[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6602380,"mediaKeyId","3001401-1cbcec182a8f505c2cbefcae53c9e785","parentId",3001401,"title","Council tentatively approves annual community development code updates after public hearing on cottage clusters and accessory-structure rules","audioSeconds",5133,"startMs",1646000,"endMs",6779000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3001401-1cbcec182a8f505c2cbefcae53c9e785&start=1646&end=6779","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3001401-1cbcec182a8f505c2cbefcae53c9e785/thumbnail_1646000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6602380/Lake-Oswego-City/Clackamas-County/Oregon/Council-tentatively-approves-annual-community-development-code-updates-after-public-hearing-on-cottage-clusters-and-accessory-structure-rules","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6602380-c42d5afd96a17e8476e0a8e51aabed52/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164277&Signature=TdKCoECU2yftxvS-6hBZKIvNHa5kSQegMHLo05c2wS4G3Y~2GM4HJi~Kccf27iSSbb~NO1S4DI-idv7kKg7zAnnxfgoXiBfF09O1XNYZOM63AF57nIj4j36HZIpXkYSwpIz5JH4KJfkNKiNDqDABxiVptwdUj72Bh--66iKOkIqDyrdwf~mnPwNQC4YLOd51ZOJuyW7muTfz8hUNeSgwkpcaGLRrYkgXh5qTW3gdcytgzwbRwiuypFiZegnJurvpbedz2disU9UAVC1AFKv2wbX~Lg6Rq5PhFseVF~yHmLIe~vFDzmKRJd3qhXJstuIzWh3qdO5d07A-sstoykNmww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Lake Oswego, OR","date","2025-04-16T02:30:41.41Z","article","The Lake Oswego City Council held a public hearing on Ordinance 2959 — the annual update to the Community Development Code (CDC), Chapter 50 — and tentatively approved the package on April 15, directing staff to return with final findings May 6. The council voted 6-0 to tentatively adopt the amendments and to implement the planning commission’s recommendation on what the council identified as the most contested change.

Why it matters: The CDC updates include 16 maintenance items intended to fix errors and clarify language, and seven policy items that refine development rules affecting historic nonconforming dwellings, reconstruction of nonconforming commercial and multifamily structures, accessory-structure setbacks and heights, commercial building design standards for accessory structures, middle-housing land divisions, generator setback variances, and the definition of “detached” for accessory structures. Several items affect how middle housing, accessory buildings and cottage-cluster developments are built and maintained in established neighborhoods.

Staff presentation and scope
Senior Planner Evan Franzen told council the package largely corrects errors and clarifies code language while implementing minor policy changes to streamline the permit process and align the CDC with the comprehensive plan. He said the package contains sixteen maintenance items and seven policy items; he summarized the seven policy proposals and noted one previously discussed proposal — requiring common courtyards for cottage clusters to be placed in a separate tract — was removed after staff consultation with developers and the planning commission.

Key policy items Franzen described included:
- An exception for historic landmark dwellings so additions that increase floor area do not trigger contradictory nonconforming requirements;
- Clarification that nonconforming commercial, industrial and multifamily structures can be reconstructed up to 50% of valuation in cases other than natural disaster without forcing full conformance;
- A modest increase in the accessory-structure height threshold to reduce common code-enforcement issues involving sheds and prefabricated structures;
- Clarifying the application of commercial building design standards to accessory structures;
- Refining how middle-housing land divisions apply so ownership-only land divisions are governed by appropriate, limited standards;
- Creating a minor-variance path for placement of residential generators located in required setbacks, and
- Two options to refine the definition of “detached” for accessory structures. Option 1 would replace the existing 3-foot separation metric with a requirement for no structural connection; Option 2 retains the 3-foot separation standard but clarifies that it applies to accessory structures. Franzen said the planning commission unanimously recommended Option 2.

