Friend,
For close to a year, 1000 Friends of Oregon have been tracking Washington County Ordinances 882 and 883. These ordinances would begin the process of building a major collector road at the edge of our urban growth boundary and through prime farmland. While each of these ordinances appears small in individual scope, each is a part of a larger and more concerning plan to create a three-lane road in Washington County — a “de facto Westside Bypass” — that would enable commuters to speed through productive farmland and important habitat. County staff is asking the County Commission to make exceptions to the statewide land use planning program and the current zoning to make these extensions possible. If you want more detail, our memo here better explains our concerns on this project in more detail!  With the help of Save Helvetia, Tualatin Riverkeepers, Washington County land use leaders, and impacted community members who voiced frustration and concerns about the process and the irreversible consequences of building out these roads. Despite delays from the commission, Ordinance 883 is now coming back before the Washington County Board of Commissioners. This is why we need your help telling the commission that they need to reject this project once and for all. Please follow this link to our action webpage, which will help you send a message with some of our talking points to the entire Washington County Commission Board. Grassroots support and activism are how we have helped defeat this project so far, so your 5 minutes can make all the difference! | |
