Damascus Firehouse Study Group (2003-04)

Damascus is oriented along Highway 212 with the City of Happy Valley and I-205 to the west, Pleasant Valley and the City of Gresham to the north, Boring and Highway 26 to the east, and the Clackamas River and Highway 224 to the south. The Damascus Fire House Study Group – named for the location of its monthly meetings along Highway 212 – was convened in Fall 2002 by Clackamas County in anticipation of a significant expansion of the urban growth boundary in the Damascus area. The character of Damascus has been traditionally rural, and urbanization poses a host of challenges to the area.

The Damascus Fire House Study Group is a unique gathering of 13 representatives from local jurisdictions, service providers, and community groups. Portland Institute for Metropolitan Studies provides facilitation, organization, and support. The study group’s mission is to reach new understanding and consensus about governance issues facing the Damascus area, which is meant to enhance and not replace community discussions about governance that must ultimately occur. The study group has been addressing fiscal capacity issues of existing and prospective cities, water authorities and districts, and fire districts. There has been agreement that any governance, service provision, and fiscal options being discussed should serve some greater vision for the area and the region.

The Institute for Metropolitan Studies keeps a living document of the study group’s understanding, a practice that has lead to a series of smaller working groups seeking to reach their own understandings of specific governance and service provision options and boundaries.

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS

Clackamas County
www.co.clackamas.or.us

Clackamas County Long Range Planning (featuring A Conversation with
Damascus/Boring and Damascus Concept Planning Study)
http://www.co.clackamas.or.us/dtd/lngplan/

City of Happy Valley
http://www.ci.happy-valley.or.us

City of Gresham
www.ci.gresham.or.us

City of Gresahm Community and Economic Development Department
(featuring Pleasant Valley Plan District and Springwater Center)
www.ci.gresham.or.us/departments/cedd

City of Portland
www.ci.portland.or.us

City of Portland Bureau of Planning
www.planning.ci.portland.or.us

Sunrise Water Authority
www.sunrisewater.com

Clackamas County Fire District #1
www.clackamasfire.com

Boring Rural Fire Protection District #59
Fire Chief Dan O'Dell; PO Box 85, Boring, OR 97009-0085; (503) 663-4638

Committee for the Future of Damascus
http://www.damascusstudy.org


Clackamas County Community Planning Organizations (CPOs):
www.co.clackamas.or.us/citizenin/cpo

Damascus CPO
Barbara Ledbury; 12805 SE 242nd; Boring, OR 97009; (503) 658-3823;
dcpo@attbi.com
Meeting times: varies, at Damascus Assembly of God Church, 19070 SE
Sunnyside Road, Damascus

Boring CPO
Chair Les Otto; PO Box 391; Boring, OR 97009; (503) 663-1297;
leso@effectnet.com
Meeting times: 7 pm - 1st Tuesday; Boring Fire Hall

DOCUMENTS

Damascus Firehouse Study Group Memorandum of Understanding, June 19, 2003

Damascus Firehouse Study Group Meeting Notes, April 2, 2003

Third Draft of Memorandum of Understanding, April 2, 2003

Damascus Fire House Study Group Memorandum of Understanding, March 20, 2003
Damascus Fire House Study Group Meeting Notes, March 5, 2003

Request for Proposals,West Damascus/Happy Valley Annexation Option Study
Request for Proposals, Damascus/Happy Valley Boundary Study