McLaughlin residents press Oregon City to ease surprise sidewalk costs; commission sets public hearing

Residents of the McLaughlin neighborhood urged the Oregon City City Commission on Aug. 6 to provide financial and procedural relief after roughly 60 properties learned they face sidewalk-repair orders that could cost homeowners thousands of dollars.

At a public-comment block that ran into the general-business discussion, Tim Powell, chair of the McLaughlin Neighborhood Association, told the commission the group had been awarded a $2,500 Metro enhancement grant for printing but that the grant contract unexpectedly required a $2 million liability-policy endorsement. Powell asked the commission to exempt his association from that insurance requirement so it could collect the grant money.

The more sustained testimony focused on sidewalks. Tyson Brown, an Oregon City resident, said more than 60 properties in a roughly four-block area were being required to replace decades-old sections of sidewalk and that many affected residents are elderly and unable to pay. “I have neighbors who fear potential liens being put on their houses because they cannot afford these surprise sidewalk repairs,” Brown said. He told the commission the neighborhood wants lower permit fees, a longer timeline, and an expansion of the city’s tree-reimbursement program so repairs not caused by street trees would qualify.

Resident Michael Sugar and others pressed the city to consider bulk-permitting options, permit-fee reductions and staged reimbursements. James Desita asked whether property owners are legally responsible under federal law for sidewalk corners; a staff reply on the record was: “They are not.” Several speakers said they had explored Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) options with Clackamas County staff but were told that additional funding would not be available until 2026.

Commissioners discussed a range of possible responses but did not adopt a final policy at the meeting. Commissioners asked staff to return with more information and said they would hold a public hearing on the sidewalk issue at the commission meeting scheduled for Aug. 20. Mayor McGriff said staff would report back with options such as extending repair timelines, expanding grinding allowances, revising permit procedures for grouped repairs, and evaluating whether to expand the tree-reimbursement program to cover additional causes of sidewalk failure.

Commissioners and residents raised several options for further study: a short-term moratorium on permit fees, a no-interest city loan program for homeowners with multiple panels to repair, bulk contracting through the city to reduce contractor/permitting costs, and potential changes to enforcement priorities to avoid the perception that ordinance enforcement could be “weaponized” against neighbors.

Why it matters: The discussion highlights an immediate financial pressure on elderly and lower-income homeowners in a concentrated neighborhood and shows the commission directing staff to develop equitable, implementable options before a public hearing on Aug. 20.

What’s next: The commission set a public hearing for Aug. 20 to take additional testimony and directed staff to return with a more detailed set of options, including costs and implementation constraints.

Votes and formal actions from the Aug. 6 meeting related to this agenda topic were procedural: the commission scheduled a public hearing and requested staff follow-up rather than adopting a new fee or program at this meeting.