Tillamook County citizens place a high priority upon ensuring that future growth improves the quality of life in the county. It is the desire of Tillamook County residents to maintain the rural character and create healthy communities by managing growth, improving infrastructure, providing and supporting alternative modes of transportation and maintaining housing choices for a range of income levels.

Vision of our Growth and Development

Citizens of Tillamook County place a high priority upon ensuring that future growth improves the quality of life in the county. Citizens believe that future development should be responsive to local character and the features that make each community unique. It is expected that Tillamook County will manage growth in a way that creates vibrant towns and maintains the rural character of the countryside. Planning for growth and encouraging development to take place within existing communities will help to protect the farms, forests, rivers, bays, and beaches that are essential to the quality of life in Tillamook County.

To achieve this vision, Tillamook County will need adequate infrastructure for current conditions and future growth and must work to improve and maintain public infrastructure related to water, power, sewer, roads, streets, and storm water systems.

Tillamook County’s transit system is valued by the community and provides safe and convenient transportation for residents and visitors of all ages. The community will support and expect the expansion and diversification of a county-wide public transportation infrastructure. Communities throughout the county will support the use of public transportation, biking and walking. Many communities will offer, or wish to develop, bike and pedestrian trails; neighborhood streets provide a safe environment for neighborhood activities.

Natural hazards such as flooding and landslides are common, and the threat of catastrophic events such as tsunamis and forest fires will be ever present. Communities in Tillamook County will look to county government to effectively prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural hazards of all scales. Exemplary emergency services are expected.

Growth and Development Goals

Goal 1.1 Manage growth to support the community vision

Strategy 1.1.1
Encourage growth within existing cities and communities and away from agricultural and forest areas.

Strategy 1.1.2
Create better inventories, procedures and standards for regulating development in potentially hazardous areas (e.g., floodplains, slide zones).

Strategy 1.1.3
Assure adequate financial, technical, and legal resources to create and implement land use plans.

Strategy 1.1.4
Identify and restore historic buildings of character and economic value.

Strategy 1.1.5
Promote locally-owned businesses in centralized locations with space provided for craftspeople and artists.

Strategy 1.1.6
Discourage gated developments.

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Goal 1.2 Improve infrastructure

Strategy 1.2.1
Assure that infrastructure keeps pace with development within growth boundaries.

Strategy 1.2.2
Encourage underground utilities wherever possible.

Strategy 1.2.3
Improve the condition and level of maintenance of county roads.

Goal 1.3 Encourage alternative modes of transportation

Strategy 1.3.1
Pursue funding for and development of a range of public transportation alternatives.

Strategy 1.3.2
Provide safe bicycle and pedestrian paths throughout the county.

Strategy 1.3.3
Expand public transportation throughout the county.

Strategy 1.3.4
Promote the availability of public transportation to important destinations outside of the county.

Goal 1.4 Effectively prepare for and respond to natural hazards

Strategy 1.4.1
Assure that the public emergency communication system adequately serves the county.

Strategy 1.4.2
Provide emergency response services throughout the county.

Strategy 1.4.3
Promote educational outreach encouraging residents to make safe and informed decisions in the event of a natural disaster.

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