Tualatin council rezones 8.3-acre Norwood site for medium‑low residential use after tree, traffic debate

TUALATIN, Ore. — The Tualatin City Council voted unanimously Dec. 9 to rezone an 8.3‑acre site at 23370 SW Boones Ferry Road from institutional (IN) to medium‑low density residential (RML), clearing the way for future townhouse and cottage‑cluster development on land owned by Horizon Community Church.

Assistant planner Madeline Nelson told the council that Westlake Consultants, on behalf of Norwood Horizon Holdings and Horizon Community Church, filed the plan‑map amendment (case PMA24‑04). Nelson said the applicant’s analysis finds the change consistent with the city comprehensive plan, Oregon statewide planning goals and the Transportation Planning Rule, and that the Tualatin City Engineer and the Planning Commission recommended approval.

The proposal drew lengthy staff and applicant presentations explaining why townhouses and cottage clusters would add housing diversity and meet objectives in Tualatin’s housing needs analysis. Developer Ken Allen said his team spent more than a year holding neighborhood meetings and outreach, and that the project team “invested in websites and news articles and contacting, spending time directly with individuals” to shape the proposal.

The Planning Commission chair, Kevin Beers, told council the commission “unanimously recommend[ed] approval of this plan map amendment,” and that staff and the applicant had answered…