The Clackamas County Commissioners became the latest agency to approve
the City of Sandy’s substantial amendment to the city’s urban renewal plan,
joining the Oregon Trail School District (OTSD) and the Sandy Fire District
(SFD).

Commissioners Jim Bernard, Martha Schrader and Paul Savas voted for the
amendment, while Commissioners John Ludlow and Tootie Smith opposed it.
“We weren’t really sure (about the potential for the amendment to pass) so it
was exciting to see the support among the other three commissioners,” Sandy
City Manager Seth Atkinson said.

The amendment, if passed by 75 percent of the taxing districts that overlap
Sandy’s urban renewal area, could help fund the acquisition of the Cedar
Ridge Middle School property to be used as a recreation center and provide
money for other city projects, including road extensions for 362nd Avenue and
Bell Street, continuation of the city’s storefront program and assistance to the
SFD. The 75 percent threshold is based on the ratio of each taxing district’s
property tax levy.

County commissioners placed votes for three agencies: the county, the
Clackamas County Library District and the Clackamas County Extension & 4-H
Service District, passing all despite some strong opposition from the two
dissenters.

“I don’t believe in urban renewal, because it really scrapes from tender and
precious services needed money for the future,” Ludlow said.

The county estimated the amendment would reduce its general budget by
approximately $300,000 per year.

Sandy City Council is expected to vote on the issue on July 6, and approval
would push the amendment past the 75 percent threshold. Atkinson noted
while he can’t say for sure if the council will approve it, he sees reasons for
optimism.

“I think they’re pretty supportive or they wouldn’t have come this far,” he
said. “I think it’s positive.”

If the amendment is passed, the city is expected to begin in earnest the
negotiations with the OTSD on purchasing the school property.

Last year, an appraisal of the school’s campus, including two buildings and
43.65 acres of land, performed by Integra Realty Resources in Portland for the
OTSD valued the property at $3.4 million. A different appraisal for the city
valued the campus at $2.2 million for the land and $230,000 for the buildings,
but Atkinson noted that differences in the appraisals, including the district’s
appraisal, included a value for timber while the city’s did not, meant that their
final valuations were closer.

“We’ll just have to see how the numbers work,” Atkinson said. “It’s been a
long and slow moving train. Things look pretty positive at this point, we keep
making progress so that’s a good thing.”