Remarks from Steven J. Clark -- President, Community Newspapers & Portland Tribune

December 6, 2004 -- Leadership Summit 2004

The objective of this initiative is to ensure that Oregon’s land use system provides an adequate short- and long-term supply of land for traded-sector industry and critical wholesale and warehousing -- and in doing so, support local, regional and state economic development strategies and the needs of industry in a 21st century economy -- while also protecting other values important to Oregon’s quality of life.

This issue is critically important to Oregon’s current and future economy.  

Less than three years ago, we began to wake up to the fact that our state had too few immediately available industrial land sites … and as such, Oregon was repeatedly losing immediate economic development opportunities to other states.

And we began to realize that this scenario would grow worse unless we were prepared to serve the needs of existing and emerging cluster industries, businesses that serve as the backbone of Oregon’s economy and provide diverse high-paying jobs for Oregonians and the state’s economy.

And after all, it is a healthy, sustainable economy that helps pave the way, and certainly pays the way, for healthy, livable communities and important services such as a quality, accessible education.

In a short period of time, there have been many key accomplishments in this arena

Gov. Ted Kulongoski quickly made this issue a primary focus of his administration’s economic development and land use agenda.

In March 2003, he issued an Executive Order creating an Industrial Lands Task Force that made significant policy recommendations.

And he also directed GERT – the Governor’s Economic Revitalization Team to identify and prepare industrial sites to be made ready for immediate development opportunities.

The 2003 Oregon Legislature adopted House Bill 2011, which among other things directed GERT and the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department to work with other state agencies to coordinate and streamline state policies, programs, and procedures – and to provide coordinated state agency assistance to local governments.

In addition, this legislation called upon the state to work with local governments to identify 25 “opportunity sites” by Dec.15, 2003. That effort was successfully achieved, in part, through the efforts of an Industrial Lands Advisory Committee, many members of which are here today.

In May 2004, the governor announced the first 11 industrial sites to be certified as 'project-ready' for businesses wishing to expand or move to Oregon … ensuring that each site is no more than six months away from development and exceeding national standards for project-ready status.

That site certification process continues to move forward with additional sites being certified as “project ready.”

The state has created a new website - Oregon Prospector.com – that allows businesses to search for land in Oregon by city, county, property type, and size, as well as whether or not the site is certified as project-ready.

And an economic development policy advisory committee that was mandated by HB 2011 has been created to advise LCDC -- and that committee has begun a comprehensive review of Goal 9 and economic development.

Along the way there have been many key contributors to this effort

Certainly, Gov. Kulongoski for his leadership vision, commitment and action.

OECDD director Marty Brantley and his staff .

The Oregon Legislature for its support of House Bill 2011 and other policies.  

Public and private sector contributors who have maintained this call for action and served in leadership roles to recommend policies and programs and who communicate the need for immediate and long-term supplies of land for traded sectors jobs.

And most recently, Lane Shetterly of the Land Conservation and Development Department and also the appointed members of the Land Conservation Development Commission.

But we are not done.

We have improved our availability of industrial land sites, but we have much more to do.

Economic development specialists say that Oregon still offers too few shovel ready industrial land sites and that these sites do not yet offer enough diversity of features and geographic balance.

Actual development constraints, such as some certified sites being available for lease only, permitting delays and brown field considerations, remain to be economic development impediments.

We can make a difference.

Here is the Oregon Business Plan 2005 action plan to improve Oregon’s immediate and long-term supply of industrial land.

We will support legislation and funding by the 2005 Oregon Legislature to enable a 30-year review of Oregon’s land use system as proposed by Lane Shetterly, Director, Department of Land Conservation and Development. We seek to actively participate in this review process.

We will actively participate in efforts to identify and certify a two-fold increase in the number pf project ready industrial sites located throughout Oregon.

Yet, we believe it isn’t enough to simply make land available for jobs.

Therefore, we commit to participate in and help lead the development of local, regional and statewide economic strategies -- and to work to ensure that the identification, certification and use of industrial lands connect to and support these economic development strategies.

We propose an evaluation of Oregon’s existing and proposed certified industrial land sites to determine - and report back - how site selectors actually view the suitability of Oregon’s industrial land inventory in the context of being competitive in a 21st century marketplace.

We will engage the public. We learned from the recent Metro urban growth boundary expansion process, that many citizens have significant concerns about the location of industrial land sites in their communities.

Therefore, we call for an effort to actively engage Oregon citizens so as to create and preserve a partnership that provides for both livable communities and greater traded sector land use.

We believe it is critical to work with the Governor’s Economic Revitalization Team to synthesize the work of the many task forces and committees working on industrial land supply issues and streamlined permitting processes.

And we commit to participate in efforts to identify and measure the impact of Ballot Measure 37 on the state land use program and efforts to increase Oregon’s inventory and use of traded sector industrial land.

This is a large agenda.

We value your past leadership and contributions in this effort … and we now ask for your continued and increased involvement.

The tasks are many. The need to improve continues.

The opportunity and benefits for our state and our citizens are great.

Thank you.  

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