Lake Oswego City Council Meeting Summary - January 6, 2026
Lake Oswego City Council Meeting Summary - January 6, 2026
The Lake Oswego City Council met on January 6, 2026, at 8:00 AM UTC (actual meeting start time was in the evening local time). The agenda included public comments, updates on pedestrian improvement projects, the Foothills District vision, an economic development strategy, and a stormwater management manual update. The council voted unanimously to approve revisions to the stormwater manual and discussed forming a subcommittee to advance economic development priorities.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Wheelchair user (speaker not named) described dangerous crossing at the Williamette Shore trolley tracks, requiring complex maneuvers that take 15-30 seconds, leaving them in a hazardous position. They also noted the crossing is dangerous for visually impaired individuals due to missing tactile pavers, and requested installation of the three missing pavers.
- Matt Johnson (Lake Oswego Swim Club) reported that the club has 255 swimmers, 92% of whom live in Lake Oswego. He stated that the move from Lake Oswego High School pool to LORAC has resulted in lack of lane availability, forcing most squads to practice at Lewis & Clark College, which will be closed in April and May. He argued that LORAC's lap lanes are underutilized and that concentrated use by the swim club would optimize pool usage. He also emphasized swimming as a public safety issue, noting it is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1-4 and second for ages 4-14.
- Deborah Davis urged the council to craft and sign a letter strongly renouncing the federal government's violation of international rule of law, citing the recent invasion of a sovereign country and the five-year anniversary of the January 6 attack. She called for the letter to be published in local newspapers.
- Jeff Goodman (Oswego Heritage Council) invited the council and public to a grand reopening of the exhibit hall on Friday, January 16 at 7:00 PM, following a bequest-funded infrastructure upgrade.
- Tom Kurtz (Lake Oswego Water Polo, LOPO) stated the program has 160 kids, the vast majority being Lake Oswego residents. He highlighted limited pool time at LORAC, forcing teams to travel to distant outdoor pools (e.g., Elks Lodge in Milwaukee) in winter. Proposed solutions: extending pool hours to 9:30 PM, reworking the contract with the district to allow shared use of the competition pool during high school, and designating lap swim in blocks.
- Corinne Beaumont (LOPO administrator) echoed Kurtz's concerns, noting that LOPO is an inclusive program that does not cut players. She stressed the need for deep water for water polo training and reiterated the three proposed solutions: extended hours, shared competition pool, and block scheduling for lap swim.
- Dorothy Atwood (Lake Oswego Sustainability Network, LOSN) expressed support for the Foothills district redevelopment. She requested the council evaluate a clean energy district, leverage the wastewater treatment plant for district heating and water reuse, include electric vehicle infrastructure, and ensure pedestrian/bike-friendly pathways with diverse high-density housing including middle-income and affordable options.
Discussion Items
Pedestrian Improvement Projects Update
- Assistant City Engineer Mort Anisharani and Senior Associate Engineer Heka Shipton presented an update on three recently completed sidewalk projects: Lakeview Boulevard, Treetop, and Meadowlark. Since 2022, the city has designed and constructed over two miles of sidewalk in six neighborhoods, focusing on safe routes to school.
- Lakeview Boulevard: Full scope included 0.5 miles of new concrete sidewalk, nearly one mile of reconstructed roadway, new stormwater pipe and treatment system. Total construction cost was $4.8 million. The project addressed frequent flooding and included a raised mid-block crossing near Lake Grove Swim Park. Challenges included rock excavation and coordination with residents.
- Treetop and Meadowlark: Treetop sidewalk length was 1,400 feet; Meadowlark and Overlook combined was 900 feet. The projects required flexible construction to accommodate resident access (e.g., electric vehicles, Airbnb). The team added a 200-foot connection along Overlook Drive to close a gap.
- Upcoming projects: Carmen Drive, Pilkington Road, and McEwen Road near River Grove Elementary. Carmen Drive construction is expected to start in spring 2026 with completion by August; McEwen Road sidewalk construction anticipated summer 2026.
