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A group of 28 local policy makers that present recommendations to the Metro Council unanimously support a modest urban growth boundary expansion for the Portland-metro area.

But about two-thirds of the group’s members went further and asked that the council also require residential zoning in those expanded areas to be as dense as most Portland neighborhoods.

During a Metro Policy Advisory Committee meeting last week, Portland Mayor Sam Adams received majority support for a resolution asking the council to require housing densities of at least 20 units per acre in any expanded area. If the council was to consent, the density requirement would be equivalent to row housing on the fringes of the metro area.

鈥淟ocal jurisdictions should commit to a higher capacity target 鈥� based on a transit supportive density of a minimum 20 units per buildable acre,鈥� Adams wrote in a letter to MPAC. 鈥淭he particular areas that are under consideration represent the best of the urban reserves 鈥� they are adjacent to major transportation corridors and town centers.鈥�

According to Adams, a set of row houses each with about 2,000 to 2,500 square feet of space would allow for about 16 to 22 units per buildable acre. Comparatively, detached homes built on 5,000-square-foot lots would allow for about eight units per buildable acre, and a three-story apartment building would allow for between 35 and 40 units per buildable acre.

Adams’ recommendation came as MPAC recommended to the Metro Council how much to expand the UGB. The council is set to decide Oct. 20 whether to expand the UGB.

The group unanimously called for adding approximately 1,600 acres to the UGB for residential needs. That amount of acreage falls into the lower end of the middle third of Metro’s population growth projections for the area over the next 20 years and would be considered a modest expansion, according to Metro spokesman Ken Ray.

The Metro Council is considering 10 areas for potential expansion. Two of those areas touted since the beginning of the process 鈥� a 1,063-acre swath south of Hillsboro and the 543-acre South Cooper Mountain area near Beaverton 鈥� have gone through the preliminary planning process and would meet MPAC’s recommendation.

鈥淲e regard (South Cooper Mountain) as absolutely critical to accommodating growth,鈥� said Don Mazziotti, community development director for the city of Beaverton. 鈥淭hrough our initial planning we’ve discovered that 12 to 15 units per buildable acre would work. At first blush, 20 per acre sounds like a real stretch, not only for this area, but even parts of Portland.鈥�

The MPAC resolution is just a recommendation, but Mazziotti noted that such a requirement would negate initial planning work already done.

Other MPAC members had similar concerns. Hillsboro Mayor Jerry Willey said 20 units per buildable acre should be a goal, but that it is too late in the process for it to be required.

鈥淚t’s unrealistic to think we can go from a region that internally averages about 10 units per acre to the expectation that only on the edges be 20 units per acre,鈥� Willey said. 鈥淚t’s too tall of a charge right now. I’d like to see it in 2015 or later.鈥�

Adams emphasized that the greater density is consistent with other recommendations MPAC has made to the Metro Council in the past.

In the end, the final decision will belong to the Metro Council.

鈥淭he council can condition UGB expansions with certain requirements,鈥� Ray said, 鈥渂ut this is just a recommendation. The council will listen, but they’re not saying if they would include something like this.鈥