To All COLA LO Members,
Just days after the Lake Oswego City Council has approved two new urban renewal districts, a variety of sources continue to question the effect of Urban Renewal in Clackamas County.
It appears that an Oregon City initiative will qualify for the ballot. It will require voter approval for all urban renewal bonds on projects within the city of Oregon City. .
Voter approval of urban renewal bonds is not necessary in Lake Oswego. It is required for urban renewal in unincorporated Clackamas county. The details can be found at
Oregon City Urban Renewal Vote.
A local blogger highlights the issues
Fights Urban Renewal and several residents provided comments pertinent to Lake Oswego including the following from a local resident :
It's possibly the worst UR plan I've ever seen.
A $20 million gift to Homer.It seeks to borrow with interim financing $7.5 million which staff admits they have no idea how it will be paid. The city justifies the UR plan in part with babble about providing affordable housing.
But there is no money in the plan for affordable housing which their expert stated would be required. Staff then said if money was committed to affordable housing the UR plan they just called "feasible" would blow up.
Then there is the sewage treatment plant. Portland notified LO they would not participate in any mitigation needs and LO said they had no money in the plan for any of the known problems the plant represents.
Staff and city council touted the sustainability objectives in the plan including an eco-district heating/cooling plant.
Yet here again there is no money in the plan for any of it.
Some school board member running for city council gave a moronic praise for the plan as a means to re-populate their schools. A bunch of families are going to move into apartment bunkers in LO?
It goes on and on with stupidity that seems to be getting worse.
Please Notify all members, contacts, and friends...