Oregon Land Use Planning Goals that Impact Wasco County

A Comprehensive Plan has to address relevant Oregon Statewide Planning Goals.  DLCD has developed a primer on state land use planning goals, and staff has modified it to focus on those that impact Wasco County with some additional detail.

During the vision roadshow, we will be asking for you input on which Goals you think its important for us to focus on.  To read about how the current Comprehensive Plan addresses each goal, please see this.

You can download the two page PDF here: WCGoalSummary

A Summary of Oregon’s Statewide Planning Goals That Impact Wasco County 

1. CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT Goal 1 calls for “the opportunity for citizens to be involved in all phases of the planning process.” It requires each city and county to have a citizen involvement program containing six components specified in the goal. It also requires local governments to have a committee for citizen involvement (CCI) to monitor and encourage public participation in planning. In Wasco County, our Citizen Advisory Group (CAG) is filled by the Planning Commission.

2. LAND USE PLANNING Goal 2 outlines the basic procedures of Oregon’s statewide planning program. It says that land use decisions are to be made in accordance with a comprehensive plan, and that suitable “implementation ordinances” to put the plan’s policies into effect must be adopted. It requires that plans be based on “factual information”; that local plans and ordinances be coordinated with those of other jurisdictions and agencies; and that plans be reviewed periodically and amended as needed. Goal 2 also contains standards for taking exceptions to statewide goals. An exception may be taken when a statewide goal cannot or should not be applied to a particular area or

3. AGRICULTURAL LANDS Goal 3 defines “agricultural lands.” It then requires counties to inventory such lands and to “preserve and maintain” them through farm zoning. Details on the uses allowed in farm zones are found in ORS Chapter 215 and in Oregon Administrative Rules, Chapter 660, Division 33

4. FOREST LANDS This goal defines forest lands and requires counties to inventory them and adopt policies and ordinances that will “conserve forest lands for forest ” Details on the uses allowed in forest zones are found in ORS Chapter 215 and in Oregon Administrative Rules, Chapter 660, Division 6.

5. OPEN SPACES, SCENIC AND HISTORIC AREAS AND NATURAL RESOURCES Goal 5 covers more than a dozen natural and cultural resources such as wildlife habitats and wetlands. It establishes a process for each resource to be inventoried and evaluated. If a resource or site is found to be significant, a local government has three policy choices: preserve the resource, allow proposed uses that conflict with it, or strike some sort of a balance between the resource and the uses that would conflict with

6. AIR, WATER AND LAND RESOURCES QUALITY This goal requires local comprehensive plans and implementing measures to be consistent with state and federal regulations on matters such as groundwater

7. AREAS SUBJECT TO NATURAL DISASTERS AND HAZARDS Goal 7 deals with development in places subject to natural hazards such as floods or landslides. It requires that jurisdictions apply “appropriate safeguards” (floodplain zoning, for example) when planning for development

8. RECREATION NEEDS This goal calls for each community to evaluate its areas and facilities for recreation and develop plans to deal with the projected demand for them. It also sets forth detailed standards for expedited siting of destination resorts.

9. ECONOMY OF THE STATE Goal 9 calls for diversification and improvement of the economy. It asks communities to inventory commercial and industrial lands, project future needs for such lands, and plan and zone enough land to meet those needs.
10. HOUSING This goal specifies that each city must plan for and accommodate needed housing types, such as multifamily and manufactured housing. It requires each city to inventory its buildable residential lands, project future needs for such lands, and plan and zone enough buildable land to meet those needs. It also prohibits local plans from discriminating against needed housing types.
11. PUBLIC FACILITIES AND SERVICES Goal 11 calls for efficient planning of public services such as sewers, water, law enforcement, and fire protection. The goal’s central concept is that public services should to be planned in accordance with a community’s needs and capacities rather than be forced to respond to development as it

12. TRANSPORTATION The goal aims to provide “a safe, convenient and economic transportation system.” It asks for communities to address the needs of the “transportation “

13. ENERGY Goal 13 declares that “land and uses developed on the land shall be managed and controlled so as to maximize the conservation of all forms of energy, based upon sound economic principles.”

14. URBANIZATION This goal requires cities to estimate future growth and needs for land and then plan and zone enough land to meet those needs. It calls for each city to establish an “urban growth boundary” (UGB) to “identify and separate urbanizable land from rural land.” It specifies seven factors that must be considered in drawing up a UGB. It also lists four criteria to be applied when undeveloped land within a UGB is to be converted to urban