The Oregon City Planning Commission on May 12 voted unanimously to recommend that the City Commission adopt the Parks Master Plan and its parks inventory as an amendment to the OC2040 comprehensive plan.

The recommendation followed a presentation by Parks & Recreation staff describing a multi-year public outreach process, an inventory of existing facilities, a level-of-service analysis and a capital improvement list that staff say will support future grant applications and updates to system development charge methodology.

Tom Kissinger, deputy parks and recreation director, told commissioners the planning process began in April 2022 and included town halls, meetings with the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee, a statistically valid mailed survey and an online community survey. "The highest priorities for investment here in Oregon City parks are multiuse paved trails, multiuse unpaved trails, water access, outdoor amphitheater, indoor walking, jogging track, large community parks, open space and conservation areas, fenced dog parks, and small neighborhood parks," Kissinger said.

Kissinger summarized the plan's level-of-service analysis, saying that the city's 2022 population was estimated at 37,967 and that the study compared current facilities to population-based standards and a future standard used in the plan. According to the report cited to commissioners, Oregon City would need roughly 23.1 acres of neighborhood parks to meet current demand and about 29 acres under the plan's future facility standard if population grows to the report's projected figure.

Staff identified several specific needs in the inventory and capital plan: more pickleball courts (the plan cites one existing facility at Hillandale Park and recommends adding two additional locations in the future), expansion of fenced dog-park acreage beyond the current Tyrone's Woods site (staff said Wesley Lynn is being explored), and increased indoor aquatic and recreation space.

Parks Director Scott Archer, recently returned to the department, said the capital improvement plan lists projects with timing and cost categories (land acquisition, development and total cost) that will form the basis of future system development charge work and support grant applications. "That inventory and Exhibit A identify city parks, brief descriptions and future capital projects that provide the nexus needed for grant opportunities," Archer said.

Commissioners asked whether the city has intergovernmental agreements with school districts to expand park access; staff said no formal IGA exists now but that strengthening school partnerships is a recommendation in the master plan. Commissioners also pressed staff on land acquisition strategy for future park sites and heard staff describe a land-banking approach that targets areas identified on equity maps and concept-area plans (Park Place, Thimble Creek, South End) for potential future acquisition.

Planning staff explained that the Planning Commission's role for this item was advisory: because this is a legislative amendment to the comprehensive plan, the Planning Commission makes a recommendation and the City Commission will hold at least one public hearing before any ordinance adoption. Staff said a City Commission hearing is tentatively scheduled for June 4 if the Planning Commission forwards a recommendation, and the Planning Commission may also continue the matter if more information is requested.

After questions, a commissioner moved to recommend City Commission approval of the legislative application(s) related to the parks master plan amendment to OC2040; another commissioner seconded. A roll-call vote was taken and every present commissioner voted aye.

The Planning Commission also received routine communications from planning staff on other items, including updates on climate-friendly community code amendments, the community development director recruitment, and a traffic-count project to establish local street volume data for future transportation planning.

The Planning Commission record for this legislative file includes the adopted parks master plan (approved by the City Commission in 2024 as a report), the parks inventory exhibit attached to the amendment application, and the Planning Commission staff report and findings in Chapter 17.68 of the municipal code that staff referenced in their recommendation materials.