Public testimony
Several residents representing neighborhood organizations urged stricter local controls for cottage-cluster developments and other middle-housing outcomes. Carol Lockhart, identified as the land-use liaison for Forest Hills, urged the council to require common courtyards for cottage clusters to be recorded in a separate tract rather than an easement and to adopt a minimum footprint for cottages (she urged 850 square feet). Lockhart said developers preferred easements and that staff had told the planning commission developers found a tract requirement overly restrictive; she told council, “This has gone too far. You need to put a stop to this privileged relationship between staff and developers.”

Chris Durkee (chair of the Palisades Neighborhood Association), Stacy Houser (a First Edition neighborhood resident), and Deborah Link (another First Edition resident) repeated similar concerns: they asked council to require common courtyards be held in a separate tract, set a minimum cottage footprint, and adopt Option 2 for the detached-structure clarification. Several neighborhood groups, including the neighborhood chairs committee, supported those positions, Franzen said.

Staff and legal context
Planning staff said the choice between a tract and an easement affects building-code separation and fire-separation requirements and that developers had advised against requiring tracts because of the resulting need for firewalls or minimum separation. Jessica New Modelo, identified in the hearing as the community development director, clarified that whether a courtyard is in a tract or an easement, maintenance obligations and access rights can be set in recorded documents, and that enforcement is possible under either approach; staff nevertheless noted that a tract can reduce ambiguity over ownership and encroachment.

Council decision and next steps
Council ultimately voted to tentatively approve Ordinance 2959 and adopted Option 2 for the definition of detached as recommended by the planning commission. The motion directed staff to return to council on May 6 with the final ordinance and findings; if findings are approved on that schedule, the amendments would become effective 30 days after the findings are adopted (staff indicated a likely effective date of June 5). Councilors asked staff to continue outreach and noted state-level housing legislation could change parts of local code; staff warned that proposed state bills could limit cities’ authority to impose minimum unit sizes or other limits.

What to watch for
Council’s May 6 action and the final findings will determine the exact regulatory text and effective date. Neighbors who testified asked for two additional actions — a tract-based requirement for cottage-cluster courtyards and a minimum cottage footprint of 850 square feet — that the council did not adopt at the hearing. Several councilors asked staff to monitor state legislation (including the draft middle-housing bills discussed during the hearing) and to integrate any necessary technical fixes into future code audits.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","April 15 - City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","After a public hearing with neighborhood testimony about cottage clusters and accessory structures, the Lake Oswego City Council tentatively approved Ordinance 2959 on April 15, directing staff to return May 6 with final findings and adopting the planning commission’s recommended Option 2 for clarifying when accessory structures count as “detached.”","taxTitle","Lake Oswego City, Clackamas County, Oregon","taxId",51840,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6602385,"Lake Oswego council approves consent agenda, creates municipal grants subcommittee",349,904000,1253000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3001401-1cbcec182a8f505c2cbefcae53c9e785&start=904&end=1253","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3001401-1cbcec182a8f505c2cbefcae53c9e785/thumbnail_904000.jpg","/articles/6602385/Lake-Oswego-City/Clackamas-County/Oregon/Lake-Oswego-council-approves-consent-agenda-creates-municipal-grants-subcommittee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6602385-0a7be63ef44fdfa3cca85a477a169e22/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164277&Signature=gPblnCqWCx5eN-nzr2wqem7PAYZZEN5J-nq7odqWAKxIpTUG~cO1gYCY7SzZ3y2MDohd0lTupptC7s-rhJt0sVUQDZG2XzUREv2JEGB3HyCfnAebiIVvIXcWOpGuAzVIrekeQ7OITkv5JTAJc8xII6nwScQoeNsaj9pTaqV0g25gisYGOvFtbTsPxx5g8cJMcdo01tjIOByvANM-nBJPTi-5Yh6M5ho~bHT2NXN8nRVeln7GzXZNJk7ktBtSZnT6LjX8tyB~ATcNdsht212HQIhJjp6mdbTnVKy6JYGZHmvsAd-~77mvUBJMfwLzIbWNq6beRbadYdJEedgU0DUDog__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lake Oswego City Council adopted its consent agenda and other routine business items during its April 15 meeting, approving several resolutions and minutes by a single vote.

