City Council Establishes Program to Spur Mixed-Use Development in Town Center, Villebois

May 3, 2022 — At the May 2, 2022, meeting of the Wilsonville City Council, the Council approved the establishment of a Vertical Housing Development Zone (VHDZ) program to incentivize the development of future multi-story, mixed-use projects in Villebois Village Center and Wilsonville Town Center.

VHDZ is an Economic Development program identified in the Wilsonville Town Center Plan as a strategy to support the vision for vibrant, mixed use neighborhoods.  The program is designed to make mixed-use buildings financially feasible for developers by offering property tax abatements for buildings that combine housing and non-residential ground-floor use.

Additionally, the Council adopted a resolution that amends a construction agreement with Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. to establish a guaranteed maximum price of $25.3 million to complete construction of the Willamette River Water Treatment Plant (WRWTP) Expansion Project.

The project to increase WRWTP intake capacity from 15 million gallons per day (gpd) to 20 million gpd is underway to accommodate future growth in Wilsonville and Sherwood. Because of the impact of world events on construction costs, this action allows the City to meet the terms of the intergovernmental agreement with the City of Sherwood by deferring project elements as necessary to keep project costs within the allocated budget.

At a public hearing, on first reading, the Council adopted two ordinances that annex and rezone 8.7 acres to accommodate the construction of a 148,000-square-foot warehouse/manufacturing facility within the Coffee Creek Industrial Area.   

The Council took actions to accommodate future residential development in Frog Pond West, consistent with the Frog Pond West Master Plan.

  • On second reading, the Council adopted two ordinances that annex and rezone 13.2 acres to accommodate the construction of 17-lot Frog Pond Estates subdivision.  
  • On second reading, the Council adopted two ordinances that annex and rezone 10.4 acres to accommodate the construction of 41-lot Frog Pond Oaks subdivision.

During Mayor’s Business, Mayor Julie Fitzgerald appointed Councilor Joann Linville to be the City’s representative the Clackamas Workforce Partnership Board. Linville is to serve as an advisory ex-officio member of the board, which supports the Partnership’s work to respond to the needs of Clackamas County businesses and job seekers.

During Communications, Metro Councilor Gerritt Rosenthal provided a snapshot of Metro’s progress on several regional policy initiatives, which include addressing homelessness, increasing affordable housing, cleaning up streets, improving regional transportation systems, and supporting addiction recovery.

Parks and Recreation staff reviewed a project funded by the Wilsonville-Metro Community Enhancement Project to aid residents in tree stump grinding in the wake of the February 2021 ice storm. The $13,000 project funded the removal of 48 tree stumps, at no charge, for Wilsonville residents who signed up.

At the work session held prior to the meeting, the Council provided input to City Planning staff on components of the Frog Pond East and South Master Plan. The discussion centered around options for the layout of neighborhoods and the placement of the commercial center.

Planning staff and consultants sought the Council’s direction on “Good Neighbor Policies” that have been drafted to provide clear direction for elected officials and City staff advocating on the City’s behalf during regional planning efforts related to the Aurora Airport. These policies are to be incorporated into the City’s Comprehensive Plan to provide clear policy priorities.  

The next regular meeting of the City Council is to be held on Monday, May 16, at 7 pm; a pre-meeting work session is scheduled at 5 pm.

Community members can watch all City Council meetings on cable (Xfinity Ch. 30, Ziply Ch. 32) or on the City’s YouTube channel: ci.wilsonville.or.us/WilsonvilleTV.

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