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Planning Commission reviews 2025 work plan, highlights Foothills plan, code audit and housing strategies
Summary
At a March 24 work session, the Lake Oswego City Planning Commission reviewed its proposed 2025 work plan. Staff outlined priorities including the Foothills District Plan update, tree regulation amendments, a comprehensive code audit, rezoning work tied to the Housing Production Strategy (HPS), and draft low-income rental tax-exemption work.
The Lake Oswego City Planning Commission on March 24 held a work session to review the proposed 2025 work plan and to discuss implementation steps for the city’s Housing Production Strategy (HPS). Long Range Planning Manager Olsen presented a project list and timelines and asked commissioners for direction.
Olsen told the commission staff recently issued a request for proposals for the Foothills District Plan update, with proposals expected on April 10 and staff hoping to finalize a consultant contract by June 1. He said the Foothills work will be discussed multiple times at the commission and will be incorporated into the HPS-related rezoning work to be reviewed at a larger HPS implementation update scheduled for the commission’s May 28 meeting.
The work plan presented also lists tree regulation amendments (some elements likely to require Community Development Code changes), a comprehensive code audit led by senior planner Evan Franstead (staff are exploring a Metro grant to support that work), rezoning strategies led by Michael McNamee, and consideration of a low-income rental housing tax exemption distinct from the nonprofit exemption adopted previously. Olsen said the low-income rental exemption would target rental housing and would not necessarily require nonprofit ownership, noting it was similar but distinct from the earlier nonprofit exemption.
Olsen said the city will also pursue Fair Housing policy and education work — staff had an earlier presentation from Samuel Goldberg of the Fair Housing Council of Oregon — and that the city is awaiting a formal determination from the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) on the city’s post-HPS actions. Olsen told commissioners that many strategies in the HPS include target timelines, with several items intended to be completed by the end of 2026 or 2027 to coincide with midterm reporting.
Commissioners discussed home-occupation code updates led by Michael McNamee. Olsen reported that staff ran a survey of home-occupation business-license holders and said the survey received roughly 150 responses. The commission scheduled a focused work session on home-occupation standards for April 14 and a public hearing on the code updates for May 28, when the HPS implementation update is also planned.
Olsen asked commissioners whether a formal vote on the work plan was needed; no objections were raised and he took the discussion as general affirmation to proceed. He urged commissioners that items and timelines could be revisited as projects develop.
