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Record of Proceedings

Cornelius Planning Commission Meeting – January 27, 2026: Appointment and Transportation System Plan Amendment

City Council — Tuesday, January 27, 2026

BodyCornelius, Oregon

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, January 27, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 56:53

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0:06

Ladies and gentlemen, it is January 27th, 2026, 7 p.m., and it is time to convene the uh Cornelius Planning Commission to order.

0:17

We are in the council chambers of the city of Cornelius.

0:21

We have one major item on the agenda tonight.

0:25

Um, and uh we will be going getting to that in a few moments.

0:29

Um glad to have everybody here.

0:31

If uh staff could call roll, I would appreciate that commissioner Baker.

0:40

Present.

0:41

Commissioner Hinze?

0:43

Present.

0:44

Vice Chair Owens.

0:46

Present.

0:46

Chair Waffle.

0:47

Present.

0:48

All present.

0:49

All right, then so we uh we have um uh no new uh city council minutes to sign.

0:57

I just uh signed off on five sets that we approved at the last meeting.

1:01

So we are uh uh we are uh moved uh right along and gotten caught up.

1:08

Um our uh piece of new business is we have a uh person that wants to uh uh uh be a member of the planning commission and the budget committee, I would know.

1:19

Two good choices.

1:20

Um the uh and so uh uh Sam, if you want to come up, um the uh we uh we will ask a few gentle questions about your interest.

1:32

We uh we do appreciate it.

1:34

Uh uh it's uh it's a fun group.

1:37

We we enjoy the work that we do, and uh um so um why don't you start out introducing yourself, a little description and just a general why are you interested?

1:50

Yeah, and then we'll get in some specifics.

1:52

Uh so Sam Dowrole, I've actually lived in Cornelius for 30 years now at the same house.

1:58

So I'm over on uh South 28th, and uh you know for a long period of time there wasn't that much development going on, but recently there's more development.

2:07

So I thought, you know, I I need I should get involved since I've been here and you know put down some pretty good roots in uh Cornelius here.

2:16

And so uh that's that's what piqued my interest.

2:19

Plus, you know, the new development there at the Laurel Woods, and then um in the Hillsborough school parcel that now is going to be development, and then inside town too.

2:29

And so really wanted to join and be a part and making you know Cornelius better and stuff.

2:34

And so as far as my history goes, when I was in uh my early 20s, my dad and my brother and I we actually built a house, an 1800 square foot two-story house from the ground up.

2:47

So I I did the uh you know work uh with my brother and my dad doing the electrical, the plumbing, the framing, the roofing, the finish carpentry, and we passed the inspections all the way all through and and also got the final inspection.

3:03

So, you know, familiar with reading blueprints and and aspects of construction.

3:08

We also did the the foundation.

3:10

The only thing we subbed out was digging and placing the septic tank and the leech lines and roughing in the foundation.

3:16

The rest was all done by us.

3:18

So that was a neat experience.

3:22

And so I thought, yeah, and I've been, you know, life goes on, you get get a job, get busy, and so uh haven't had time to be a part of the government, you know, Cornelius.

3:32

But uh I thought now's a good time to start joining.

3:36

That's great.

3:37

Commissioners, do you have some questions for Sam?

3:42

Sure.

3:43

Sam, uh, what would you like to see differently in Cornelius?

3:47

And what would you like to see stay the same?

3:50

Well, differently, you know, um we just recently had the open house for the changes in uh the streets, you know, the the uh bump in or bump outs or whatever for uh like 26 uh 26th Avenue and at uh 20th.

4:06

And when I saw those plans, I was a little concerned because over on 12th in Dogwood, you know, we narrowed down those streets and we put the con uh steel poles around there.

4:15

So if you actually had a pulling a trailer and you tried to turn right or left, you'd be really challenged to make those turns.

4:23

And for me, I have a 36-foot RV.

4:27

If I go south down 26th Avenue and turn left on Dogwood with those bump outs, it would cause a major concern of making that turn.

