Oregon City residents urge moratorium on Holcomb Boulevard development, cite evacuation dangers

Residents of Park Place and nearby neighborhoods pressed the Oregon City Commission on evacuation safety and local infrastructure during public comments at the commission's February meeting, saying previous wildfire evacuations exposed narrow roads and chokepoints that would worsen with more housing.

The most detailed testimony came from James Nasita, who said state laws have eroded local decisionmaking but asked the commission to preserve citizens' charter rights regarding urban renewal votes. Residents Mary Ann Lee, Tom Guile and others described the September 2020 evacuation that they said took "over an hour" to reach I‑205 from Holcomb Boulevard and urged the city to require completed infrastructure before approving more housing along that route.

Why it matters: Speakers said Holcomb Boulevard and associated side streets have limited capacity and that additional development without guaranteed road or bridge improvements could create life‑safety risks in a future evacuation. Several speakers asked the city to require a traffic study, ensure alternative evacuation routes and secure funding or developer guarantees for infrastructure work before new home approvals proceed.

Residents gave specifics. Mary Ann Lee said an expedited land‑division application would add "50 units along Holcomb Boulevard" and that the city’s Park Place concept shows extensions of Swan Avenue and Holly Lane but no firm timeline for construction. Tom Guile, president of the Trail View Heights HOA, said Winston Drive provides a single half‑block access for more than 100 homes and recalled people abandoning cars during other regional fires.

Speakers also raised related policy questions: whether the city should declare a temporary moratorium on development along the corridor until a safe evacuation plan is completed; how urban renewal funds are being used; and whether county or state transportation agencies should share costs for road improvements. The commission acknowledged the residents’ submissions and the mayor said the specific development cited was not on the commission’s agenda that night and staff had received the letters for review.

The commission also received a Clackamas Fire District message noting a recent active incident at the Blue Heron site, thanking first responders, and saying the district will schedule virtual briefings to update stakeholders.

The commission did not take a development moratorium vote at the meeting but asked staff to accept and review the submitted materials.