Taming the final 'urban frontier'

Residents want more say over issues like light rail, development and police staffing

By Matthew Graham

The Clackamas Review, May 26, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (9 Reader comments)

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With little local control over development codes, no direct vote on the Portland-to-Milwaukie light rail line and with police staffing left to the needs of the sheriff’s office, a group of citizen leaders are pushing for the Oak Grove area to incorporate into a new city that would rival Oregon City in terms of population.

“This area’s referred to as the last urban frontier in the metro area,” said Hank Schmidt, an Oak Grove resident and one of the plan’s proponents. Since Schmidt moved into his home, Clackamas County changed its zoning designation to allow for more housing units per acre in the area, he said.

With those sorts of challenges looming, about 10 residents, calling themselves “conveners,” have begun looking at what incorporation would take, going so far as to present a draft budget. The area includes 28,000 people and could mirror the coverage area of the Oak Lodge Water District, from roughly the Willamette River to the top of Oatfield Ridge and from Milwaukie to Gladstone

North Clackamas’ unincorporated populations are known for their independence. While the different areas vary in character, their general opposition to outside influence was exemplified by the outcry when Milwaukie informed some unincorporated residents northeast of the city they would have to annex to get sewer service.

“This is the ultimate don’t-tread-on-me community," said Joe Krumm, who moderated a meeting last week to discuss the proposal.

“Some people are going to see (incorporation) as losing their independence,” Jeanne Garst pointed out.

Krumm said it’s the opposite.

“I think what it comes down to is do we want to keep our independence, do we want to have a say,” he said.

Local control needed

Meeting attendees expressed concern that the county and Metro would seek dense infill development and extend light rail down McLoughlin Boulevard. Residents are not necessarily opposed to such measures, but want local control over development and a more direct say in future light rail proceedings.

More than that, though, Dick Jones, another convener, said it’s about the day-to-day maintenance of the area, now affectionately referred to as the generic New City.

He said the sheriff’s office currently has eight officers patrolling Oak Grove. But if those officers are needed elsewhere, that number could dwindle.

In terms of code compliance, Jones said, “Today we only enforce a couple of things — life and safety issues — and I think there’s a real cry in the community for more code enforcement.”

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