Sherwood West Preliminary Concept Plan Re-Look

The 1,291-acre Sherwood West area is a designated regional urban reserve (Urban Reserve Area 5B). Sherwood West is land that will be added to the  region’s Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) and, over time, annexed into the City of Sherwood. Given that it is the City’s largest urban reserve, and its location near to existing development and utilities, Sherwood West is logically the best direction for the City to consider growth in the future.

The Sherwood West Re-Look project prepared a concept plan for the 1,291-acre Sherwood West area by updating the Sherwood West Preliminary Concept Plan. The Preliminary Plan, which was approved by the Sherwood City Council in 2016, was developed as a long-range planning tool to help guide future community discussions and decisions about the City’s long-term growth. However, there have been significant changes in Sherwood and surrounding areas since the Preliminary Concept Plan’s local approval:

  • The Sherwood School District constructed the new 350,000 square foot Sherwood High School on 73 acres inside the Sherwood West area.
  • Washington County completed its Urban Reserve Transportation Study (URTS), which provides updated transportation impact information to help with future planning in urban reserve areas.
  • The City is nearing completion on a major update to its Comprehensive Plan, which has not been updated since 1990.
  • In addition, the State of Oregon adopted House Bill 2001 in 2019, which directs cities to allow for  “middle housing” (such as duplexes and townhomes) within areas zoned single-family residential.
  • The City Council has prioritized adding employment land and job growth as a goal. Sherwood West is an opportunity to help achieve that goal.

Sherwood City Council accepted the Sherwood West Concept Plan in July 2023. The Concept Plan addresses new land use and growth patterns, new transportation plans, new State rules related to housing, and new opportunities for employment and economic growth. The outcome of this “re-look” is a Concept Plan that reflects the community’s and the City’s vision for Sherwood’s future growth.

Site Map

Link To Interactive Sherwood West Map

Sherwood West is located west of the existing city limits and adjacent to the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). It is bound by SW Lebeau Road to the north and SW Chapman Road to the south. Sherwood West is a designated Metro urban reserve (Urban Reserve Area 5b) and is the largest of Sherwood’s future growth areas. The area is made up of 126 properties totaling 1,291 acres.

How To Get Involved?

Outreach is an integral part of this project, both for specific details of the Concept Plan and as part of the community's broader ongoing conversation about housing, employment, transportation, and cost of services. Community members who live and/or seek future annexation and development opportunities in the Sherwood West area will be most affected by the project’s outcomes. Other key stakeholders are expected to include area neighbors, local business owners, property owners, students at the new Sherwood High School, and community members from historically underserved populations. The City of Sherwood is committed to an inclusive and transparent planning process. Community engagement is crucial to guide the development of a representative, sustainable plan.

Two community open houses were held at key points in the Concept Plan planning process. These community-wide events provided opportunities for a diverse range of community members to review and comment on issues, alternative approaches, and draft plan recommendations.

The Concept Plan planning process was guided by a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) and a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). Advisory committee meetings were open to the public, and each meeting included dedicated time for non-CAC member input.

So What’s Next?

The City of Sherwood is considering making a formal proposal to Metro to expand the UGB for all or portions of Sherwood West. Metro (the regional government) reviews the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) every 6 years for housing and employment needs. The next Metro growth management review cycle and the decision to expand the UGB is in 2024.

Join us on October 4th, 2023, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at Ridges Elementary School to learn more about the Concept Plan, the process, and to provide input on the consideration of the Urban Growth Boundary expansion proposal.

To be considered in the 2024 growth management review cycle and decision to expand the UGB, local jurisdictions should submit a letter of interest to the Metro Chief Operating Officer by December 1, 2023. A letter of interest should indicate the urban reserve area of interest and include a general description of anticipated employment and residential uses.  If Sherwood considers submitting a letter of interest to Metro, that letter of interest does not bind the City to make a formal proposal with the information outlined in the letter of interest.  

A formal proposal to Metro for review and consideration of a UGB expansion is due by April 5, 2024.

If Sherwood considers submitting a formal proposal to Metro for review and consideration of a UGB expansion in 2024, the planning staff anticipates another community engagement activity for the Sherwood community to provide input.

Timeline

The Sherwood West Concept Plan process began in February 2021, and the plan was accepted by Council in July 2023.

LINK TO NEW TIMELINE

Who Is Involved In The Process?

The City's Planning Department led the Sherwood West Re-look Project. The process and plan was advised by a community advisory committee (CAC), technical advisory committee (TAC), stakeholders, property owners, and local residents. The City worked closely with Washington County, local service and utility providers, and other partner governments throughout the project.

In addition, the City hired a consultant team led by Angelo Planning Group/MIG to assist with the Community Plan. The team includes the following six consulting firms:

APG/MIG: Project Management and Land Use Planning
Leland Consulting Group: Economic Development and Infrastructure Funding
DKS Associates: Transportation Planning
Walker Macy:  Urban Design

What Type Of Development Is Expected To Occur In Sherwood West?

Working from the basis of the 2016 Preliminary Concept Plan, Sherwood West provides land for new residential neighborhoods, employment opportunities, parks, schools, and natural areas. Recent studies have indicated a greater community need for employment and mixed-use commercial areas to help Sherwood achieve a balanced mix of jobs and housing. The City also needs to comply with the rules of Oregon House Bill 2001, which requires cities such as Sherwood to provide diverse housing types, including duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhouses and cottage clusters in all zones that permit single-family detached housing.

What About Traffic and Transportation Planning?

Changes in land use and development patterns have a direct impact on how transportation systems function and how traffic flows through a community. Changes in Sherwood West since the preliminary plan was approved in 2016, such as construction of the new Sherwood High School campus, have already begun to influence the transportation demands of the local network. The Concept Plan process will take a comprehensive look at the existing and future land uses in Sherwood West and identify the transportation solutions that will be needed to best serve the community’s driving, walking, and biking needs.

How Will Infrastructure Be Paid For in Sherwood West?

This Concept Plan process will include an infrastructure funding plan that addresses funding strategies for transportation, water, sanitary sewer, storm water, and parks. There is no “silver bullet” for funding these facilities. To find solutions, the funding plan will focus on catalyst infrastructure projects document what needs to be built, how much it will cost, what projected revenues are available, what new revenue is needed. It will then recommend the intended tools and revenue sources that should be used. The process will engage the development community and partner agencies to determine how development can occur logically and how public facilities can be provided in a timely manner.