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Bonny Slope West (Area 93) Concept Plan Project

The purpose of this project is to plan for how the Bonny Slope West area will urbanize in the future, considering Metro requirements and providing opportunities for meaningful input from area residents and stakeholders.

Concept planning will start with an assessment of buildable lands that looks at development opportunities and constraints such as steep slopes, natural areas, and wetlands. Diagrams are then prepared illustrating where different urban uses and densities could occur, including analysis of infrastructure needs and preliminary public service options. From the draft alternatives, a preferred urban growth concept is selected outlining service options, costs, and conditions under which urbanization can occur. This work is expected to be completed by the fall of 2009.

A final service option must then be selected and implementing land use ordinances adopted before the area will be development-ready. This last step of the planning process is expected to occur by January 1, 2011 and will coincide with region-wide decisions about how and where the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) should be expanded. If you want to know more about the region-wide process, please visit Metro’s Urban and Rural Reserves page at http://www.oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=26257.

Over the next year, a land use and transportation concept plan for the Bonny Slope West area will be developed. The Bonny Slope West planning study will identify how this 160-acre area west of Portland city limits will urbanize. So far in the project, existing conditions of the site have been assessed and land use and transportation alternatives for urbanization have been created. Please click here to find out more about how the concepts were developed.  

Currently, three alternative concepts are available for public review and comment. Each uses the same general principles of urbanization, but approach the development of Bonny Slope West with a different focus. Please click here to find out more about the three land use and transportation alternative concepts.

Your input on the alternatives is needed!

Please take a few minutes to participate in our survey of the alternatives. The survey results will be relayed to the County’s Planning Commission late this summer. The Planning Commission will forward a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners in September. An open house in September will provide additional opportunity for public input on the final recommended concept plan. The preferred plan selected by Multnomah County’s Board will set the stage for how the area will urbanize and will identify urban service costs and options for future development. Please click here for details about the next steps and a description of how the alternatives will be evaluated.

Common Threads of the Alternative Concepts

After hearing from the public on the desired future characteristics, opportunities, and constraints of Bonny Slope West, the following key principles were established to guide the creation of the three land use and transportation alternative concepts:

Provide transportation choices (Circulation)

• Improve north-south connectivity between Laidlaw and Thompson roads.
• Provide safe pedestrian routes.
• Support the proposed transit service on Thompson Road.
• Connect Bonny Slope West with existing adjacent neighborhood streets.

Create distinctive neighborhoods (Development Areas and Land Use)

• Focus development in three areas where it is most appropriate.
• Respect the transitions between land uses and topography.
• Create opportunity for small-scale neighborhood services within Bonny Slope West.
• Provide a variety of housing types with a minimum average density of 10 units per acre.
• Locate more intense land uses south of Bronson Creek.

Provide a variety of opportunities to experience the outdoors (Open Space)

• Celebrate Bronson Creek and its tributaries by preserving and enhancing their natural features.
• Connect Bonny Slope West with the regional trail system.
• Provide a variety of active and passive recreation opportunities.
• Maximize visual access to parks, open space, and views to the creeks.

Create a sustainable environment (Sustainability)

• Protect and enhance air and water quality.
• Protect significant wildlife habitat areas.
• Minimize energy use.

City/County Partnership

Multnomah County has contracted with the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability to prepare the concept plan. This was done because the City may be a future service provider and has an interest in ensuring that the plan complements the surrounding development pattern and landscape. Because the area is unincorporated and is currently outside the City’s urban service boundary (USB), the County will adopt the concept plan. County staff will also respond to day-to-day inquiries about the project.