Advocating for policies affecting the Commercial Real Estate Industry with Metro
What is Metro?
Metro is the unique, directly elected regional government serving the Portland metropolitan area, including 24 cities across Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties, and more than 1.7 million residents. Governed by a seven-member council (a president elected region-wide and six district councilors) and an auditor, Metro oversees region-wide planning for land use, transportation, affordable and supportive housing, and solid-waste management. It also manages 18,000 acres of parks and natural areas, and operates major public venues like the Oregon Zoo, the Oregon Convention Center, the Expo Center, and Portland’s Centers for the Arts. As the only elected metropolitan planning organization in the U.S., Metro plays a vital role in coordinating investments, protecting natural and cultural assets, and shaping the region’s future growth through its urban growth boundary and long-range planning initiatives.
NAIOP Oregon is active in lobbying and advocating for the Commercial Real Estate industry and our members and shaping Metro policy and action.
Recent Action:
Sherwood UGB Expansion & NAIOP Action
NAIOP Urges Metro Council to Add More Industrial Land to Regional Urban Growth Boundary
State law requires that the regional Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) be reviewed every six years to determine if there is an adequate supply of land to accommodate population and job growth for the next twenty years. With the last review occurring in 2018, Metro staff began their analysis in late 2023 and released the draft Urban Growth Report (UGR) in July of 2024 that presented a wide range of data and projections concerning residential and commercial land needs.
Only one city, Sherwood, made a formal request for an expansion. The West Sherwood Expansion Area is made up of 1,291 acres that could eventually produce as many as 5,580 housing units and 4,500 jobs.
The elected Metro Council received online feedback on the UGR during most of July and August, and conducted a public hearing on September 26, 2024, at which NAIOP and numerous other business interests testified in support of the Sherwood expansion. Significant opposition was also received from agricultural and environmental interests.
A final vote was taken on the expansion last December, and it was approved on a 6-1 vote. The Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development is currently analyzing the decision and accepting comments for and against it, with ultimate approval or rejection coming from the Land Conservation and Development Commission later this year. It is a near certainty, however, that whatever the decision is will result in appeals to the Oregon Court of Appeals and probably the Oregon Supreme Court that could delay implementation for several years.