Planning Commission considers...

...quality of life in Lake Oswego

As the Planning Commission discussed code issues at last night's meeting, there was a distinct shift away from a purely legal or technical meaning of the words, toward what the citizens want the codes to achieve - a high quality of life they moved to Lake Oswego to enjoy.

Quality of life is not a factor of a person's income or the size of one's home, but the day to day experience of living in the city.

• A person may not think about it but a street will
  
  feel more friendly when houses are facing the street.   
• Homes (including multifamily) that do not provide enough parking will be frustrating for the residents and the neighborhood as a whole.  
• Shoehorning too many dwelling units onto a lot in an area of lower density changes the fabric and character of the neighborhood.  

The main theme behind these issues is: What are the development codes for?  Residents and builders will both benefit when the physical and functional quality of life that defines Lake Oswego is protected.  Quality of life is why people move to Lake Oswego, and we have been losing it bit by bit with inappropriate development.  Hopefully changes in the development codes will both simplify and correct the problems.  It was also exciting to hear Planners talk about other cities where codes support high quality development.  It will be interesting to see where this one goes.

Lastly, and extremely important, was a discussion about the ministerial vs review process for permit approval.  If citizens are involved in a permit review earlier on, perhaps some of the more egregious development problems will be caught.  But code is law, and interpretation can be a slippery slope.  It's ime to get back to basics.

It's also time for citizens to be involved.  Let the Planning Commission know how development - good and bad - in the city affects you.  And attend meetings.