County ordinance clears way for Fire Station 68

In October, the Board of Commissioners of Washington County voted to approve Ordinance 754, which changes some language in the County Code to clarify conditions for siting public buildings in residential areas.

The ordinance was crafted to respond to a ruling by the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA), which cited ambiguous standards in the County Community Development Code, at the request of Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue (TVFR).

A new building for Station 68, on Thompson Road at Evergreen, was proposed in 2010 by TVFR to serve residents in the northern areas of the district. Neighbors fought the proposal, concerned about traffic, disruption to the neighborhood, and congestion due to the nearby Findley School. Lawyers for the group pointed out inconsistencies in the code regarding compatibility and also with calculations of traffic that would occur as compared to a residential use of the site.

TVFR will have to get county approval for a new development application before construction at the site can resume. No word from the agency about a schedule for that, but they very likely will try to complete the process in time for the 2013 construction season.

Background article here...

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