Lake Oswego planning commission reviews rezoning plan to help meet housing shortfall

Lake Oswego Planning Commission members heard a presentation on the city’s Rezoning for Housing project at a May work session, where staff outlined a consultant‑led analysis, a public‑engagement plan and a timeline that runs through mid‑2027 into 2028. Associate Planner Michael McNamee presented the background, legal context and proposed outreach.

“This is an update on the rezoning for housing project,” McNamee said, explaining that the city’s 2023 housing needs analysis (HNA) showed “a development capacity of just under 2,000 units” and that the state now recalculates need for jurisdictions under House Bill 2001. McNamee said the city received a DLCD housing planning assistance grant and has contracted Cascadia Partners to support technical work; the consultant’s work must be completed before the state’s biennial budget cycle ends on 06/30/2027.

McNamee described the planned project flow: an existing‑conditions analysis and a methodology to select focus areas, with the methodology expected in August–October 2026, rezoning concepts developed in early 2027, a zoning alternatives report by June 2027 and drafting and adoption of map and code amendments later in 2027 or early 2028. Staff emphasized that the effort is intended to identify areas primarily in commercial, mixed‑use or other nonresidential zones where more housing capacity could be added, not to convert neighborhoods currently built for single‑family homes.

Commissioners pressed staff about what the city wants from public engagement beyond opposition, seeking clarity about the methodology and the tradeoffs the public should consider. One commissioner said the engagement should make clear the stakes, arguing that showing the consequences of inaction can reduce opposition. “We can do this the hard way or the easy way,” the commissioner said, urging a two‑way information exchange that includes explaining state expectations.

Staff outlined four core outreach approaches: at least two open houses or workshops (with a contingency for a third), up to 10 stakeholder interviews split across early and later stages, community surveys to reach those who cannot attend meetings, and online communications including a project page and listserv. Commissioners suggested additional tactics such as targeted survey questions about where housing might strengthen underperforming commercial areas and, as one commissioner proposed, a 30‑minute bus tour to observe nearby communities where housing projects have succeeded.

On scope, a commissioner asked whether the project would evaluate land outside city limits. McNamee said the rezoning exercise will focus on land within the Lake Oswego city limits; expanding the urban growth boundary would require a separate, multi‑jurisdictional and infrastructure‑intensive process.

The meeting also included routine business: the commission approved the April 27 minutes and recognized staff member Iris McCaleb on her last meeting. “I’ve been with the city for a little over 28 years,” McCaleb said, thanking commissioners and staff.

Next steps: staff and the consultant will finish the existing‑conditions work and draft a public‑involvement strategy for commission feedback; critical milestones include focus‑area methodology in late 2026 and a zoning alternatives report by June 2027. The planning commission’s upcoming schedule includes a June 8 hearing on tree regulations and a Foothills District update, and staff said the rezoning project will return to the commission for review at key stages.