What?!? A new theme for LO?

Is the Lake Oswego brand out of style?  
Too monotonous to attract and amuse tourists?  
Did some developer complain about the design restrictions and demand changes?
Did someone at City Hall suddenly figure out that there are valuable mid-century buildings that need to be incorporated into a cohesive downtown design that includes something other than Craftsman lookalikes?    

My vote is on the third option.  A developer (North Anchor?) is balking at the stifling and oppressive Lake Oswego Style - a hodgepodge of Arts and Crafts, Lodge, cutesy styles that one might see in a mythical European village or American resort town.  

Our code does not acknowledge anything that looks like Lake Oswego had a history between 1930 and 1997, or any sense of creativity or forward thinking.  Then again, we could wind up with some of the awful boxy, urban, mixed-use junk that is populating Portland and urban renewal districts all over the country.  

Let the city know what you think, and copy your remarks to the City Council at the same time. Maybe they don't actually have their minds made up yet.

Lake Oswego Review, June 22, 2017

City seeks input on 'Lake Oswego style'

City officials are asking for residents' help in clarifying the procedure for allowing architectural variety in downtown Lake Oswego and removing regulatory barriers to sustainable building designs. 

The current regulations, particularly the "Lake Oswego Style" provisions of the Downtown Redevelopment Design District (DDRD) adopted in 1997, have resulted in many attractive buildings, City officials say, but the code can also discourage innovations in building design and sustainability. 

In advance of a July 24 public hearing, the City Planning Department is accepting written comments to help it craft code amendments that address design variances within the DDRD. A public review draft of the proposals is available online at http://bit.ly/2siQKMN. 

All written comments received by 5 p.m. on Friday, July 7, will be considered. For more information or to submit comments, contact Planning Director Scot Siegel at ssiegel@lakeoswego.city or Senior Planner Leslie Hamilton at lhamilton@lakeoswego.city; call 503-699-7474; or write to Planning & Building Services Department, City of Lake Oswego, 380 A Ave., P.O. Box 369, Lake Oswego, OR 97034.