies that specify additional governance steps that need to take place when the region has successfully attracted industrial users to large- lot employment sites; 5) Schedule a Board work session on October 26 for the purpose of disseminating all the materials described and provide these materials as the Board’s hearing packet; and 6) Reconvene the Regional Advisory Committee prior to the public hearing on the 31st to update everyone on the County’s efforts to coordinate expert testimony and provide substantial evidence in the record. Alternative B If the Board believes the REOA is consistent with Goal 9, initiate all the steps above with the exception of retaining the services of Jerry Johnson. Recommendation Staff recommends Alternative A. Retaining Jerry Johnson to provide a detailed technical response and/or revise the REOA to address 1,000 Friends’ arguments, together with the actions 2-6 listed above, will demonstrate to stakeholders and the tri-county region that this process has been transparent and diligent in its commitment to respond to questions about the validity of Central Oregon's REOA.