City of La Pine Comprehensive Plan Could Not Have Been Completed Without the Assistance of Our Citizens
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Remand Compliant City of La Pine Comprehensive Plan Page 1 La Pine Comprehensive Plan DMC/Foreterra Special Thanks & Acknowledgements The City of La Pine Comprehensive Plan could not have been completed without the assistance of our citizens. Their participation was invaluable to the success of the document and was instrumental to developing the values, goals, and policies that are needed to shape the future of La Pine. Various public bodies and agencies also participated in the process and deserve special recognition for their efforts to refine the document. They are listed as follows: City of La Pine: City Council City Planning Commission City Staff Deschutes County: Board of County Commissioners County Planning Commission County Staff State of Oregon: Department of Land Conservation and Development Department of Transportation Department of Fish and Wildlife Department of Community Development and Economic Development Department of Employment and Analysis Federal Government: Bureau of Land Management US Forest Service Corps of Engineers Agencies: Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council La Pine Water and Sewer District La Pine Park District La Pine Rural Fire Protection District Rural Community Assistance Corporation Private Groups: Economic Development for Central Oregon La Pine Chamber of Commerce Housing Works La Pine Industrial Group Special Recognition: Special recognition and gratitude goes to DLCD Representatives Karen Swirsky, and Jon Jinings for their continued assistance in providing guidance to the City on problem Page 2 La Pine Comprehensive Plan DMC/Foreterra solving and urban/rural issues. The dedication, professionalism, and overall helpfulness were essential in the development of our first, independent Comprehensive Plan implementing the Statewide Planning Goals. Small cities, like La Pine, could not effectively complete comprehensive land use planning without assistance from DLCD. To that end, we are also thankful for the grant assistance and consideration of the Salem DLCD staff, Larry French, from which funding was provided for this task, and several other key projects. Page 3 La Pine Comprehensive Plan DMC/Foreterra Table of Contents ELEMENT PAGE Introduction 5 Chapter 1 – Community Characteristics 16 Chapter 2 – Citizen Involvement Program 17 Chapter 3 – Agricultural Lands 25 Chapter 4 – Forest Lands 28 Chapter 5 - Natural Resources and Environment 32 Chapter 6 – Parks, Recreation and Open Space 40 Chapter 7 – Public Facilities and Services 47 Chapter 8 – Transportation 60 Chapter 9 – Economy 72 Chapter 10 – Housing 107 Chapter 11- Energy 129 Chapter 12 – Urbanization 133 Appendices 134 Page 4 La Pine Comprehensive Plan DMC/Foreterra City of La Pine – Comprehensive Plan I. Introduction Incorporation: The City of La Pine was incorporated in 2006 after a vote of citizens acknowledged the desire for La Pine to become a self-governing community. Population growth, challenging development issues, and a strong sense of personal independence of residents of the region led to the community making a governmental break from Deschutes County. Although brand new in its self-governance, the community is meeting the challenges of being a newly incorporated municipality head on. Aside from fulfilling the day to day obligations of managing City business affairs, this Comprehensive Plan is the first effort at directing long term community growth according to the vision of the City residents. What is a Comprehensive Plan? A Comprehensive Plan is a blueprint for community land use decision making to ensure that the needs of the community are met as growth occurs over the term of the planning period - During the creation of the Comprehensive Plan, three fundamental questions were kept in mind, these are: Where are we now? Where do we want to be? How will we get there? - Although the document is primarily intended to provide a basis of how land will be utilized and developed, it has far-reaching affects on many day-to-day issues such as: provision of public/emergency services (police/fire); economic development/jobs; land values; schools; parks; and, transportation. - A Comprehensive Plan helps define a community and puts into a single document the goals and policies that ensure that the desired character and quality of life within the community is maintained as the community grows. Elements of a Comprehensive Plan - A Comprehensive Plan is comprised of separate chapters each addressing fundamental factors in community development. In Oregon the basis for the Plan is established by the Statewide Planning Goals – these Goals require that the following issues be addressed and planned for: - agricultural and forest lands - natural resources/historic