The consent agenda included a resolution updating wholesale water rates for wholesale customers (listed as Resolution 25-03 in the agenda materials), a resolution updating city financial policies (Resolution 25-17), and a resolution adjusting the city’s biennial budget (referenced in the meeting as Resolution 20519). The council approved the consent agenda by voice vote, recorded as 6-0 in favor.

Why it matters: The wholesale water rate resolution drew public comment from a nearby utility that says the city's proposed method could materially affect its customers. The municipal grants subcommittee resolution (25-07), approved separately later in the meeting, creates a standing subcommittee of the budget committee to review the city’s grant programs and develop structure recommendations for council consideration.

Background and public comment
Madison Diesing, the city’s deputy city manager, explained that the municipal grants subcommittee was recommended by the budget committee and would initially meet without the authority to allocate funds; it will return to council with a recommended structure for how municipal grants will be administered. The council approved that resolution 6-0.

During public comment preceding the consent vote, Larry Kitchen identified himself as a commissioner of the Lake Grove Water District and spoke on his own behalf. He told council that Lake Grove plans to shift an increasing share of its wholesale purchases from Portland to Lake Oswego and that the staff proposal the council was considering contained errors that understate Lake Oswego’s future rates compared with Portland. Kitchen said the district estimates that adopting the alternative methodology in the staff presentation could require an immediate 25% rate increase for Lake Grove customers to cover the higher supplier cost. He urged council not to adopt Resolution 25-03, asking staff and the district to continue negotiating the terms.

Council action and votes at a glance
- Adoption of the consent agenda (which included Resolution 25-03, Resolution 25-17, and the budget adjustment resolution): Motion made by Councilor Brouppen, seconded by Councilor Corrigan; vote 6-0 to adopt the consent agenda.
- Resolution 25-07 (authorize the budget committee to form a municipal grants subcommittee): Motion to adopt made by Councilor Verdict and seconded by Councilor Boot; vote 6-0 to adopt.

What the council recorded
The meeting minutes show the items were adopted as presented; council did not separate the consent items for individual discussion or votes. Staff signaled it will continue to meet with affected wholesale customers (including the Lake Grove Water District) on rate methodology and contract terms.

Next steps
Staff will proceed with administrative implementation of the adopted resolutions. The Lake Grove Water District representative asked the council to defer adoption of the wholesale rate methodology until the district had time to review a staff proposal; the consent vote indicates the council chose to adopt the staff package on April 15. Any additional contract or rate negotiations with wholesale customers will occur through city staff and separate intergovernmental agreements as required.","The Lake Oswego City Council adopted its consent agenda and approved formation of a municipal grants subcommittee during the April 15 meeting, recording unanimous 6-0 votes on routine resolutions including an adjustment to wholesale water rates despite public comment from a Lake Grove Water District commissioner who warned of higher local rates for his customers.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6602369,"Council signals support for citywide 20 mph residential limit; staff to return with ordinance and rollout plan",1544,10851000,12395000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3001401-1cbcec182a8f505c2cbefcae53c9e785&start=10851&end=12395","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3001401-1cbcec182a8f505c2cbefcae53c9e785/thumbnail_10851000.jpg","/articles/6602369/Lake-Oswego-City/Clackamas-County/Oregon/Council-signals-support-for-citywide-20-mph-residential-limit-staff-to-return-with-ordinance-and-rollout-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6602369-73bbcee420c1a8fcf2a875a2b40a2636/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164277&Signature=Aen55OFpW0YON6MCDc3IS8c9X1asrfNPm7H8irc1EXrY-mHuKUkxDmgJv370n9JiFTdvJeuUVOiNTtd4JQUzSHh35zXHkyKWeSwVhAMkhIBgetSz3f2g9gHq-2FiMsJvviAbA0NvTL~I~9-KR4BQprdArWSdqxExjfG-3XD1ro1OHCbILL4d5VE0mu3FwtLLD2~Sjs3WNClPYNClF8Cgbt2Bgz~Pb3PdTFa0ZoyDxzPFbbEel~PMuYbpAB0nyd3qRwO6Z66nDH~vvHg-hRlk9xON7ujKesw8gYy7dxNq3tomfiBQmEul08cynGhDFd-Xru9wCGwWBJvnRV-o0-Y3nQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lake Oswego City Council provided direction April 15 for staff to draft an ordinance that would lower statutory speed limits on local residential streets — and, by council consensus, include neighborhood collectors — to 20 miles per hour. The council did not adopt an ordinance at the meeting but asked staff to return with a draft ordinance, an outreach plan and a proposed installation timeline.

