Lebanon council upholds staff interpretation allowing trail development in low-density residential zones

The City Council on July 9 upheld the planning commission's interpretation that public recreational trails identified in the Trails Master Plan are authorized in the low-density residential (RL) zone when they are implemented as part of the city's park system.

City staff told council the Trails Master Plan and the comprehensive plan both prioritize trail alignment along natural features such as creeks and the Albany Canal and identify trails as part of the parks system. Staff said the municipal development code contains both an explicit land-use entry for "recreational trails" (a use type that may be listed as not permitted in some zones) and a separate land-use description for "other public uses" (parks, recreational facilities, open space, pedestrian amenities). To avoid a…