Planning commission reviews Foothills District engagement plan; council to consider citizen advisory committee appointments

Lake Oswego Planning Commission members spent their Aug. 25 meeting on a work session for the Foothills District Plan update (PP25‑0005), where the city’s long‑range planning manager and a consultant team presented a public‑involvement strategy and the expected project milestones.

The session focused on outreach methods, the planned Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) and Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), how a smaller wastewater treatment facility affects site opportunity, and the need to address transit and inclusion as the project moves from analysis to concept alternatives.

Eric Olsen, the city’s long‑range planning manager, introduced the presentation and said the project team had recently put a consultant under contract and prepared an outreach strategy. "We're here to present to you, this is our, I think, our second official sort of work session dedicated to this project," Olsen said, noting the team’s progress over the summer.

Will Grama, principal of First 40 Feet, the prime consultant, summarized the engagement approach and team roles. "We're extroverts. We love to talk to people," Grama said, describing a discovery phase the consultants expect to run over several months. Jason Graff, also a principal at First 40 Feet, said the team will produce a framework plan and engagement “guidebook” that sets rules for outreach and how the project will communicate with stakeholders.

Why it matters: relocation and downsizing of the existing TriMet Creek wastewater treatment facility reduces the acreage it occupies and opens areas of the Foothills for rethinking land use, circulation and possible housing or park expansions. Commissioners emphasized early, targeted outreach to groups that historically do not participate in land‑use processes and pressed for clarity about prior work from the 2012 Foothills effort that stalled.

Key details

- Project and team: The effort is titled the Foothills District Plan update (PP25‑0005). First 40 Feet leads urban design; Aiko Northwest will handle economic feasibility; Apex Engineering will provide infrastructure and existing‑conditions analysis; DHM Research will run focus groups and surveys; Booking Group will assist with code amendments later in the process; DCW will do cost estimating. These firm names and roles were described by First 40 Feet representatives.

- CAC and TAC: Staff said they will bring a resolution to city council on Sept. 2 to appoint 15 CAC members. Olsen said the CAC will include two members under age 18 and two non‑voting representatives; Commissioner Najak was named the planning commission representative, and Mayor Buck was mentioned as likely to be the council representative. The TAC will include representatives from outside agencies such as ODOT, TriMet and Metro.

- Outreach approach: The consultants outlined an engagement “toolkit” including targeted focus groups, pop‑ups at community events, surveys and a project website used for progress updates. Olsen and the consultants emphasized meeting people where they already gather, tailoring methods to stakeholder groups and documenting how feedback is used. The consultants said they plan to use DHM for baseline polling and later pulse checks at key milestones.

- Equity and inclusion: Commissioners asked how the team will reach youth, low‑income households and renters. Olson and the consultants said they have an iterative stakeholder identification matrix and that targeted methods will be selected for each group. Olsen confirmed the CAC resolution will include at least one member with DEI expertise.

- Wastewater facility and site constraints: The team explained the wastewater plant’s relocation and downsizing is a primary reason for revisiting the plan. Olsen said the plant’s footprint is expected to shrink (the presentation cited a reduction “from, like, 13 to, something like 8, acres”), which creates new planning options; he noted topography, utilities and rail and Highway 43 crossings remain important constraints to access and circulation.

- Transit and mobility: Commissioners pressed that meaningful transit and multimodal access will be necessary if the district is expected to add housing. The presentation team said TriMet and other agencies will be engaged and that the plan will include recommendations to improve crossings of Highway 43, pedestrian/bike access and possible transit service improvements.

- Schedule and milestones: The consultants described a project broken into initiation/discovery, opportunities & constraints, concept alternatives, schematic refinements and a draft framework plan that will be reviewed by the CAC, TAC, planning commission and city council. Olsen and consultants estimated a year for much of the outreach and early deliverables but the longer adoption and code amendment phases extend beyond that.

Discussion highlights and next steps

Commissioners asked for a concise briefing on the 2012 Foothills effort and why it stalled; staff said they will prepare materials so commissioners are not caught unprepared in future work sessions. Commissioners also suggested a site visit to view topography, the existing wastewater facility footprint and access barriers. Staff said they will bring CAC appointment materials to council on Sept. 2 and aim to have the TAC established by mid‑September.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of minutes (Aug. 11, 2025): Commissioners moved and seconded a motion to approve the minutes as written; the chair called the vote and the minutes were approved by voice vote. (No mover/second named in the meeting record.)

Informal volunteer noted

During "other business," a commissioner volunteered to participate in a one‑time focus group on proposed tree regulation amendments. Staff will follow up to schedule that focus group in September.

What remains open

No land‑use decisions, rezones or code amendments were finalized at this meeting. The session was a work session focused on engagement strategy and project scoping. Upcoming actions identified by staff include the council resolution to appoint the CAC, TAC formation and subsequent public outreach milestones. The planning commission will receive future work sessions and hearings as concepts and draft documents are developed.

Quote attribution note: Direct quotes in this article are drawn from the meeting transcript and are attributed only to speakers who spoke on the Foothills item during the Aug. 25, 2025 Planning Commission meeting.