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Multifamily units account for more than half of Wilsonville’s existing housing stock 鈥� including senior housing, according to city Planning Director Chris Neamtzu.

But change is coming to the Portland suburb.

The build-out of Villebois, 2,600 homes on 500 acres west of Interstate 5, is about 60 percent complete, Neamtzu said. Next, Wilsonville is planning for construction of 610 market-rate, single-family homes on the 173-acre western portion of an area named Frog Pond. No apartments are planned.

鈥淭his neighborhood is going to help us provide some balance in our housing portfolio,鈥� Neamtzu said.

The city of Wilsonville is at work on a master planning process for Frog Pond, north of City Hall. City officials are moving forward, and the project is on track to be ready for developer proposals next year, Neamtzu said.

The Planning Commission will hold work sessions on Frog Pond in October and November, with a public hearing tentatively planned for December. The City Council would then consider the master plan in January.

Lots in Frog Pond’s western portion will vary in size from 5,000 square feet to more than 10,000 square feet. If the eastern and southern portions were pulled inside the urban growth boundary, the anticipated build-out would have 1,935 homes.

Frog Pond will offer 鈥渁 lot of opportunity for some nice, high-end homes,鈥� Neamtzu said.

A commercial center is also envisioned. An analysis found that the area could support 38,000 square feet of commercial development.

All of the residential construction in Wilsonville is following substantial commercial and civic projects. Wilsonville Old Town Square, developed by Gramor Development along with Retail Opportunity Investments Corp., which later acquired the property, is anchored by a 145,000-square-foot Fred Meyer store, with an additional 50,000 square feet of other retail space. McMenamins opened a pub in a former church dating back to 1911.

In 2006, Wilsonville built a 30,000-square-foot City Hall. The $11.5 million project was developed by Specht Development.

Schools are going up too. Construction has started on a new middle school, Meridian Creek, on the northeastern edge of town. It will be the city’s third middle school. Wilsonville didn’t have its own high school until 1995. A school site has also been identified as part of Frog Pond.

At Frog Pond, developers are beginning to investigate the possibilities ahead of proposals next year.

鈥淭here’s great potential,鈥� said Don Hanson, director of planning, architecture and design at Portland-based Otak. 鈥淚t’s not constrained. It’s fairly level land. Obviously, it’s well located, close to the downtown core and to schools. People can walk. And Wilsonville is always good to work with.鈥�

Hanson said he was looking into Frog Pond for Arbor Custom Homes, a Beaverton-based developer.

Wilsonville, population 22,729, sits at the southern edge of the metro area’s urban growth boundary. The city has seen 16.5 percent population growth since 2010, according to Census Bureau data.

Frog Pond is coming on the heels of Villebois. Last year, Wilsonville gained upwards of 350 new homes 鈥� a record, Neamtzu said.

鈥淚t ebbs and flows, but Wilsonville has a long legacy of relatively consistent growth,鈥� he said.

Villebois has a range of homes with current prices of $256,990 to $659,900. Developers including Polygon, West Hills/Arbor Custom Homes and Lennar Corp. have been building there.

Polygon managers were out of the office and could not be reached for comment. Efforts to reach a Lennar Corp. spokesman were not successful.

Construction at Villebois has slowed as developers pursue higher-end homes, Neamtzu said.

鈥淚n Villebois, the homes that are being built are at a higher price point; I’m sensing less velocity because of that,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e’ve moved into new areas where the homes are upwards of $600,000, and the market is not deep at that price point.鈥�

Meanwhile, as plans for Frog Pond advance, planners are grappling with how to structure infrastructure charges.

鈥淭hat’s always the hardest part of these master-planned communities,鈥� Neamtzu said. 鈥淗ow do you pay for the infrastructure that’s needed to serve the new urban area?鈥�

Frog Pond was once literally that 鈥� a wetland known for its croaking frogs. A grange hall and later a road, Southwest Frog Pond Lane, cemented the name.

While city officials say Frog Pond development is needed, not everyone in the suburban community is thrilled.

Under current plans, a road would impact the property of Don and Debra Ross. The Rosses moved to Wilsonville from Medford in 2012 after eminent domain was exercised to extend Crater Lake Highway (Oregon Route 62) through their property.

At their Wilsonville property, the Rosses entertain their grandkids and raise cattle and chickens. Debra’s elderly mother lives with them.

鈥淚 don’t really want to move,鈥� Debra Ross said. 鈥淭his is d茅j脿 vu.鈥�

Wilsonville grapples with UGB

The fate of Frog Pond’s remaining tracts will depend on how Metro handles the southern fringe of the Portland area’s urban growth boundary.

Frog Pond is divided by the metro-area’s UGB. The western portion is in; the east and south are out.

Wilsonville officials are planning for development of west Frog Pond while pushing for the two remaining tracts to be included in the UGB when Metro reconsiders it in 2018.

Wilsonville officials have tried during the past two UGB cycles to persuade Metro, the regional planning agency, to include all of Frog Pond within the UGB. Both times, in 2010 and 2015, Metro rejected the efforts. Officials have cited undeveloped land within the UGB as well as a checkered history of development in areas brought within the UGB.

The western portion of Frog Pond was added in 2002. Wilsonville and Metro continue to discuss the other tracts.

鈥淚t’s really important to have the larger geography and be able to rely on more dwelling units being constructed to help offset the costs,鈥� Planning Director Chris Neamtzu said.

Metro is pursuing another solution: asking the Oregon Legislature for new authority to consider exceptions to UGBs outside the usual review cycles. The goal, agency spokesman Jim Middaugh said, is to give Metro a tool to consider 鈥渟mall, strategic exceptions.鈥�

A Metro task force is considering recommendations for the Metro Council to review.