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West Linn staff says waterfront vision plan will be ready for public review in weeks
Summary
City staff said the final draft of the West Linn waterfront vision plan should be complete in about 1½–2 weeks and will return to the Planning Commission and City Council in early 2025 for endorsement; next steps include zoning/code analysis, transportation study and a finance/redevelopment plan.
West Linn — City staff told the City Council on Nov. 4 that a final draft of the waterfront vision plan is nearing completion and will be released for public review within about one to two weeks.
Darren, the staff lead on the project, reminded councilors the plan builds on community engagement conducted from 2016 through 2019 and is guided by four principles: reinvestment opportunities, increased river access, transportation improvements and preservation of historic character. "The consultant team has now been working on taking that draft vision plan and making it into a final draft vision plan, which we hope to have complete here in the next week and a half to 2 weeks," Darren said at the work session.
The staff presentation outlined the next steps after the draft is published: a broader public engagement push, additional stakeholder meetings with property owners and tribal interests, a zoning and code analysis, transportation analysis to identify needed improvements, and a finance and redevelopment plan to clarify how the vision could be implemented.
Staff noted the waterfront planning work is closely tied to the city’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district, which had previously set aside funds for projects such as a parking structure and improvements on Willamette Falls Drive. Councilors asked how the TIF plan and the waterfront vision interact; staff replied that new development in the waterfront area would increase the TIF increment available to fund infrastructure projects tied to the vision.
Council members and staff discussed outreach methods; Darren said the public-engagement phase will be driven mainly by an online survey and map-based tools, and councilors offered to help promote the survey through official channels. A planning‑area tour in Vancouver, Washington, was scheduled for Nov. 20 to give councilors additional context.
The presentation placed an expected timeline on returning the plan to the Planning Commission and City Council in early 2025 for final review and council endorsement. Once endorsed, staff said zoning and development code amendments necessary to implement the vision would follow.
