City’s zoning, land use create attainable housing barriers

By Scot Siegel

, Oct 29, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (1 Reader comment)

ADVERTISEMENTS

I would like to commend Paul Lyons, Ralph Tahran, city Councilor Roger Hennagin and other Lake Oswego volunteers for focusing the community’s attention on “attainable housing.” (October 22, Lake Oswego Review: “City revisits affordability.”)

Mr. Lyons’ presentation to the Lake Oswego City Council Oct. 20 really drove home the point that Lake Oswegans will find it increasingly difficult to stay in town as they get older. Lyons explained that the need for smaller, more affordable housing units will only increase as our population ages and families with school-age children find it difficult to afford the large single-family houses that make up about 80 percent of Lake Oswego housing; he cited a survey by the American Association of Retired Persons and U.S. Census Bureau information that support the notion that people want to remain in the community as long as possible, however, there are few options for housing if they want to maintain an independent lifestyle.

Before the current recession, the trend in Lake Oswego was to replace older bungalows and ranch homes with large, expensive houses. In addition to Lake Oswego’s attractive parks, schools and other amenities, high land prices and easy access to credit contributed to the teardown trend locally. The small, relatively affordable homes that were removed for upscale housing were never replaced. What was once entry-level housing quickly disappeared, and middle-income families and young adults are now essentially shut out of the Lake Oswego market. This, of course, creates a problem for the Lake Oswego’s public schools, which are experiencing an overall decline in the local school age population; the school district is now seeking tuition-paying students from outside the district, which is not a sustainable solution. The trend is also a problem for empty nesters and other long-time residents who wish to stay in Lake Oswego. While we have seen several assisted living centers develop in recent years, these facilities serve a specialized niche and do not mitigate the loss of entry-level homes.

Ideally, Lake Oswego would have a full range of owner-occupied and rental housing units; the town should have homes of all sizes, prices and rent levels to accommodate existing and future generations. All neighborhoods should offer an appropriately-planned mix of conventional, detached single-family houses, attached single-family townhomes, duplexes, courtyard homes, cottages, co-housing, apartments, condominiums, accessory (secondary) housing units, and assisted living options. The city government, through its comprehensive land use plan and development regulations should allow “attainable housing” in all neighborhoods, subject to neighborhood-specific design standards. Houses with small footprints that preserve trees and blend into the neighborhood should be encouraged with a clear, predictable review processes.

Currently, Lake Oswego zoning and land use (planned unit development) criteria create barriers to attainable housing. The codes are vague and therefore prone to arbitrary and inconsistent interpretation by developers, city staff, and neighborhood representatives. The city can move away from the planned unit development approach that developers and neighborhood advocates find so offensive by creating, as Mayor Hoffman suggests, “new zoning” for “small footprint” homes and other attainable housing.

Lyons and his group of volunteers have laid out a compelling vision. They offer practical solutions. During the city Council meeting Oct. 20, councilors Hennagin, Kristen Johnson and Donna Jordan displayed a good grasp of the issue, providing personal anecdotes and encouraging city staff to move forward in evaluating housing options. Likewise, councilors Mary Olson and Sally Moncrieff offered cautious but constructive comments, helping to move the discussion forward. City Manager Alex McIntyre responded by committing staff time to work on the issue, and Mayor Jack Hoffman prompted the council to seriously think about attainable housing as a city goal when Lake Oswego updates its comprehensive plan in the near future.

Lake Oswego is not alone. Many other small and mid-sized cities, including affluent communities like ours, have taken steps in this direction. Lake Oswego prides itself on being a sustainable community. Clearly, removing regulatory barriers to housing choices is an important part of being a sustainable community. I look forward to living here for many years, and I hope my children will have the same opportunity. Thank you Mr. Lyons, Councilor Hennagin and others for your work on attainable housing.

Scot Siegel is a resident of Lake Oswego. He served on the Lake Oswego Planning Commission from 2005 to 2009. He is former member of the Lake Oswego Historic Resources Advisory Board and former chair of Oak Creek Neighborhood Association.