It’s no secret that the North Plains community is growing, but did you know that the City is expected to add more than 2,500 people by 2037? While this growth in the Portland Metro area  is inevitable, the City of North Plains is committed to responsible and well-planned growth for the benefit of the community.

Each of Oregon’s cities and metropolitan areas have established an Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) around their city limits as a land use planning line to control urban expansion and ensure a 20-year supply of residential and employment lands for community livability. Communities are required by state law to have a 20-year supply of land for future residential development and economic growth inside the boundary.

Annexations of the City’s north and east UGB outside of city limits in recent years have enabled hundreds of houses and a new elementary school to be added. Those rooftops can hopefully contribute to more services in the community, such as a grocery store. With the continued projected growth, North Plains will need to expand the UGB by another 400 acres in order to accommodate new homes and jobs needed over the next 15 years.

A multi-year North Plains UGB Expansion Project was initiated in fall 2020 to carefully and responsibly study, consider, and plan for this growth. In Phase 1, the City is establishing a study area of approximately 1,700 acres to consider for UGB expansion. The preliminary study area is in green on the map shown below. This year, the City will begin phase 2 to assess the ability of each sub-area to meet the City’s needs and eventually determine which 400 acres will be added to the UGB.

The North Plains UGB Expansion Project will be guided by a Project Advisory Committee (PAC). All PAC meetings are open to the public. The PAC met in November 2020, February 2021, and May 2021. A public meeting to discuss and get feedback on the project and expansion study areas was also held on May 17.

For more information, visit our Urban Growth Boundary Expansion project webpage.