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Planning commission reviews tree regulation code concepts aimed at protecting canopy while easing housing barriers
Summary
Consultants and staff presented four code concepts to implement state-required clear-and-objective standards for some residential tree removals, incentives for preservation, streamlined appeals, and a moderate‑risk exemption; the commission generally supported a two‑track approach and directed staff to produce case studies and draft code.
Consultants for the City of Lake Oswego presented preliminary regulatory concepts Dec. 8, 2025 for updating the city's tree cutting and preservation rules, saying the effort will implement state requirements for clear‑and‑objective standards while aiming to preserve the city's roughly 53% tree canopy.
Sarah Goldstein of Cascadia Partners outlined four interrelated concepts the project team wants the commission's feedback on: establishing a clear‑and‑objective permitting track for residential development, creating incentives to preserve trees, streamlining the notice and appeals process, and making permitting consistent across development and nondevelopment uses.
On the first concept, Goldstein described a three‑part approach. Part one would let applicants choose one of two objective retention metrics — retain a percentage of total healthy trees on a lot or retain a percentage of total DBH (diameter at breast height). "We want to keep the focus on whether…
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