Lake Oswego council adopts Parks Plan 2040, directs limited edits and staff follow-up

The Lake Oswego City Council voted 6-0 Tuesday to adopt Parks Plan 2040, a nonbinding 15-year system plan that lists 124 capital projects and establishes goals for access, stewardship, recreation and resilience.

The plan is intended as a guide for future decisions and investments; Parks staff emphasized it does not commit the council or future councils to specific projects. "This is a long range plan. It is not binding," a parks staff member told the council during the presentation.

Councilors and staff framed the plan as a “compass” to guide priorities over 15 years. The document identifies systemwide goals, site-specific recommendations and a capital improvement program (CIP) that staff estimate would cost about $112,000,000 in capital investment over 15 years and roughly $8,000,000 per year in additional maintenance costs (2024 maintenance was estimated at $5,400,000). The plan’s CIP prioritizes reinvestment in existing parks and access improvements and includes shorter-term implementation actions for the next five years.

Council discussion focused on three staff follow-up items the council asked be added before the plan is finalized for the June 3 consent agenda: revised wording on the Hallmark Drive/West-side gathering-space recommendation, a clear summary of findings from the 2024 athletic-field requirements study, and a short policy statement about parks’ role in economic development and visitor services. Staff also confirmed that the city will continue to coordinate with the Lake Oswego School District on field scheduling and use.

Mayor Buck and several councilors said partnership options—such as working with the school district for shared facilities and exploring plaza or gathering-space options on the city’s west side—should remain priorities. "It may not be us acquiring more land. It may be us just partnering with other community entities," Mayor Buck said during discussion.

The parks board had forwarded a set of proposed amendments to the draft plan, including several items referencing Oswego Lake access. After extended discussion, the council declined to adopt those proposed alternatives, with multiple members saying lake access and related enforcement questions are unresolved and involve other jurisdictions. "I can't support that at this time," Councilor Afghan said of the lake-related alternatives.

Councilors praised the public engagement behind the plan: staff and consultants reported multiple statistically valid and open public surveys, eight advisory committee meetings and stakeholder workshops, plus pop-up events in parks. Consultants from MIG summarized system needs and a prioritization matrix staff used to assign project timelines and priority levels.

Implementation tools outlined in the plan include a funding “toolbox” of options (grants, partnerships, bonds, fees), a project prioritization matrix to vet future projects, and a recommended approach to incorporate the plan into future updates of system development charges.

The council made a tentative adoption motion and directed staff to return a final draft on the June 3 consent agenda incorporating the requested clarifications. The tentative adoption passed 6-0.

Votes at the meeting also approved the consent agenda and a separate resolution setting hiring procedures for the municipal judge; those formal votes are recorded separately.