Planning staff backs rezoning of 4000 Cruise Way Place; neighbors urge pause for citywide study

The Lake Oswego Planning Commission heard a quasi‑judicial application Thursday to amend the comprehensive plan map from OCR‑3 to OCR‑0 and rezone the parcels at 4000 Cruise Way Place from OC to R0, a change staff says would allow higher‑density residential uses.

Senior planner Ellen Davis told the commission the record shows the site is ‘‘in close proximity to Boones Ferry Road’’ and has adequate water, sewer and transportation capacity. She said staff reviewed technical memos and determined even under an ‘‘absolute worst case scenario’’ the public infrastructure is adequate. ‘‘Looking at those applicable criteria and the applicant submittal, staff find that the applicable criteria are met, and we recommend approval,’’ Davis said.

The applicant, led by Jed Brush of Shorenstein and land‑use attorney Dana Krafchak, framed the request as consistent with the city’s adopted housing work. Krafchak pointed to the city’s housing capacity analysis and the Housing Production Strategy and argued rezoning nonresidential land is an appropriate tool to create a pipeline of housing that can take several years to deliver. The applicant’s team also cited a traffic memo and conceptual utility plan as evidence that the site could support residential development.

Neighbors and neighborhood association representatives opposed the change. Carolyn Kreps, speaking for the Lake Forest Neighborhood Association, said the applicant ‘‘has not met its burden of proof’’ under the cited comprehensive plan policies and warned the private market alone will not deliver the amount of low‑income housing the city’s HPS calls for. Waluga Neighborhood Association representative Cheryl Uchida said zone changes of this magnitude ‘‘should not be approved without the input of a community‑wide effort’’ and urged the commission to wait for the forthcoming citywide rezoning study. Westlake resident Christina Cruz raised concerns about school overcrowding, traffic and parking, saying several nearby schools are already at or near capacity.

Several public commenters pointed to trees and habitat on the site. Commissioners asked staff whether a formal inventory of Oregon white oaks exists; Davis said none has been completed and that a tree inventory would be required at a later development review stage. Staff noted the site contains a stream corridor and that future development would be subject to the tree code in effect at the time of a development application.

Krafchak responded to public concerns by emphasizing the procedural role of the commission in quasi‑judicial matters: ‘‘You’re acting as judges. You’re obligated under state law to make a decision on the application before you tonight.’’ She reiterated staff had notified the school district and that, in staff’s follow‑up contact, the district reported no overall capacity shortfall.

Rather than decide the application at the meeting, the commission agreed to close oral testimony and leave the written record open for additional written evidence. The commission’s schedule set new written testimony due by 5 p.m. on Nov. 3, rebuttal to that new testimony due by 5 p.m. on Nov. 10, and any final written argument by the applicant due by 5 p.m. on Nov. 17. The hearing was continued for deliberation on Dec. 8 at 6:30 p.m.; staff said findings would be prepared afterward for formal action.

Votes at a glance - Motion to approve minutes (09/08/2025): motion and second recorded; aye(s) recorded in the transcript; outcome: approved (record shows affirmative voice votes). - Motion to approve minutes (09/22/2025): motion and second recorded; transcript records one abstention; outcome: approved with one abstention. - LU 25‑0029 (4000 Cruise Way Place) public hearing: no final decision; commission closed oral testimony and held written record open with Nov. 3–17 deadlines and a Dec. 8 deliberation date.

Next steps: written evidence may be filed by the public and applicant per the schedule; the commission will reconvene Dec. 8 for deliberation on the written record and staff‑prepared findings may follow for formal recommendation.