- Council members praised the engineering team's communication and quality of work, noting no complaints received.
Foothills District Vision and Goals
- Long-range planning staff and consultants from First Forty Feet presented an overview of the inventory and analysis phase, including existing conditions, opportunities, and constraints. Key themes from community engagement: improving access and connectivity, desire for mixed-use development, fear of losing public access to the waterfront, and the need for a connection to downtown.
- Access: The project team emphasized that secondary vehicular access is critical for safety and redevelopment. Two potential north access points were discussed: through the public storage site (2012 plan) or connecting to Terwilliger Boulevard, which would create a four-way intersection but require a costly bridge over Tryon Creek. The culvert project at Tryon Creek, previously led by the Bureau of Environmental Services, is in limbo; the city may need to step in to maintain progress on fish habitat.
- Floodplain and Cut/Fill: The project team recommended a district-wide balance of cut and fill to avoid building in the floodplain. The old wastewater treatment plant site could provide fill for development areas, while lower areas could be used for park expansion or parking. Environmental protections, especially for Tryon Creek and salmon habitat, were deemed important.
- Land Use and Intensity: Council members expressed support for a mix of housing (including market-rate options for downsizing seniors) and commercial ground floors, but cautioned that financial feasibility must be assessed early. The formation of an urban renewal area and sequencing of public investments (e.g., secondary access) were highlighted as key to catalyzing private development.
- Councilor Afkin suggested considering a tram or gondola to connect downtown to Foothills, similar to Oregon City. The team will return in March 2026 with vision and guiding principles.
Economic Development Strategy Update
- Consultant Mary Bosch presented a summary of the retail and office analysis and proposed a strategic framework based on business retention, diversification, customer attraction, and expanding employment lands.
- Key strengths: Lake Oswego is the second largest office market outside of downtown Portland, with premier location and quality suburban office settings. Major employers like Biotronic Microsystems (550 employees, $40 million payroll) are committed but need active engagement. The city's industrial space is fully occupied.
- Challenges: Land constraints, need for clearer economic development leadership, and lack of a formal business retention program. Bosch recommended starting with low-cost, relationship-building activities: showing up for major employers, clarifying the city's role versus the Chamber of Commerce, and creating a marketing message. She also suggested a subcommittee to prioritize actions.
- Council members agreed to form a subcommittee to work with the incoming economic development manager to prioritize goals and define partnerships.
Stormwater Management Manual Update
- City staff presented proposed revisions to the stormwater manual, the first major update since 2016. Changes include reorganization for easier use, updated precipitation depths based on the last 30 years of local data (reflecting more intense storms), relaxed flow requirements with technical analysis of downstream impacts, and added source controls for water quality.
- The revisions apply primarily to larger projects (10,000 sq ft or more), which represent about 10% of annual projects. The updates aim to reduce localized flooding and improve water quality in Lake Oswego and streams.
- The council moved to authorize the city manager to approve the recommended revisions as allowed by LOC35-25-11. The motion passed unanimously (7-0).
Key Outcomes
- Stormwater Management Manual: Council voted 7-0 to authorize the city manager to approve the recommended revisions. Implementation will be communicated via email, newsletter, and staff training.
- Economic Development Strategy: Council agreed to form a subcommittee of three members to work with the incoming economic development manager and prioritize actions from the strategy, including clarifying roles with the Chamber of Commerce and establishing a business retention program.
- Foothills District: The project team will return to council in March 2026 with vision and guiding principles, informed by community input and council's direction on access, floodplain management, and land use mix. The council emphasized the need for early financial feasibility analysis.
- Pedestrian Improvements: The council expressed strong support for the completed projects and the upcoming 2026 sidewalk construction. The engineering department will continue to prioritize projects based on the city's capital improvement plan and safe routes to school.