resources - the quality of air, water and land resources - natural hazards - recreational needs - economic development - housing needs Page 5 La Pine Comprehensive Plan DMC/Foreterra - public facilities and services - transportation - energy conservation - Comprehensive Plans must also include provisions for regular updating to allow for changes in community direction and needs over time. - Provisions for implementation of the goals and policies contained within the Plan must be established. These include defining “programs” to fulfill tasks and meet obligations, the adoption of a Zoning Code, and adoption of subsequent specialized Code texts that have the effect of law. - A corresponding map identifies long-term land use designations and accompanies the textual document. Reasons for a Comprehensive Plan - Compliance with State of Oregon Land Use requirements for all municipal jurisdictions. - Provides the legal basis for the communities land use regulations (laws) and land use decisions. - Helps identify and prioritize issues that are important to the community and plan for change. - Ensures that adequate public facilities and services are provided and maintained to meet citizen needs - Provides a degree of certainty and protection for citizens regarding land uses, values, and rights in their community. - And, most importantly, a Comprehensive Plan ensures that the citizens of the La Pine have a say in the development of their community. Summary of Oregon’s Statewide Planning Goals: Oregon’s statewide goals are achieved through local comprehensive planning. State law requires each city and county to adopt a comprehensive plan and the zoning and land- division ordinances needed to put the plan into effect. The local comprehensive plans must be consistent with the Statewide Planning Goals. The State’s Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) review plans for such consistency. When the State Department of Land Conservation and Development officially approves a local government’s plan, the plan is said to be ´acknowledged. After acknowledgement, the Plan becomes the controlling guide for implementing ordinances – the laws that bring the plan to life. Oregon’s planning laws apply not only to local governments but also to special districts and state agencies. The laws strongly emphasize coordination between such agencies and special districts - keeping plans and programs consistent with each other, with the goals, and with acknowledged local plans. The following is a summary of the Oregon Statewide Planning Goals and the issues that must be addressed in the Plan. GOAL 1 CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT Goal 1 calls for "the opportunity for citizens to be involved in all phases of the planning process." It requires each city and county to have a citizen involvement program containing six components specified in the goal. It also Page 6 La Pine Comprehensive Plan DMC/Foreterra requires local governments to have a committee for citizen involvement (CCI) to monitor and encourage public participation in planning. GOAL 2 LAND USE PLANNING Goal 2 outlines the basic procedures of Oregon's statewide planning program. It says that land use decisions are to be made in accordance with a comprehensive plan, and that suitable "implementation ordinances" to put the plan's policies into effect must be adopted. It requires that plans be based on "factual information"; that local plans and ordinances be coordinated with those of other jurisdictions and agencies; and that plans be reviewed periodically and amended as needed. Goal 2 also contains standards for taking exceptions to statewide goals. An exception may be taken when a statewide goal cannot or should not be applied to a particular area or situation. GOAL 3 AGRICULTURAL LANDS Goal 3 defines "agricultural lands." It then requires counties to inventory such lands and to "preserve and maintain" them through farm zoning. Details on the uses allowed in farm zones are found in ORS Chapter 215 and in Oregon Administrative Rules, Chapter 660, and Division 33. GOAL 4 FOREST LANDS This goal defines forest lands and requires counties to inventory them and adopt policies and ordinances that will "conserve forest lands for forest uses." GOAL 5 OPEN SPACES, SCENIC AND HISTORIC AREAS AND NATURAL RESOURCES Goal 5 covers more than a dozen natural and cultural resources such as wildlife habitats and wetlands. It establishes a process for each resource to be inventoried and evaluated. If a resource or site is found to be significant, a local government has three policy choices: preserve the resource, allow proposed uses that conflict with it, or strike some sort of a balance between the resource and the uses that would conflict with it. GOAL 6 AIR, WATER AND LAND RESOURCES QUALITY This goal requires local comprehensive plans and implementing measures to