4:37

And so I thought, you know, I should I'd be able to help out and you know guide them in the right way.

4:43

Now the mayor said, oh, these are just engineering proposals, and they you know that's why they had the open house, but I thought, you know, I should probably be a part and and help out early on.

4:54

So what is your professional background?

5:02

So I'm uh I've been an engineering manager for uh over 25 years now.

5:06

So software basically is uh where I started software development and then moved into management, and I have several engineers that report to me.

5:16

Also manage engineers worldwide.

5:19

So I had some people reporting to me in Malaysia and then down in Chandler, and uh so I work for a large company here in Hillsborough, so they're global.

5:30

Uh so I've been worldwide visiting all the sites.

5:34

Uh actually been around the world three times and one trip.

5:37

So one trip, going completely around and uh three separate trips.

5:42

So went completely west one trip and going east two trips.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Transportation Safety█████████████████████████████████33%

Engineering And Infrastructure██████████████████████22%

Procedural██████████████████18%

Public Engagement█████████9%

Land Use████████8%

Personnel Matters██████6%

Public Safety███3%

Parks and Recreation█1%

Summary of Proceedings

Cornelius Planning Commission Meeting – January 27, 2026

The Cornelius Planning Commission convened on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 7:00 PM in the city council chambers. All four commissioners were present (Baker, Hinze, Owens, Waffle). The meeting consisted of an appointment interview and unanimous recommendation for Sam Dowrole to the planning commission and budget committee, followed by a public hearing and unanimous recommendation to approve a minor transportation system plan map amendment (CPMA 2025-1) that shifts a collector designation from South 29th Boulevard to Southwest 345th Avenue.

Public Comments & Testimony

Sam Dowrole (appointment interview): A 30-year Cornelius resident (South 28th Avenue) and engineering manager with 25+ years in software. He expressed interest in serving on the planning commission and budget committee, citing recent local developments (Laurel Woods, Hillsborough school parcel) and a desire to help guide growth. He noted concerns about street bump-outs on 26th Avenue and Dogwood that could impede large vehicles like his 36-foot RV.
Sam Dowrole (public testimony during hearing): As an audience member, asked whether the originally planned 12-foot sidewalk connecting Laurel Woods to the railroad walking path would still be provided on 345th Avenue. Staff confirmed pedestrian and bicycle accommodations will be included in future design.

Discussion Items

Appointment of Sam Dowrole: Commissioners questioned Mr. Dowrole on his vision for Cornelius, professional background, and hands-on construction experience (building a house with his family). No conflicts of interest were declared. The commission unanimously recommended his appointment to the city council, with the item to appear on the March 2 city council agenda (as noted by staff, due to publication deadlines).
Minor Transportation System Plan Map Amendment CPMA 2025-1: Staff (Barbara, Community Development Director) presented the proposal to remove the collector designation from South 29th Boulevard north of Dogwood Street and place it on Southwest 345th Avenue from Dogwood Street north to Tualatin Valley Highway.
- Background: The original 29th collector was part of a 2014 grand bargain (House Bill 4068). The alignment became infeasible due to a significant grade differential with the railroad, railroad demands (lower tracks, close crossings), and escalating costs (from $7.1 million in 2023 to $14 million post-COVID, while only $6 million in transportation development funds were collected). A planned water tank site was also abandoned. Community outreach showed overwhelming support for opening 345th as an outlet.
- Applicant testimony: Melissa Slotomaker (AKS Engineering, representing Holt Homes) emphasized that the shift is a common-sense improvement: it reduces conflicts with the rail line, provides better collector spacing (consistent with other collectors spaced ~1,200–2,000 feet apart), uses land more efficiently, and removes an awkward collector-to-local connection (29th to Alpine Road).
- Commissioner questions: Chair Waffle asked about lane widths for farm equipment; staff clarified that design details (lane width, bike lanes) are not part of this map amendment and will be determined later by the city engineer. Commissioner Owens declared ex parte contact (works at Yorchards Elementary on 26th Avenue) but no audience objection was raised. Commissioner Hinze noted attending prior city council discussions but felt no bias. Staff reiterated that the amendment does not preclude future local streets and is only a designation change.

