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Oregon City Commission denies appeal to reduce system-development charges for proposed five‑bed treatment home
Summary
After a public hearing, the commission voted 5-0 to deny an appeal by the owner of 20282 Chanticleer Drive seeking a recalculation of city SDCs for conversion to a five‑bed residential treatment home; staff said methodology follows city code and consulted partners, while the owner argued the assessment is disproportionate.
The Oregon City Commission unanimously denied an appeal Thursday from a property owner who sought a lower system‑development charge (SDC) for converting a house into a five‑bed residential treatment home.
Assistant City Engineer Josh Wheeler told the commission staff had assessed $22,558.60 in SDCs for 20282 Chanticleer Drive. Wheeler said about $14,000 of that total is a Water Environment Services charge for sewer treatment that is outside the city's authority; the city's portion totaled about $8,496.10, which includes a transportation component of roughly $4,026 and a sanitary component of about $4,470 after credits.
"We assessed SDCs using the closest comparable ITE uses — assisted living — and our sanitary methodology uses ERUs (equivalent residential units)," Wheeler said, explaining how staff calculated peak‑hour trips and ERUs.
The property owner and appellant, Chati Wakiedra, told the commission the facility will operate like a small household with five residents and one or two caregivers per shift and lacks many commercial features of an institutional assisted‑living facility. "My appeal rests on one simple principle, consistency," Wakiedra said, asking the commission to recalculate the city's portion using a residential‑scale methodology.
Commissioners asked staff about past practice; staff said the same methodology has been applied to roughly 10 similar sites over the past year. Several commissioners said the use is allowed in residential zones but constitutes a business use for development‑code purposes and supported denying the appeal. A motion to deny carried on a roll call vote, all voting aye.
Outcome and next steps: the commission denied the appeal (vote 5–0). The portion of the SDC assessed by Water Environment Services remains under that agency's authority and was noted as outside the city's power to waive.
Provenance: staff presentation and figures (Josh Wheeler) and appellant remarks (Chati Wakiedra).
