Letters

A Tale of Two Cities

Robert Bailey
7455 N.W. Helvetia Road
Helvetia, Oregon 97124

November 17, 2009

Hillsboro Vision 2020 Committee

You invite comment on the Vision of Hillsboro before November 30th. I live in Helvetia, and I think I have something important to share.

The City of Hillsboro has two separate planning processes that are not now coordinated. They are in fact on a collision course. One planning process is directed by your politicians and their partnership with the Chamber of Commerce, the West Side Business Alliance, and former mayor, Tom Hughes. This planning group got ASPIRATIONS and had the city staff draw them up. This appears to be how the City of Hillsboro’s Aspiration Plan got created. This 50 page report is staggering in its plan for your future. It is a huge fund raiser for expanding the property tax base. This will help grow the city government and it will create fortunes for select developers and brokers.

The city invites its citizens to develop their VISION of Hillsboro. The vision targets building community, enhancing neighborhoods, preserving the environment, fostering economic development, promoting safety and expanding educational and cultural opportunities. The Vision 2020 Committee is this citizen supported and led effort, with staff support. It has established a history of pride and success from what I can gather. I called the Vision Office and asked whether the Vision Committee had endorsed the Aspiration Plan. I was told no, the Vision Committee was a separate planning process.

How can they be separate? How will you build common community with a rapid increase to a population of 320,000, living in three city centers? How is the environment protected by sprawling over some of the best and most productive farm soils in the world? How is community built when you displace rural neighbors and communities? What projects will you give up to focus on new development? What will this cost you? Why are your politicians working so hard for people who do not now even live in Hillsboro? Metro and others say that you have what you need and can build within your boundaries and your means. What motivates the Aspiration Planners in the face of this? Shouldn’t the Vision Committee get some control over the Aspiration Plan? Shouldn’t you guide your city’s future? We know they will always aspire for more (and more). Shouldn’t the Vision guide the Plan? What city will emerge? I prefer a citizen based Hillsboro identity to a Beaverboro, the future identity of the Tualatin Valley if politicians and developers have their way. Go to www.SaveHelvetia.org to study the threat Helvetia faces from our neighbor, the City of Hillsboro.

Help us save this unique and priceless area by submitting your own testimony!