What do you want to see at Foothills Park District by the River?

Three of us on the Old Town Neighborhood Association Board (Jim Perris, Michael Schmidt and I) attended a meeting the City hosted Thursday evening February 26 to share the progress and to gather community input about the plan for redeveloping the "Foothills District". There were 17 citizens at this meeting and several City staff members, along with the design firm leading this project and process.

We learned:

• The City is updating the 2012 Foothills District Framework Plan. The Plan outlines how the Foothills neighborhood - located between downtown LO and the Willamette River - should grow and change over time. This work comes at a time when the City is reimagining what the Foothills District could be in light of the proposed wastewater treatment facility project.

• The City is actively asking for community feedback.

What we learned at the meeting:

• There is no Neighborhood Association for the Foothills neighborhood. There is a HOA for the Oswego Point Condos and renters at the apartments. They are on the "stakeholder list" to get feedback from.

• The vision is to connect the River pathway from George Rogers Park to Foothills Park and into Tryon Park. Also some comments about connecting the River pathways in LO into Portland but it wasn't clear who are the people who are advocating for this and funding it.

• It wasn't clear if this Foothills District is to be a primary benefit to LO residents and taxpayers or for "greater Portland area" visitors.

• The LO police and community service officers who now patrol the Foothills Park area, George Rogers and Millenium Plaza have not yet been involved in giving their input on these plans. Neither has the LO Fire Department been involved yet. And it sounds like they haven't yet engaged with LO Traffic/Engineering for their input.

  • Update: Erik Olson from the City Planners Office wrote to me to clarify "As was mentioned at last night’s meeting, we are coordinating with the Fire Department on the project Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) as well as in weekly coordination meetings. This is what, in part, led us to the realization that an additional access point was necessary to allow for safe access to the area. We have of course also been closely coordinating with the Engineering Department and their transportation staff, in addition to our subconsultants at Apex Engineering who have conducted traffic analyses as a part of our existing conditions analysis. I’d encourage you to take a look at the results of that work in our project Story Map, when you have a chance, and hopefully you can correct those statements sometime soon. (We have Engineering staff on our core Project Management team, as well as on our TAC and in our weekly coordination meetings)."

  • And this "I’d also mention that the involvement of the Police Department will be more important once we come closer to developing a proposal that reflects community values; at this phase, we are still conducting initial planning sessions for long range visioning for the area and don’t know where things will land. The inclusion of existing Parks and previously-planned parks connections is more or less a given, as these are a part of a much larger, longer-range conversation about Parks planning as related to the Parks Plan 2040."

• The design firm has talked to lots of student groups at both high schools.

• Jeff Gudman is representing the Neighborhood Association Chairs and reporting back with updates at those meetings.

• The waste water treatment plan is on track for relocating in 2029. It was not clear what the costs or requirements would be for repurposing that land for other uses to ensure it was safe for people and pets. That "remediation work" the City staff said will be part of the process.

• Several people at the meeting recommended locating a new library or library branch at this Foothills District. Erik Olson from the City Planning department explained that probably wasn't a possibility because it would be too far for people from the other side of LO to travel to get to the library. Perhaps a branch of the library could be placed at Foothills? That answer is no and here's why

• People wanted the area to be safe and walkable and to connect bike paths. Residents shared concerns about e Bikes and walkers and suggested the City and design agency look at best practices from Manhattan Beach, CA where there are designated paths for walkers and bikers.

• There was a recommendation from a resident that since kids now jump off the dolphins into the River that it would be smart to create a safe way for kids to jump into the River. Others suggested making the River accessible for kayaks and paddle boarders.

• Most people reinforced the importance of there being enough parking.

• They talked about and showed that much of the Foothills District is in a severe flood zone. Cynthia Corbett, a NA Chair, wrote to me that "This is why it was chosen as the industry area decades ago. I spoke to insurance companies when the city took the property from my Jeep repair shop. Insurance for development at Foothills will raise all of our insurance eventually by a substantial amount of money."

SUGGESTION: for the City Planning and design team to share the "what's not possible list" when asking the community to give ideas on what they want to see at Foothills District. From what I've learned since attending this meeting that list includes:

• Planning for development that can survive a major flood since the area is in a flood zone and insurance for the commercial buildings that were there had skyrocketed in cost.

• Understanding what can and can't be done with the Waste Water treatment land so it is safe for people, pets, the environment. And what the costs of remediation are.

• Including space for commercial development that will be income-generating through taxes to the City.

• No library. Learn why here

• Understanding the costs and realistic possibilities to create a new entry from Hwy 43 into the Foothills District.

So, what is possible for the use of this space?

In talking afterwards with friends, we imagined:

• A soccer field with covered stands - the City needs more fields and those are lower cost than other construction options and also beautiful.