Key Outcomes

Unanimous vote (4-0) to recommend Sam Dowrole’s appointment to the planning commission and budget committee to the city council. The item will be on the March 2, 2026 city council agenda.
Unanimous vote (4-0) to recommend approval of the minor transportation system plan map amendment (CPMA 2025-1) to the city council. The motion was based on the staff report, findings, and testimony. The council will hold a public hearing and consider adopting the amendment by ordinance.
The next planning commission meeting is scheduled for February 24, 2026 at 7:00 PM in the council chambers, with no work session. The commission expects to review amendments to the municipal code in March.

Meeting Transcript

Ladies and gentlemen, it is January 27th, 2026, 7 p.m., and it is time to convene the uh Cornelius Planning Commission to order. We are in the council chambers of the city of Cornelius. We have one major item on the agenda tonight. Um, and uh we will be going getting to that in a few moments. Um glad to have everybody here. If uh staff could call roll, I would appreciate that commissioner Baker. Present. Commissioner Hinze? Present. Vice Chair Owens. Present. Chair Waffle. Present. All present. All right, then so we uh we have um uh no new uh city council minutes to sign. I just uh signed off on five sets that we approved at the last meeting. So we are uh uh we are uh moved uh right along and gotten caught up. Um our uh piece of new business is we have a uh person that wants to uh uh uh be a member of the planning commission and the budget committee, I would know. Two good choices. Um the uh and so uh uh Sam, if you want to come up, um the uh we uh we will ask a few gentle questions about your interest. We uh we do appreciate it. Uh uh it's uh it's a fun group. We we enjoy the work that we do, and uh um so um why don't you start out introducing yourself, a little description and just a general why are you interested? Yeah, and then we'll get in some specifics. Uh so Sam Dowrole, I've actually lived in Cornelius for 30 years now at the same house. So I'm over on uh South 28th, and uh you know for a long period of time there wasn't that much development going on, but recently there's more development. So I thought, you know, I I need I should get involved since I've been here and you know put down some pretty good roots in uh Cornelius here. And so uh that's that's what piqued my interest. Plus, you know, the new development there at the Laurel Woods, and then um in the Hillsborough school parcel that now is going to be development, and then inside town too. And so really wanted to join and be a part and making you know Cornelius better and stuff. And so as far as my history goes, when I was in uh my early 20s, my dad and my brother and I we actually built a house, an 1800 square foot two-story house from the ground up. So I I did the uh you know work uh with my brother and my dad doing the electrical, the plumbing, the framing, the roofing, the finish carpentry, and we passed the inspections all the way all through and and also got the final inspection. So, you know, familiar with reading blueprints and and aspects of construction. We also did the the foundation. The only thing we subbed out was digging and placing the septic tank and the leech lines and roughing in the foundation. The rest was all done by us. So that was a neat experience. And so I thought, yeah, and I've been, you know, life goes on, you get get a job, get busy, and so uh haven't had time to be a part of the government, you know, Cornelius. But uh I thought now's a good time to start joining. That's great. Commissioners, do you have some questions for Sam? Sure. Sam, uh, what would you like to see differently in Cornelius? And what would you like to see stay the same? Well, differently, you know, um we just recently had the open house for the changes in uh the streets, you know, the the uh bump in or bump outs or whatever for uh like 26 uh 26th Avenue and at uh 20th. And when I saw those plans, I was a little concerned because over on 12th in Dogwood, you know, we narrowed down those streets and we put the con uh steel poles around there. So if you actually had a pulling a trailer and you tried to turn right or left, you'd be really challenged to make those turns. And for me, I have a 36-foot RV. If I go south down 26th Avenue and turn left on Dogwood with those bump outs, it would cause a major concern of making that turn. And so I thought, you know, I should I'd be able to help out and you know guide them in the right way.

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