Dear Neighbors,
Last September, our Palisades neighbors were confronted with insurmountable odds to protect Cook’s Butte for the 3rd time in THREE decades from the City’s plans for a significant telecommunications facility that would have forever altered this natural park. After TWO prior victories, residents believed this natural area was FINALLY protected.
Yet, again, WE mobilized over 900 residents, spent thousands of hours speaking to citizens, researched facts, and informed our community and spent thousands of dollars to prevail against our City’s reactive development process. It could have been much worse had the surviving grantor’s children not reaffirmed the intended use as a NATURE PRESERVE!!!
But, Cook’s Butte remains vulnerable unless there are additional legal protections.
SIGN & MAIL the OFFICIAL Petition E-Sheet(s) to PROTECT Cook’s Butte, FOREVER!
Residents across Lake Oswego were upset to learn the City’s continued exploits for this natural area — against the original grantors’ wishes for Cook’s Butte to remain forever wild. Many expressed concern for other natural areas that are intertwined throughout our neighborhoods — small habitats with abundant wildlife. We promised to look into sensible legal protections for our natural areas, not just Cook’s Butte.
We have done just that!
We discovered Springbrook Park is the ONLY natural area with City Charter protection today. We also found historical evidence the City considered developing some of these natural areas. Our prospective initiative, 2020IN-1, revises our City Charter’s “Chapter X – Park Development Limitation” to include 15 natural areas with sensible development limitations at NO COST to taxpayers.
Our charter amendment DOES NOT negate the City’s responsibility to produce Park Master and Management Plans for these natural areas. These plans are not binding legal documents.
SIGN & MAIL the OFFICIAL Petition E-Sheet(s) to PROTECT 15 Natural Parks, FOREVER!
Your signature IS NEEDED to qualify our citizen-led NATURAL PARK protection initiative for the ballot. To qualify, we need 4,365 Lake Oswego voter signatures — we are already over 30% in just a few weeks. Community response has been positive with notes of appreciation.
Please help us give our community the decision to protect these natural areas on the ballot. Sign and mail your petition TODAY.
SIGN & MAIL the OFFICIAL Petition E-Sheet(s) to ALLOW Our Community to DECIDE & VOTE!
Thank you for helping to protect Lake Oswego’s natural areas for generations to enjoy!
Sincerely,
Scott Handley – Chief Petitioner | Resident