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Council approves Foothills plan contract, forms community advisory committee with chamber seat
Summary
The Lake Oswego City Council authorized a professional services contract with consultant team First 40 Feet for the Foothills District plan update and approved an ad hoc community advisory committee that was amended to include a business/chamber representative.
The Lake Oswego City Council on June 17 authorized the city manager to sign a professional services agreement with consultant First 40 Feet not to exceed $623,000 to update the Foothills District Framework Plan and approved an ad hoc Foothills District Community Advisory Committee (CAC) with an added business/chamber representative.
The action responded to a staff presentation by the city’s long-range planning manager, who said the contract is supported in part by a Metro grant and described the consultant team’s emphasis on economic analysis, 3-D visualization and robust in-person engagement. Council voted 6-0 to authorize the manager to sign the contract.
Why it matters: The Foothills District has been the subject of earlier planning work and intermittent effort; staff and the consultant team told council they want an approach that balances economic feasibility and long‑term urban design while expanding community engagement beyond stakeholders and property owners. Councilors pressed for broader public outreach methods and for options to bring youth and business voices into the process.
Key details: Staff said the Metro grant that supports the work is “a little under $750,000,” with roughly $623,000 contract funds going to the consultant and about $110,000 budgeted for internal city staff time. The consultant team includes a polling firm (DHM) to produce statistically valid survey results as part of the outreach program, and staff listed several named subcontractors who will provide code-writing and economic analysis expertise.
Community advisory committee: Council also approved resolution 25-33 to create an ad hoc CAC to guide the plan update. Staff described the committee as a roughly 10-session body to run from fall 2025 into mid‑2027 and said membership would combine resident and technical perspectives: a nonvoting council representative, a planning commission nonvoting representative, residents from the Foothills neighborhood, youth members (under 18), professionals with urban-design or infrastructure experience, and representatives with sustainability or DEI expertise. Council amended the resolution at the meeting to add a business community/chamber of commerce seat; the amended motion passed 6-0.
Council discussion: Councilors asked for (and staff confirmed) significant in-person engagement, targeted outreach to business owners and downtown merchants, use of DHM polling to obtain statistically sound results, and coordination with ODOT and TriMet on transportation issues tied to Highway 43. Several councilors urged that youth appointments be structured so high‑school students can serve meaningfully across years. Staff said technical advisory committee membership will include state and regional transportation partners and that the CAC will work with that technical group.
Next steps: Staff said they will return with a public‑involvement strategy and that recruitment for the CAC will begin immediately, with appointments scheduled for the Sept. 2 council meeting. The council will later review deliverables, including community engagement products and draft plan alternatives.