Meeting Transcript
Crossing is right at the Williamette Shore trolley. Um, I personally have struggled to cross this until I got a pattern down. Um, it's still sort of dangerous though. I have to check to make sure that there's no trains coming. I have to turn my chair and pop a wheelie over onto the tracks. Then I have to turn my chair at ninety degrees and go up the tracks. Then I have to turn again ninety degrees and come off the tracks by popping multiple wheelies again. Um to do that, the whole process takes fifteen to thirty seconds. Um, so it's pretty dangerous and leaves me in a dangerous place. The other ways to get around this crossing is to take the thirty-five bus across it, or to use the um crossing at lower millennium park. That crossing has its own challenge with the gates that swing closed that are difficult for a wheelchair user to open and push through at the same time. I'm left on that pad of concrete while I wait for someone to either open and hold the gate for me or to pull the gate and push my way through. Um mobility aids struggling to get across. As well as regular people with um strollers or the elderly with carts. Um I also wanted to touch on how I think that this crossing is dangerous for the visually impaired. There's only one um tactile paver that's next to the Williamette um short trolley. The rest three of those sides don't have any visual tactile pavers at all. Um so I was hoping that if this is ever addressed, we could put the other three missing pavers in. Um that's all that I had to state. Yeah. Good to have you here. Matt Johnson. Excuse me. All right, thank you all for uh allowing me to speak. Um my name's Matt Johnson. My family and I uh live uh in the Brian neighborhood. There's five of us. There's five of us, three children, nine, seven, and four respectively. My comments today are really pertaining to the Lake Oswego Swim Club and the use of the Lorac. Largely for you know for background, the Lake Oswego Swim Club has about 255 swimmers, 92% of which live in Lake Oswego. So for quick math, that's around 234 uh Lake Oswego kids and their families that have been negatively affected by the move from the Lake Oswego high school pool to the Lorac. And challenges that we've experienced, by that I mean the Lake Oswego Swim Club, from moving from the old Lake Oswego High School pool to the Lorac have involved a lack of lane of a lack of lane availability that's forcing most of our squads to have to move over to the Lewis and Clark College to pool to practice. What that is also done in moving from the from Lake Oswego High School over to Lake Lewis and Clark, and so the Lorac has just forced us to change our practice times to accommodate more kids, fewer lanes, and less time available. Some of our younger swimmers also have to practice a much later times than in the past because of that those constraints. And also those constraints have also forced the Lake Oswego Swim Club not to be able to take on new swimmers, which is a problem, of course, because obviously growing and having more swimmers is what we all want to have, right? Um, and um on that note, the Lorac has also refused to let the Lake Oswego swim club host any uh swim meets there, too, for which um there's been a lot of enthusiasm. My family's participated, my children have in the swim meets. Um it's not just because it's a swim club oriented event, but it's more of a community event in which we can cheer on our kids and root for young people aspiring to be better at what they're doing. Um excuse me, and then lastly, on the Lewis and Clark side of things, it's going to be closed from April and May, which is going to become it's going to further complicate the logistics for the swim club and its practices. Um, the six communities lap um lap swim lanes are not fully utilized all hours of the day. So the the idea around this is that by uh you know the a planned use of the Lake Oswego swim club there, you're actually we're we're in a position where we can optimize the number of people using the swim lanes at one given moment in time, enabling a more efficient or greater use of the swim lanes writ large for the Lorac. So while it's concentrated, it's more kids swimming all at once, which enables a greater use of the pools and its service and its excuse me, services. Um now, to be fair, and my I don't think my timer ever started to be transparent. Oh well, are you almost done? Okay. Um I'll go quickly, yeah. Okay. So really quickly, while while there's going to be some considerations around the point of it being drop-in oriented, I would argue that this by the same token, by a concentrated effort of having you know multiple lanes used by one swim club, we're going to optimize and we'll maximize the number of people that are using the lanes all at once, which is great. And lastly, and this is probably the most important piece. Swimming is uh hands down the number one way kids die ages one to four by accidental death.
openpublica.com