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Natural Resources Inventory Update and Atlas Revisions (PP 07-0004)
The City uses the natural resources inventory atlas to inform land use decisions. The City is undertaking an update of this atlas.
The City of Lake Oswego has a long history of natural resources stewardship. Lake Oswego was the first city in the state to adopt a Tree Code to limit unnecessary tree removal. Our work in community forestry and city beautification continue to set us apart as a city that values the environmental and aesthetic benefits of a healthy natural environment. Lake Oswegans consistently rate “natural beauty” as a top reason for living here.
One way that the City protects natural resources such as trees, wetlands, and streams is through the Sensitive Lands Code. This portion of the City’s Community Development Code requires that development projects be located 35-40 feet from water resources, and that at least 50% of significant tree groves be retained when sites are developed. These regulations help protect water quality and native habitat in Lake Oswego. They also help us comply with Oregon’s State Land Use Goals and Metro’s Functional Plan.
To apply the Sensitive Lands Code, the City maintains a map of streams, wetlands, and tree groves in the City and its urban services boundary. City staff refers to this map when landowners make applications to the planning and building departments. The City is presently updating its natural resources inventory and this map to include some new resources that have come to our attention since the map was adopted in 1998, and also to change or delete some resources that were mapped incorrectly.
In the summer of 2007, field surveys were conducted to identify map errors and omissions. As a result of that work, the City is considering a number of map corrections, both in the City and in the City’s Urban Service Area. Listed below are maps of the proposed changes.
Properties in the City of Lake Oswego will be affected by map changes when they are adopted. For properties not in Lake Oswego, changes to this map will not take affect unless and until the property is annexed to the City. After annexation these properties will be subject to the City’s zoning, including its rules to protect streams, wetlands, and tree groves.
The text of the Sensitive Lands Code is available on the City’s website here (scroll down or search to find “Article 50.16 Sensitive Lands Overlay Districts.”)
Individual owners, neighborhood associations, and other interested parties will receive more information before the City makes decisions. Landowners will receive formal notifications. The final decision will be made following a public hearing where citizens may provide formal testimony.
For more information about this project, please contact Jonna Papaefthimiou at
503-675-3990 or email us.
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