What Old Town Residents Told Us: 2026–27 Neighborhood Priorities
Thank you to the Old Town neighbors who took the time to complete our survey about priorities for the Old Town Neighborhood Association (OTNA). Your responses will help guide OTNA's advocacy with the City of Lake Oswego during 2026–27.
Key Findings: What Matters Most to Old Town Residents?
1. Protecting Old Town's Summer Livability
The seasonal impact of increased visitors to George Rogers Park emerged as the strongest priority for residents in the survey.
83% ranked summer livability as a top priority.
74% want a proactive plan in place before summer 2027 to manage seasonal traffic, parking and pedestrian safety.
2. Improving Neighborhood Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Residents also expressed strong concerns about emergency response, police presence, traffic and parking.
71% emphasized adequate police and fire funding to support timely emergency response.
61% supported increased police patrols and parking enforcement, particularly during summer.
50% prioritized pedestrian, traffic and parking safety.
45% supported updating the City's overnight vehicle-sleeping ordinance.
3. Promoting City Accountability and Financial Responsibility
Residents want the City to be responsive to neighborhood concerns, transparent about spending and accountable for its commitments.
48% want the City to manage property-tax and utility-rate increases carefully while maintaining essential services and infrastructure.
45% want a financially responsible path forward for the library, with the existing library remaining open until an operational replacement is available.
45% want a clear funding strategy before the City commits to major property purchases or other significant capital investments.
4. Phasing Out Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers
71% supported phasing out gas-powered leaf blowers, with the goal of eliminating their use by 2027.
5. Ensuring Adequate Off-Street Parking in New Residential Developments
61% wanted changes to City codes to ensure adequate off-street parking for new residential developments.
6. Addressing Aging Infrastructure and Neighborhood Improvements
Residents also identified several infrastructure needs for continued attention and advocacy:
Repairing or replacing the two aging bridges, working with the City and Metro.
Repaving Ladd Street, adding a sidewalk and addressing drainage.
Improving neighborhood sidewalks and drainage.
Maintaining our neighborhood's tree canopy.
These issues may require long-term planning and coordination with the City and other agencies.
An Interesting Finding: George Rogers Park Improvements Were Not a Top Priority
Only 35% of respondents prioritized having OTNA advocate for George Rogers Park to maintain, modernize and enhance the park and its facilities.
This is an interesting contrast with the 83% who identified summer livability as a top priority.
Why might residents feel differently about these two issues?
Neighbors have shared several perspectives with me:
Some older residents say they rarely walk down to the park because there is no safe, easy way for them to get there.
Others say the park is too crowded during summer to be an enjoyable destination.
Some love living in Old Town during the quieter months and want to preserve that experience.
These comments are not necessarily representative of all residents, but they help illustrate an important distinction: Residents may value George Rogers Park while wanting better management of its seasonal impacts rather than additional park improvements that could attract even more visitors.
What Else Did Neighbors Tell Us?
Here are a few comments that illustrate the range of views shared in the survey.
On summer livability and access to the river:
“Make it easier for people to get to the river through the park vs through our neighborhood.”
On taxes and financial responsibility:
“Enough with the tax hikes. They're the highest in the country. Enough. Spend better, not more.”
On parking and summer crowds:
“We don't need more people in this town or this neighborhood. We're at capacity.”
"We don't need to make room for more people; rather, we need to keep parking tight and limited to prevent George Rogers Park from turning into a Spring Break party destination with blasting music and garbage everywhere. I can't enjoy it in the summer anymore because of how busy and dirty it's gotten. Adding more parking won't make it better. It will fuel the problem.”
On OTNA's advocacy:
“Thanks to energy and effort of officers and Board members Old Town is no longer taken for granted at the City. Continue to actively advocate for OTNA priorities. Find the balance between advocacy and being annoying. Know when to take the 'win' and move on.”
On communication:
“KEEP: Excellent blog that keeps us informed of news and events of interest to Old Town residents.”
Another neighbor wrote:
“We’re busy and don’t come to meetings but we do care, read what we can and appreciate what you’re doing. We’re not retired so don’t have time to help.”
We also heard from residents who would like more informal opportunities to get to know their neighbors, as well as appreciation for OTNA's work, our website and blog posts.
One respondent raised a valuable concern about the survey itself: the questions offered opportunities to support priorities but did not always allow respondents to express opposition or indicate degrees of support. That is useful feedback, and we will consider that when designing future surveys.
How Many People Responded?
Forty people completed the survey. The City mails postcards to 202 Old Town addresses, including property owners and people who live in homes or units. Using that mailing list as the denominator, the response rate was approximately 20%.
Responses came from the following streets and locations:
Furnace - 12 people
Wilbur Street - 10 people
Durham Street - 9 people
Ladd - 3 people
Leonard Street - 3 people
Riverbend Condos - 2 people
Church Street - 1 person
All respondents indicated that they live in Old Town or own property here.
A Note About the Results
This was a small, voluntary survey conducted over several weeks in September and October and closed on October 17, 2026. Respondents were not required to answer every question. The results reflect the views of those who participated. They should not be interpreted as a statistically representative measure of every Old Town resident or property owner.
What's Next?
Your OTNA board will use these findings to help guide our 2026–27 priorities and advocacy with the City.
The survey also asked residents to share their views on the City's 2026 Goals and Initiatives. Those results raised additional interesting questions, and I'll share them in a separate blog post.
Thank you to everyone who participated. Your input helps OTNA represent Old Town more effectively.
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