Find out how to support smart planning in unincorporated Washington County

Everyone who lives in a small, tight-knit community like Laurelwood, Oregon finds beauty and a sense of home and community within it. Residents want to maintain what they have built to ensure the livability for everyone. 

However, a new subdivision is being proposed on 151 acres west of Laurelwood Academy. The desired action is to create 30, 4-7.3-acre plots with new houses on each plot sold at market rates. 

Here are some of the concerns with this proposed development.

Transportation: 

• Unpaved (gravel) private roads in the development. Unsure access in case of fire.

• Increased traffic on winding road up Bald Peak that cannot be expanded, and west into farmland where tractors frequently travel on the road.

Strange configuration with series of flag lots and 7 properties divided by the road

Expensive:

Housing will almost certainly not be affordable to average residents.

Water:

• Have Laurelwood Academy Water Cooperative certificates, but no guarantee of water to the site due to lack of infrastructure and water.

• Plan for 1 well per 3 homes, so not required to meet “community drinking water” standards of water quality testing.

• In the Chehalem Mountain groundwater limited area, but not in the most limited geology (basalt vs. clay).

Drainage:

• 30 septic tanks near wells in a “very limited” septic tank absorption area (1 ft)

• About a dozen lots seem to be in the 100 year floodplain (but not flood field)

• No civil engineering or hydrology reports for downstream impacts.

Land:

Agricultural and forest land will be forever lost

Timeline:

• 6/5/2024 Application submitted

• Where we’re at now: Application found incomplete

• 60-90 days from application completeness Submit comment to the County

• If approved, apply for permits: public works, building, with comment periods

• Then final plat review that’s recorded with the county.

Join us in advocating to stop this development.

Email us to get updates on this process, find out when to give testimony, and hear how you can engage the community: farmlandfirstor@gmail.com

Donate to Farmland First today to support expert fees and attorney fees to protect this land and the surrounding community from this ill-conceived development.