Planning Commission recommends Beavercreek Road concept plan with green-standards review and parks coordination

The Oregon City Planning Commission on Nov. 12 voted unanimously to recommend that the City Commission adopt the Beavercreek Road concept plan, the supporting narrative and appendices, and related updates to Oregon City’s comprehensive plan and ancillary master plans. The motion includes creation of a Green Standards Task Force to develop green-building recommendations for residential, commercial and industrial uses and asks staff to explore an ecoenterprise zone. Commissioners also directed staff to work with Scott Archer in Parks & Community Services to clarify the appropriate parks-acreage-per-1,000-population metric to apply in the concept plan before City Commission hearings.

Staff (Tony Conkel) said the hearing was continued from Oct. 22 to allow staff to respond to four issues raised by the Herberger family and others. Staff and consultant Joe Dils recommended several changes in a November 6 memo. Key staff recommendations included: reserving approximately half of the 1,400-foot ridgeline for unobscured public access and views with flexibility to locate the other half inland to accommodate development constraints; aligning open-space and riparian protections with Goal 5 resource mapping and allowing limited non-residential, eco-friendly development below…