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Background Information

The Damascus/Boring Concept Plan was developed over a two-year period, from September of 2003 to December of 2005. During that time the project website provided information on the phase of the project underway at the time. This Background section of the website includes materials that were posted on the website during the course of the project, in reverse chronological order. Each topic area represents a major phase of the project.

Development of the Concept Plan - November 2005

The cities of Damascus and Happy Valley, Clackamas County, Metro and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), with the assistance of a 26-member Advisory Committee and area citizens, developed the Damascus/Boring Concept Plan. The plan is a vision for development of the 12,000 acres of the Damascus, Boring and east Happy Valley communities that were brought into the region's Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) in 2002.

After two years of study, analysis, meetings and public input, the draft concept plan was presented to the public during a community forum on October 8, 2005. Hundreds of citizens learned about and commented on the different components of the plan. Those comments were considered by the Advisory Committee as it made its decisions on the final Concept Plan. The Cities of Damascus and Happy Valley will use the final concept plan to help guide development of comprehensive plans and zoning development ordinances.

Moving from the Draft Concept Plan to the Concept Plan:
The following materials were used in developing the final Concept Pan.

Development of the Draft Concept Plan - September/October, 2005

The Draft Concept Damascus/Boring Plan was presented to the public at a Community Forum on October 8, 2005. Following are the materials that were available at that forum.

Response to Transportation Questions
Letter explaining Sunnyside Road Extension recommendation

October, 2005 newsletter -- The Draft Concept Plan map, a description of the elements of the plan, how the concept plan was developed, the project goals and information about the public involvement process. PLEASE NOTE: This document is also posted in the Public Involvement section of this website, under "Touchpoint 5".

Development of the Discussion Draft Concept Plan - Summer, 2005

The Discussion Draft Concept Plan was prepared by staff as a starting point for the Advisory Committee's work in summer 2005. The Advisory Committee reviewed and revised the discussion plan to create the Draft Concept Plan. Many materials were produced by the project team and reviewed by the Advisory Committee in the process of developing the Draft Concept Plan. Citizens may find these useful in understanding the Advisory Committee's recommendations.

  • Slideshow Presented to the Advisory Committee to explain the rationale underlying the Discussion Draft Concept Plan map. PLEASE NOTE: This document is also posted in the Advisory Committee section of this website, in the handouts for the August 23, 2005 Advisory Committee meeting.
  • Goals discussion memo Addresses the consistency of the Discussion Draft Concept Plan with the Damascus/Boring Concept Plan Goals and Principles. PLEASE NOTE: This document is also posted in the Advisory Committee section of this website, in the meeting packet for the September 13, 2005 Advisory Committee meeting.
  • Metro ordinance memo Describes the consistency of the Draft Concept Plan map with Metro Ordinance No. 02-969B Exhibit M. PLEASE NOTE: This document is also posted in the Advisory Committee section of this website, in the meeting packet for the September 13 ,2005 Advisory Committee meeting.
  • Landscape Based Placemaking memo Describes the underlying principles of the August 12, 2005 Discussion Draft Concept Plan map. PLEASE NOTE: This document is also posted in the Advisory Committee section of this website, in the meeting packet for the September 13, 2005 Advisory Committee meeting.
  • Plan description memo Describes the elements of the August 12, 2005 Discussion Draft Concept Plan map. PLEASE NOTE: This document is also posted in the Advisory Committee section of this website, in the meeting packet for the August 23, 2005 Advisory Committee meeting.

The following series of articles published in the Damascus-Boring Observer from December 2004 through September 2005 summarize the technical analysis of the distinguishing features of the alternative concept plans and the progress of the developing Draft Concept Plan. PLEASE NOTE: These documents are also posted in the Public Involvement section of this website, under "Touchpoint 4".

Development of Concept Plan Alternatives for Analysis -- October, 2004

Six concept plan draft alternatives were developed for the Community Forum on October 23, 2004. These draft alternatives were based on the input and feedback that we received at the Community Forum on October 9, 2004 and at work sessions and open house events between October 11th and October 20th. They represent many views and visions for the future of the Damascus/Boring area. The draft alternatives show different ways to integrate key land use, transportation and natural resources elements to address the community's Core Values, the project goals and the "Big Ideas," and are intended to meet a target of 25,000 new dwelling units.

Elements common to each concept plan draft alternative include:

  • Arterial and collector street network that accommodates bikes, pedestrians and transit
  • Parks, schools and trails
  • Range of housing types and densities
  • Baseline level of natural resource protection includes steep slopes and 50 to 200-foot stream corridor buffers (Title 3 and Class I Riparian)
  • Boring is a community separate from Damascus, Gresham and Sandy
  • Carver is a small, mixed-use, community with a focus on history, recreation, and natural resources

Now that this series of community forums and open houses have been completed, the project advisory committee and staff will evaluate the suggested concepts using the Project Goals for guidance. After the technical analysis of the alternatives is complete, a "preferred alternative" Damascus/Boring Concept Plan will be prepared. The preferred draft alternative will likely be a "hybrid," integrating various elements from each of the concept alternatives.

Kid's View
Several 6th grade classes at Damascus Middle School also did some plans for their community in October of 2004. See Kid's View

Core Values of the community

The first task of the Damascus/Boring Concept Plan was to identify the "Core Values of the Community". A group of community members worked together to identify and articulate their most important commonly held values and priorities, as they relate to future urbanization of the Damascus/Boring area. These Core Values will supplement the state, regional and county requirements for planning, and the opportunities and constraints posed by the physical environment, to create a framework for the concept plan.

CORE VALUES STATEMENTS PLEASE NOTE: This document is also posted in the Advisory Committee section of this website, in the meeting packet for the March 30,2004 Advisory Committee meeting.

A Steering Committee was formed to develop core values statements and lists of elements and select images that represented community values. They were selected to represent the residents of the Damascus/Boring area, including:

  • 21 representatives of "neighborhoods" from the study area. The entire study area (both the primary and secondary study area) was divided into neighborhoods and each area had a representative.
  • 2 representatives from each of the Damascus, Boring and Rock Creek Community Planning Organizations, and from the Committee for the Future of Damascus.
  • 1 representative from the City of Happy Valley and one from the Clackamas County Economic Development Commission.

The Steering Committee met four times from October 2003 to February 2004 to discuss, draft and finalize the Core Values language and images. In December they met with the potential service providers, neighboring cities and other stakeholders. They met with the general public at two Public Forums in January. At these meetings the Steering Committee presented their draft language and images and listened to and collected comments to incorporate in the final statements and images.

The final statements and images prepared by the Steering Committee helped guide the concept planning process.