<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2G14Er_0viD1qun00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2G14Er_0viD1qun00" width="1320" height="743" >ROSEBURG, Ore. — The City of Roseburg is swapping land from inside the Urban Growth Boundary with land outside that boundary to help support the housing needs of the community.The land the city is plans to swap will change the UGB that identifies where city growth may occur within the next 20 years.Roseburg Community Development Department Director Stuart Cowie has been working on the project for 6 years and says the focus of the project is to help meet the housing need."The whole purpose behind the urban growth boundary swap is to be able to provide housing opportunities. That has been our objective from day one-- being able to enable housing opportunities for our community," said Cowie.The City of Roseburg is swapping residential land with significant development constraints that lands inside the UGB for land outside the UGB that would be much easier to develop.The proposed swap involves 290 acres of what City staff say is impractical to develop, and is called the Atkinson Property and Serafin Property.In turn, the proposal seeks to include approximately 220 acres of land within the UGB near Troost St/Charter Oaks Dr. The land has been identified by the City as a more suitable location for urban development compared to the steep terrain found on the other properties. Cowie says the City has been looking at this location for close to 40 yearsThis land exchange will lead to a decrease in acreage within the UGB, but will enable the same number of possible future housing units<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=46Je04_0viD1qun00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=46Je04_0viD1qun00" width="648" height="365" >The City established its UGB with the original Urban Area Comprehensive Plan in 1984. According to City staff, the population within the Roseburg city limits has grown from 15,800 to 23,939 since that time.Several community members express their support for the project to increase the residential opportunities within the community.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4PJdjP_0viD1qun00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4PJdjP_0viD1qun00" width="648" height="365" >"Housing, childcare, transportation in some places are key elements to economic development and this is a proactive step for the city in order to provide relief to our housing crisis as a way to support economic development in Douglas County," said Umpqua Economic Development Partnership Executive Director Brian Prawitz.The proposed UGB swap required a legislative amendment to be approved by both the Roseburg City Council which was approved on August 26 and the Douglas County Board of Commissioners which was approved on September 11.Now, the plan will be reviewed by the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, which can take several months for the City to receive an answer.To learn more about the land exchange, visit the City of Roseburg website here.</div></body>

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Roseburg proposes land swap to meet housing needs

ROSEBURG, Ore. — The City of Roseburg is swapping land from inside the Urban Growth Boundary with land outside that boundary to help support the housing needs of the community. The land the city is plans to swap will change the UGB that identifies where city growth may occur...