Why it matters: Research cited by staff shows that vehicle collisions with vulnerable road users have much lower rates of fatal or serious injury at lower speeds. The proposed change would affect the bulk of the city’s local, residential streets and some neighborhood collectors; staff estimated sign installation and engineering costs between about $115,000 (residential-only scope) and $143,500 (including neighborhood collectors), plus staff time for outreach and utility locates.

Staff briefing and legal framework
Assistant City Engineer Will Farley reviewed the legal mechanisms available in Oregon for setting speed limits, noting that cities may reduce statutory limits on non-arterial residential roadways and that state law has evolved to permit reductions to 20 mph in some circumstances. He cited Portland State University findings and other studies that indicated mean speeds fell modestly at many sites after adoption of 20-is-plenty programs and that high-speed outliers are the key safety concern.

Farley told council the city has roughly 90 miles of roadway; about 70% are local streets, about 10% are neighborhood collectors and the remainder are major collectors and arterials. He showed that neighborhood collectors typically have higher 80th-percentile speeds than local streets and that including collectors in the program would raise the estimated signage and installation cost by roughly $26,500.

Enforcement and outreach
Captain Clayton Simon of the Lake Oswego Police Department took questions about enforcement, saying the department would emphasize education early in any rollout and would focus enforcement resources where complaints and measurable speed problems arise. He described how the department measures officer productivity and self-initiated contacts (call volumes, traffic stops, citations), and said that education and targeted enforcement would likely be the primary early tactics.

Council direction and next steps
Council members asked staff to pursue a citywide program that includes neighborhood collectors so that driver expectations are consistent and to return with an ordinance, a communications plan and a timeline for staged installation of signs. Staff noted logistical work required for a signage program (engineering, locating underground utilities, production and installation), and said signs could be rolled out neighborhood-by-neighborhood. Farley suggested a goal of completing roll-out by the fall (staff later cautioned a full citywide installation will take time given staffing and utility-locate needs).

Cost and implementation
Farley estimated an engineering and installation cost roughly in the $115,000–$143,500 range depending on the selected scope; the estimate did not include outreach or additional enforcement resources. City staff said the project would be funded from the street fund and that signs can be installed in phases rather than all at once.

What to watch
Council asked staff to return with a draft ordinance and an outreach plan, and to recommend priority neighborhoods for early implementation. Councilors emphasized that education, clear signage and predictable enforcement will be necessary for a successful rollout.","Councilors directed staff to prepare an ordinance implementing a 20 mph limit for residential streets and to include neighborhood collectors, after a study-session briefing estimated signage costs and discussed enforcement and education strategies.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6602375,"Lake Oswego Police report: incidents down, new programs launched and behavioral-health capacity increased",2184,7194000,9378000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3001401-1cbcec182a8f505c2cbefcae53c9e785&start=7194&end=9378","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3001401-1cbcec182a8f505c2cbefcae53c9e785/thumbnail_7194000.jpg","/articles/6602375/Lake-Oswego-City/Clackamas-County/Oregon/Lake-Oswego-Police-report-incidents-down-new-programs-launched-and-behavioral-health-capacity-increased","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6602375-4ca165f101374687d9254281f53e7d5a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164277&Signature=JWVTZbmyluBuVlbtGlAm95FIO9R5iVYxhkw~ksjlGtbMf78N3OCx5CnQfu1brgxqiYJNyMugqiWqPvQsI9deVFTfpLW6s6~Kr6PUc3mvOhGZvU4~~AIWoAdYR2-4o8mvPZnOJTyxjXdSNhNJY8CaUCmlS8x7zdUZ8ZzL01thSHaoQhpdJDFKV8pFk9IKn6QpgvJN0LK8zUEPn33CzEa29Bxp5BpcPI8h~rNUTvgi2WGT6Bxdsox66WHnKeIsh9hqBIV8by99rKKDKYB4idbiCOyxjMpJLtoLk753qpd~ULgyz61yGA4UP6AfiRlIBby3FIdFRrF6y7hofQQuXBSUbQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chief George Burke and Captain Clayton Simon presented the police department’s annual report to the Lake Oswego City Council during the April 15 meeting, highlighting lower overall incident counts in 2024, new community-response tools, and staffing challenges.

