Commission hears appeal of proposed 29‑lot townhome subdivision at 19918 White Lane; no decision tonight

The Oregon City Commission held a public hearing on an appeal of the Community Development Director’s approval of a 29‑lot townhome subdivision proposed for 19918 White Lane. Appellant Chris Minich challenged the director’s decision on density, traffic, parking, road design and school capacity; staff and the applicant responded that the proposal meets applicable code standards and that the project’s impacts are within adopted thresholds.

Planning staff summarized the application and limitations on the commission’s review. Pete Walter, planning manager, said the appeal is an on‑the‑record review; the commission may not consider new evidence and is limited to issues raised during the public comment period. Walter said the site is 4.14 acres in the R‑10 zone, adjacent to the city limit and the urban growth boundary, and that about 1.2 acres are encumbered by a power‑line easement. The proposed plat shows one detached single‑family lot, eleven two‑unit townhomes (22 units) and two three‑unit townhomes (6 units), yielding a net density of about 12.4 dwelling units per acre (12.9 units per acre was also used in applicant materials when the easement area was excluded).

The appellant, Chris Minich, contested the introduction of attached townhomes into a…