West Linn Planning Commission Recommends Waterfront Vision Plan to City Council on September 17, 2025

The West Linn Planning Commission met on September 17, 2025, beginning at 6:00 p.m. in a hybrid format and adjourning around 8:40 p.m. The main item was a public hearing on PLN-25-01, a recommendation to the City Council on adoption of the West Linn Waterfront Vision Plan (Resolution 2025-13). Although the agenda identified the hearing as PLN-25-01, the hearing script read during the meeting referred to it as PLN-25-02. After a staff presentation, public testimony, and deliberation, the commission voted 6-0 to recommend approval with three changes. The hearing was not a land use action, and the City Council's final decision cannot be appealed.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comment was offered for land use items not on the agenda.
• Dan Butler, a Clackamas resident representing Advocates for Willamette Falls Heritage, read a statement by Troy Bowers expressing concern that the final plan was scrubbed of references to preserving visible history through substantial reuse. He urged the plan to include space on Moore's Island for indigenous people's stories and visible artifacts while also celebrating industrial heritage.
• Russ Axelrod, former mayor and former planning commissioner, said some of his written comments were not provided to the working group and not addressed. He opposed depicting dense housing as acceptable in the floodplain and significant remaining wetland, asked the commission to demand review of water resource protection code CDC 32070, and called on DEQ to expedite cleanup of the settling pond. He said Friends of Willamette Wetlands was submitting a petition with nearly 4,000 community members.
• Nicole Jackson, a West Linn resident with Friends of Willamette Wetlands, asked the commission to recommend removing the Ponds District potential development area. She cited the 2014 DEQ document, contaminants in the settling pond, possible absence of a liner, berm degradation and nutria activity, and the property's high natural hazard risk.
• Dan Krause, a West Linn resident and emergency manager, supported the proposed changes and argued the city should avoid placing housing in flood-prone areas because federal disaster assistance is becoming less reliable. He cited increasing frequency of billion-dollar disasters.
• Terrence Shoemaker, who introduced himself as Terrence Schumacher and spoke on behalf of Friends of Willamette Wetlands, said the Ponds District vision was flawed and misrepresented facts. He outlined the group's goal to prevent residential and commercial development, acquire the 35-acre property, secure environmental mitigation, restore wetlands, and provide public access. He said more than 3,800 citizens signed their petition.
• Jim Edwards, a West Linn resident and board member of Advocates for Willamette Falls Heritage, said the plan was improved but lacked a dramatic vision and did not encourage reuse of historic and industrial structures. He noted his experience as development director for the Vancouver Waterfront.
• Sandy Carter, a West Linn resident and historic preservation advocate, expressed disappointment that stronger adaptive reuse language did not appear, and questioned why the Willamette Falls Trust was listed as a property owner when they do not currently own property in the area.

Discussion Items

• Staff planner Mr. Weiss presented the vision plan. It covers approximately 275 acres and just over two miles of Willamette River waterfront in three districts: Historic City Hall, Cultural Heritage, and Ponds. The plan would not change comprehensive plan designations, zoning, development code, the transportation system plan, or create funding commitments; it is intended as a guiding document for future code and infrastructure decisions.
• Outreach statistics presented included open houses from 2017 to 2019, approximately 3,200 website visits, 573 online survey responses in 2024 (64% from first-time participants), and about 40 attendees at the final July 2025 open houses. The working group recommended approval with five suggestions: consider affordable housing language, smart growth concepts, emphasize access, add stronger language for reuse of existing structures, and allow more feedback time. One working group member objected, and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde did not take a position.
• Staff identified possible map edits, including using the 1996 flood elevation to align with wetland boundaries, removing in-planting stages language from the medium-density residential designation in the Ponds District, and updating map legends.
• Commissioner questions focused on the Ponds District. Commissioner Evans asked why an area mapped as R-10 could be described as medium-density residential; staff explained the comprehensive plan designation was medium density and noted House Bill 2001 middle housing rules. Vice Chair Wobotney raised concerns about flood risk, wetlands, uninvestigated settling-pond contamination, and the multiple agencies that would need to approve development. Staff noted that removing development from the vision map would not prevent a property owner from filing an application under current zoning, and that downzoning could be considered a taking. Vice Chair Wobotney also noted a pre-application conference was scheduled for the next day for consolidating 22 lots into three lots in that area.
• During deliberations, Vice Chair Wobotney expressed continued concerns about the Ponds District and the proposed Willamette Falls Drive roundabout and realignment, stating the concept plan should not have been treated as a directive. Other commissioners discussed liability, contamination cleanup, community feedback, and the commission's limited scope to recommend changes to the council. Chair Matlin noted the commission's task was to recommend changes that better encapsulate the community vision, not to rewrite the plan.

Key Outcomes

• A commissioner moved to recommend City Council adopt Resolution 2025-13 with three changes: (1) use the 1996 flood elevation on maps to better correspond to the 75-foot special flood hazard area elevation; (2) remove references to housing development in the Ponds District; and (3) add stronger encouragement for reuse of cultural resources and heritage in the Cultural Heritage District. The motion was seconded.
• The commission voted 6-0 in favor of the motion. Voting yes were Chair Matlin, Vice Chair Wobotney, and Commissioners Jones, Evans, Schulte Hillen, and Kachariski.
• The complete hearing record and the commission's recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council. City Council work sessions are scheduled for October 7 and October 21, 2025, with a public hearing likely in November or December 2025.
• Staff announced that a Metro Town Center Boundary public hearing is scheduled for October 15, 2025, and reminded commissioners to complete Oregon government ethics training.