KING CITY, OR -- While the Governor pushes for passage of a housing production bill that includes a special UGB-expansion tool, voters in a small Portland suburb appear to have ousted almost all of its City Council over Urban Growth Boundary decisions.
Ballots are still coming in from the February 13 election in King City, but early returns show the recall of four Councilors - including the Mayor - narrowly passing. A fifth City Councilor resigned in December, amid the controversy over a decision to extend a road into a future housing development.
"Kingston Terrace is 500 acres - 528 acres. It’s about 3,000 to 3,500 homes that are potentially going to be built in this area," says Preston Korst, with the Greater Portland Home Builders Association. The recall effort centered around the Council’s work on the UGB expansion, which was approved several years ago. The HBA opposed the recall and Korst says the Kingston Terrace project is now in jeopardy, "This could have broader implications for the overall land use system in Oregon and how a small band of 300 or so folks can essentially disrupt years of thoughtful planning."
King City is southwest of Tigard, in Washington County. In 2020, the city's population was just over 5,100. Korst says, "Essentially, we’re looking at places like this, places like North Plains as well, which I think has similar undercurrents, and saying, ‘these are the exact places where we should be putting up a fight’ to make sure the cities that are being proactive about managing their housing needs are getting the backup that they need."
Korst says the project in question is for a complete community, which he believes prevents urban sprawl. "Especially now, cities are investing more resources to ensure that the Urban Growth Boundary decisions that they make incorporate some form of a complete community, where there are more options for commercial spaces, employment centers, parks and trails, in addition to high-quality and more diverse options for housing." Korst says, "Areas like this are exactly where we should be building to prevent greater sprawl from happening."
If the recall effort is successful in King City, the remaining three Councilors will appoint four replacements, then decide which one will be Mayor.
Image: Laurie Petrie, Mayor Jaimie Fender, Smart Ocholi and Kate Mohr were the focus of a recall election in King City, February 13, 2024.