The most important figures: the department reported roughly a 5% decrease in total incidents from 2023 to 2024. Part I crimes were down about 12% and Part II crimes fell about 29%. Captain Simon told the council the department responded to roughly 26,000 incidents in 2024; of those, 64 incidents included a display or use of force (less than one-quarter of 1% of total incidents). The department noted that an accounting change to how “display” of force is recorded reduced the apparent level of applied force when the display is counted separately from actual application.

New programs and staffing
Chief Burke described several operational changes intended to increase convenience and strengthen community service: the department recently launched online reporting for eligible non-emergency reports, and it established an unmanned aircraft (drone) program that has already been used in at least one search-and-rescue operation. The department also created or expanded a behavioral-health response function. A grant-funded behavioral-health specialist (Amber Hamrick) operates with the department and the city expects to add a grant-funded case manager to the behavioral-health unit.

On staffing, Chief Burke said retention remains a challenge and that it takes approximately a year to recruit and train a new sworn officer to full patrol duty. The department plans internal promotions to fill vacancies and has begun external recruitment for experienced detectives to bring additional investigative capacity online more quickly.

Use of force, complaints and behavioral-health work
Captain Simon emphasized that use-of-force events are rare relative to the department’s total workload and that most force incidents occur in response to calls for service rather than self-initiated contacts. In his presentation he noted a 30% increase in force incidents in the raw count but said that the change was tied to more officers responding to incidents and to how multiple subjects at one scene are counted. The department reported no serious injuries or claims related to use-of-force incidents in 2024.

Complaints against officers were stable and low: the department recorded a decrease in externally initiated complaints and few formal complaints overall. Two bias-based policing complaints were investigated and not substantiated.

Behavioral-health specialist activity rose in 2024: the specialist’s responses with officers increased 53%, phone outreach increased 36%, and responses without officers increased about 25%. The chief said the department will add a grant-funded case manager to the behavioral-health unit soon and that the city and department are coordinating cross-jurisdictional behavioral-health work with neighboring agencies.

Overdoses and public-safety trends
Chief Burke reported a decline in overdoses in the department’s recorded incidents, including a reported 75% decrease in fatal overdoses and a 50% decrease in nonfatal overdoses in the period discussed. He noted that naloxone availability and other interventions likely contribute but cautioned against drawing firm conclusions from short-term trends.

Council response
Councilors thanked the chief and captain for the presentation. Council members praised the department’s community-focused programs and emphasized retaining officers and supporting behavioral-health response as priorities. Several council members asked about how enforcement priorities are measured and how traffic- and community-engagement duties are balanced; Captain Simon described data-driven measurement (call volumes, self-initiated activity, citations, report writing) and reiterated that education is an important element of traffic enforcement.

What to watch
Recruitment and retention of officers, integration of the behavioral-health case manager, and data on use-of-force and complaints will be items councilors track going forward. The department said it will continue to share periodic updates on behavioral-health activity and staffing.","Chief George Burke and Captain Clayton Simon briefed the council on the 2024 department report: overall incidents fell, Part I crimes declined, officers launched online reporting and a drone program, and the department expanded behavioral-health response.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council tentatively approves annual community development code updates after public hearing on cottage clusters and accessory-structure rules

Lake Oswego council approves consent agenda, creates municipal grants subcommittee

Council signals support for citywide 20 mph residential limit; staff to return with ordinance and rollout plan

Lake Oswego Police report: incidents down, new programs launched and behavioral-health capacity increased