OAR 660-027-0040: Designation of Urban and Rural Reserves

(1) Metro may not designate urban reserves under this division in a county until Metro and applicable counties have entered into an intergovernmental agreement that identifies the lands to be designated by Metro as urban reserves. A county may not designate rural reserves under this division until the county and Metro have entered into an agreement that identifies the lands to be designated by the county as rural reserves. (2) Urban reserves designated under this division shall be planned to accommodate estimated urban population and employment growth in the Metro area for at least 20 years, and not more than 30 years, beyond the 20-year period for which Metro has demonstrated a buildable land supply inside the UGB in the most recent inventory, determination and analysis performed under ORS 197.296. Metro shall specify the particular number of years for which the urban reserves are intended to provide a supply of land, based on the estimated land supply necessary for urban population and employment growth in the Metro area for that number of years. The 20 to 30-year supply of land specified in this rule shall consist of the combined total supply provided by all lands designated for urban reserves in all counties that have executed an intergovernmental agreement with Metro in accordance with OAR 660-027-0030. (3) If Metro designates urban reserves under this division prior to December 31, 2009, it shall plan the reserves to accommodate population and employment growth for at least 20 years, and not more than 30 years, beyond 2029. Metro shall specify the particular number of years for which the urban reserves are intended to provide a supply of land. (4) Neither Metro nor a local government may amend a UGB to include land designated as rural reserves during the period described in section (2) or (3) of this rule, whichever is applicable. (5) Metro shall not re-designate rural reserves as urban reserves, and a county shall not re-designate land in rural reserves to another use, except as provided in OAR 660-027-0070, during the period described in section (2) or (3) of this rule, whichever is applicable. (6) If Metro designates urban reserves under this division it shall adopt policies to implement the reserves and must show the reserves on its regional framework plan map. A county in which urban reserves are designated shall adopt policies to implement the reserves and must show the reserves on its comprehensive plan and zone maps. (7) If a county designates rural reserves under this division it shall adopt policies to implement the reserves and must show the reserves on its comprehensive plan and zone maps. Metro shall adopt policies to implement the rural reserves and show the reserves on its regional framework plan maps. (8) When evaluating and designating land for urban reserves, Metro and a county shall apply the factors of OAR 660-027-0050 and shall coordinate with cities, special districts and school districts that might be expected to provide urban services to these reserves when they are added to the UGB, and with state agencies. (9) When evaluating and designating land for rural reserves, Metro and a county shall apply the factors of OAR 660-027-0060 and shall coordinate with cities, special districts and school districts in the county, and with state agencies. (10) Metro and any county that enters into an agreement with Metro under this division shall apply the factors in OAR 660-027-0050 and 660-027-0060 concurrently and in coordination with one another. Metro and those counties that lie partially within Metro with which Metro enters into an agreement shall adopt a single, joint set of findings of fact, statements of reasons and conclusions explaining why areas were chosen as urban or rural reserves, how these designations achieve the objective stated in OAR 660-027-0005(2), and the factual and policy basis for the estimated land supply determined under section (2) of this rule. (11) Because the January 2007 Oregon Department of Agriculture report entitled "Identification and Assessment of the Long-Term Commercial viability of Metro Region Agricultural Lands" indicates that Foundation Agricultural Land is the most important land for the viability and vitality of the agricultural industry, if Metro designates such land as urban reserves, the findings and statement of reasons shall explain, by reference to the factors in OAR 660-027-0050 and 660-027-0060(2), why Metro chose the Foundation Agricultural Land for designation as urban reserves rather than other land considered under this division.