Tigard City Council Meeting – February 24, 2026

The Tigard City Council convened on February 24, 2026, at 6:30 PM. The meeting included a presentation of a Police Life Saving Award, a city manager's report, public comments, a continuation of a public hearing on the River Terrace 2.0 annexation, a briefing on the Kingston Terrace Water System Plan Addendum, and a discussion on the Downtown Tigard Reimagined project. Key votes included a unanimous decision to continue the annexation hearing to June 2, 2026. The council also provided direction for further stakeholder outreach on the downtown plan.

Consent Calendar

• None listed.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Julia Kai (Beaverton resident, Oregon Falun Dafa Association volunteer): Spoke in support of Shen Yun Performing Arts, describing the organization as a faith-based, American performing arts company showcasing traditional Chinese culture. She characterized the Chinese government as opposing the group and invited council members to attend upcoming shows in April 2026. She exceeded the two-minute time limit.
• Jeff Darling (Tigard resident): Expressed concern that the pace of development commitments for River Terrace 2.0 and the King City water expansion is outpacing the financial frameworks (plan districts, funding strategies, system development charges) needed to support them. He argued that without updated SDCs, existing water customers would subsidize new connections. He urged the city to conduct a retrospective review of River Terrace 1.0 SDCs and expedite SDC updates before moving forward.

Discussion Items

• Police Life Saving Award: Police Chief McDonough presented Officer Jordan Yamashita with the Life Saving Medal for actions on January 17, 2026. Officer Yamashita found an unresponsive, not-breathing driver in a running vehicle, broke a window to gain entry, administered CPR and naloxone, and the patient regained a pulse and was transported to the hospital.
• City Manager Report: Acting City Manager Trish reported on the City of Tigard's participation in a Think First, Stay Safe event at Twality Middle School and highlighted the Capital Improvement Projects pipeline, which includes 91 proposed projects in the five-year program. Current projects include the Cook Family Park Accessible Dock, McDonald Street Improvements, Steve Street Park, and Red Rock Creek Stabilization.
• River Terrace 2.0 Annexation (Public Hearing Continuation): The council considered staff's recommendation to continue the hearing to June 2, 2026. Council President Wolf moved to continue to the regularly scheduled meeting that date, seconded by Councillor Shaw. The motion passed unanimously. Public comments may be submitted before that date.
• Kingston Terrace Water System Plan Addendum Briefing: Senior Project Engineer Ross Orton presented findings from the addendum to the 2020 Water System Plan for the Kingston Terrace area, which will add approximately 4,100 dwelling units and expand the water system by about 20%. Key findings included:
  • Additional demand: average daily (1.1 MGD), maximum daily (2.2 MGD), peak hour (4.5 MGD).
  • Storage deficit requiring 7.5 million gallons of new storage by 2050; Reservoir 19 is in the CIP.
  • Supply deficit starting around 2050 even with the Lake Oswego–Tigard (LOT) expansion (adding 4 MGD by about 2031).
  • No pumping or fire flow deficits anticipated with the LOT project.
  • Required improvements include piping upgrades (by developers), storage, and supply; a water system plan update and SDC rate study are planned after July 2026.
  • Orton responded to concerns about SDC funding adequacy, noting that current SDCs partially fund needed projects and that near-term projects are expected to be affordable. A more detailed financial analysis was requested by council for the March 10 meeting.
• Downtown Tigard Reimagined – Alternative Discussion: Senior Planner Susan Shanks presented refined alternatives for the downtown transportation network, bike network, zoning, and building heights, addressing council concerns from 2024. The refined proposal:
  • Reduces proposed new streets to balance connectivity with redevelopment feasibility.
  • Adds dedicated bike lanes on Ash Street and a proposed new street (pink street) to provide comfortable options for less confident cyclists, rather than retrofitting Main Street.
  • Proposes applying mixed-use zones (residential, commercial, employment) from the Tigard Made project to downtown.
  • Recommends a uniform maximum building height of six stories citywide, addressing prior concerns about excessive heights along Hall Boulevard (previously contemplated at 12 stories due to potential light rail).
  • Stakeholder outreach planned with the Tigard Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Alliance, Town Center Advisory Committee, Transportation Advisory Committee (TTAC), Planning Commission, developers, and businesses.

Key Outcomes

• Continuation of River Terrace 2.0 Annexation Hearing: Unanimous vote to continue to June 2, 2026, at 6:30 PM.
• Direction on Downtown Tigard Reimagined: Council requested additional detailed analysis on the transportation network and bike lanes, and directed staff to present the refined proposal to TTAC and other stakeholders before returning for further council discussion. Staff indicated the schedule can be adjusted to accommodate this.
• Financial Analysis Requested: In response to public comments and councilor questions, staff will provide a more detailed financial analysis of SDCs and system costs before the March 10, 2026 meeting on the Kingston Terrace Water System Plan Addendum adoption.
• Next Meeting Schedule: The council will consider a resolution to adopt the Kingston Terrace Water System Plan Addendum on March 10, 2026.