Park District offers to buy Oak Hills greenspaces

In a surprise move, the General Manager and Planning Director of the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District (THPRD) attended the November 4 meeting of the Oak Hills Homeowners Association with an offer to purchase almost all 27 acres of the greenspace area within the large subdivision on the west margin of Cedar Mill. The recreation buildings (community clubhouse and swimming pool) would not be part of the deal.

THPRD General Manager Doug Menke explained that part of the mission of the district is to serve all the residents within its planning area. THPRD’s ultimate service area spans the City of Beaverton and several unincorporated area of Washington County, including Oak Hills and all the area up to the county line and west to the Hillsboro city limit.

The district would purchase the Oak Hills property and take over maintenance, which is currently paid by residents through their HOA assessment of $450 per year. In exchange, THPRD would expect the subdivision to annex into the district.

Estimated costs of annexing to THPRD for the average homeowner would be about $370 per year, based on an average assessed home value of $215,000.

Planning Director Hal Bergsma explained that voluntary annexation can occur in several ways, including through a vote; through voluntary single-lot annexation; or through submission of petitions signed by a majority of the area’s registered voters and owners of the majority of the land. It is unclear at this point which voluntary annexation method would be used.

“This is just the beginning of a conversation,” said Menke. If Oak Hills homeowners were agreeable to the idea, contract negotiations would take six months or so, he estimated. Annexation would happen as early as law allows after negotiations were completed. A multiyear approach could be used for purchase of the property, he suggested.

Several years ago, THPRD proposed that Oak Hills be annexed into the district, but no public vote was taken. The issue went before the THPRD Board of Directors but went no further.

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