• A cafe for coffee and sandwiches like what San Diego has done at Mission Bay park with a lovely area to hang out. See link to Mission Bay Park Restaurant.

• A large parking structure near the railroad tracks that would be free for LO residents and paid for visitors. Expecting that most people will drive to the park, not walk or ride bikes so there would be enough parking so that the residents in the area were considered.

• Potentially commercial office space for medical, dental, legal professionals that would allow parking for nights and weekends for people visiting the park. I've learned that whatever is developed at Foothills Park needs to be income-generating for the City through taxes.

• Buying the land where the storage facility is now along the railroad tracks to create access to the Foothills District from SW Terwilliger Boulevard directly into the Foothills District. Clear, excellent traffic management for pedestrians, cyclists, cars and the fire trucks.

• Funding LO police officers to patrol the area on bicycles as well as cars during the busy summer months.

• Adding water access for kayaks and paddle boarders. Now there is a dock for motor boats but no easy access for others who want to access the river.

• Making the Foothills District a "gem" for LO residents, NOT a place for out of our area visitors to descend on as is the case at George Rogers Park in the summer when so many people who do not live in LO come to access the way-to-small "beach area". See blog post of what we've asked the City to address for GRP.

What are you imagining for the Foothills District?

They want our input!

From online research here's more information about the planning and redevelopment efforts for the Foothills District in Lake Oswego, including the committee process and what’s happening now:

What the Foothills District Is

The Foothills District is a roughly 107-acre area between downtown Lake Oswego and the Willamette River. It’s long been seen as a major opportunity for new housing, parks, river access, and mixed-use development that connects downtown with the riverfront and nearby neighborhoods.

Originally guided by a Framework Plan adopted in 2012, the district was envisioned to:

• connect downtown, old town, and the river

• provide a mix of uses including housing, retail, and open space

• improve pedestrian and bicycle connections

• support sustainability and high-quality design.

Why Redevelopment Is Back in Focus

Lake Oswego is now updating that Framework Plan because several conditions have changed since 2012:

• The existing Tryon Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in the Foothills area has reached the end of its useful life and is being replaced with a new, smaller, more modern facility — freeing up land and reducing barriers to redevelopment.

• City goals now emphasize housing affordability, environmental protection, equity, and access to parks and the riverfront.

• There is interest in using urban renewal financing to fund infrastructure and redevelopment.

Foothills District Plan Update (PP 25-0005)

The City of Lake Oswego is actively working on an updated Foothills District Plan that will:

• replace the original 2012 framework with a modern, actionable guide for future growth

• update land use, zoning, and development rules

• address transportation, infrastructure, flood mitigation, and parks

• outline how housing, public spaces, and riverfront access can evolve

• provide a roadmap for infrastructure investment and implementation.

This revised plan aims to reflect current community values, including sustainability, housing choice, and connectivity.

Citizen and Advisory Committees

To guide this planning effort:

• The Lake Oswego City Council directed the formation of an Ad-Hoc Foothills Planning Committee, which includes professionals in planning, design, transportation, business, youth representation, and community perspectives.

• The committee is set to meet through 2025–2027 to advise staff and Council on policy and vision for the updated plan.

• A Community Advisory Committee (CAC) is also part of the early plan update work, helping shape guiding principles and priorities.

Public engagement also includes Story Maps, surveys, focus groups, and Planning Commission and City Council study sessions.

New Wastewater Treatment Plant

A key piece of Foothills redevelopment is the new wastewater treatment plant project:

• A smaller, state-of-the-art facility is proposed on the northwest edge of the district, with better landscaping, odor control, and a smaller footprint than the existing plant.

• Once the new plant is operational (expected construction through late 2028), the old Tryon Creek plant can be decommissioned and the land remediated — opening more opportunities for redevelopment within Foothills.

• Lake Oswego is financing the plant with federal loans and planning for future operations, which also helps unlock redevelopment potential.

Parks, River Access, and Connectivity

Redevelopment planning also ties into broader public space goals:

• Foothills Park already provides a riverfront destination with trails, viewpoints, and public spaces along the Willamette River.

• The city’s Parks Plan 2040 includes potential park expansions and connections that intersect with Foothills redevelopment once the old treatment plant site is opened up.

• Plans consider enhanced pedestrian and bike routes linking neighborhoods, downtown, and riverfront parks.

What to Expect Next

The Foothills planning process will continue over the next few years:

• Early 2026 and beyond: more CAC meetings and public outreach to shape land-use scenarios and guiding principles.

• Urban renewal discussions: to finance infrastructure and affordable housing development.

• Council consideration: of future zoning and policy changes based on community input and planning recommendations.

Be sure to give your ideas and input on this now!