Chapter X

As used in this Chapter:

Athletic Facility means any area, field, or building which is graded, leveled, constructed, or equipped for use in sports or athletics. Fields for baseball, soccer, or football and courts of tennis are examples of Athletic Facilities.

Telecommunications Facility means any area, field, or building which is graded, leveled, constructed, or equipped for use in telecommunications or broadband communication. Antennas, Cellular Towers, Radio Masts and Towers, Satellite Dishes, and Emergency Communications Systems are examples of Telecommunications Facilities.  This includes Telecommunications Facilities for both public or private use.

Bryant Woods Park means the park land owned by the City of Lake Oswego which is commonly referred to as “Bryant Woods Park” (19.7 acres, more or less, to the North of Childs Road located at the corner of Childs Road and Canal Road at 4301 Childs Road).

Canal Acres means the park land owned by the City of Lake Oswego which is commonly referred to as “Canal Acres” (27.3 acres, more or less, to the South of Childs Road, to the West of Canal Road, and to the East of Sycamore Avenue, located at 19300 Canal Road).

Cooks Butte Park means the park land owned by the City of Lake Oswego which is commonly referred to as “Cooks Butte Park” (43 acres, more or less, located at 2100 Palisades Crest Drive).

Cornell Natural Area means the park land owned by the City of Lake Oswego which is commonly referred to as “Cornell Natural Area” (3.2 acres, more or less, to the East of Cornell Street, to the South of Larch Street, located at 16920 Cornell Street).

Glennmorrie Greenway means the park land owned by the City of Lake Oswego which is commonly referred to as “Glennmorrie Greenway” (1.3 acres, more or less, to the East of Pacific Hwy, to the North of Glennmorrie Terrace, located at 16540 Pacific Hwy).

Hallinan Woods means the park land owned by the City of Lake Oswego which is commonly referred to as “Hallinan Woods” (3.8 acres, more or less, located at 1103 Obrien Street).

Iron Mountain Park means the park land owned by the City of Lake Oswego which is commonly referred to as “Iron Mountain Park” (51 acres, more or less, to the North of Iron Mountain Blvd, located at 2401 Iron Mountain Blvd).

Kerr Open Space means the park land owned by the City of Lake Oswego which is commonly referred to as “Kerr Open Space” (10 acres, more or less, to the South of SW Stevenson Street, to East of Grouse Terrace, to the North of Walking Woods Drive, to the West of Icarus Loop)

Lamont Springs Natural Area means the park land owned by the City of Lake Oswego which is commonly referred to as “Lamont Springs Natural Area” (0.5 acres, more ore less, to the South of Lakeview Blvd, and to the East of Bryant Road, at the corner of Lakeview Blvd and Bryant Road, located at 4600 Lakeview Drive).

River Run means the park land comprised of two parcels (River Run East and River Run West),  owned by the City of Lake Oswego which is commonly referred to as “River Run” (10.8 acres, more or less, to the East of Canal Road, to the North of the Tualatin River, located at 19690 River Run Drive and 3770 Rivers Edge Drive).

Southshore Natural Area means the park land owned by the City of Lake Oswego which is commonly referred to as “Southshore Natural Area” (9.2 acres, more or less, located at 1201 South Shore Blvd).

Springbrook Park means the park land owned by the City of Lake Oswego which is commonly referred to as “Springbrook Park” (52 acres, more or less, to the South of Country Club Road, to the West and North of Wembley Park Road, and to the East of Boones Ferry Road). The term “Springbrook Park” does not include the City of Lake Oswego existing indoor tennis facility and adjoining parking lot.

Stevens Meadows means the two park lands owned by the City of Lake Oswego which is commonly referred to as “Stevens Meadows” and the “Stevens Homestead” (27.8 acres, more or less, located at 18600 Shipley Drive and 1551 Childs Road, respectively).

Waluga Park – West means the park land owned by the City of Lake Oswego which is commonly referred to as “Waluga Park – West” (22.8 acres, more or less, to the East of Inverurie Drive, to the North of SW Oakridge Road, to the West of Waluga Drive).

Woodmont Natural Park means the park land owned by the City of Lake Oswego which is commonly referred to as “Woodmont Natural Park” (6.8 acres, more or less, at the corner of Atwater Rd and Atwater Lane, located at 13600 Atwater Lane).

Nature Preserve means natural area parks or open spaces owned by the City of Lake Oswego that are managed or maintained to retain their natural condition and prevent habitat deterioration. Nature Preserves that are subject to the limitations of this Chapter, which upon ratification will initially include, Bryant Woods Park, Canal Acres, Cornell Natural Area, Cooks Butte Park, Glennmorrie Greenway, Hallinan Woods, Iron Mountain Park, Kerr Open Space, Lamont Springs Natural Area, River Run, Southshore Natural Area, Springbrook Park, Stevens Meadows, Waluga Park – West, and Woodmont Natural Park.

(Amended November 2, 2021.)

The City of Lake Oswego shall insure that all development within a Nature Preserve is consistent with the preservation of a Nature Preserve as a natural area available for public enjoyment.

To facilitate public access and use, the City of Lake Oswego may build trails for hiking, jogging, horseback and bicycle riding, may provide benches and interpretive displays, and may provide picnic and sanitary facilities within a Nature Preserve. To access and use particularly fragile habitats, boardwalks may be built; however, trails shall refrain from using hard surface materials, such as asphalt and concrete, in order to remain consistent with the natural conditions of a Nature Preserve.

The City of Lake Oswego shall not construct or develop (or allow any person to construct or develop) any Athletic Facility, any Telecommunications Facility, or any parking lot, road, or trail for motorized vehicles within a Nature Preserve. The City of Lake Oswego shall not cut (or allow any person to cut) any tree in a Nature Preserve for the purpose of facilitating the construction or development of any Athletic Facility, any Telecommunications Facility, or any parking lot, road, or trail for motorized vehicles.

The City of Lake Oswego shall not construct or develop (or allow any person to construct or develop) any facility or any structure above ground that would impair or be inconsistent with the natural conditions of a Nature Preserve.

The City of Lake Oswego shall not cut (or allow any person to cut) any tree in a Nature Preserve for the purpose of commercial logging. 

The City of Lake Oswego shall be allowed to maintain (or allow any person to maintain) a Nature Preserve for the purposes of ecological restoration that provides a safe and healthy natural area that is accessible for public enjoyment, provides a healthy habitat for wildlife, eliminates invasive species, restores native species, and mitigates fire hazards. 

The City of Lake Oswego shall be allowed to maintain (or allow any person to maintain) any existing facility or existing structure, or any existing parking lot, road, or trail for motorized vehicles in a Nature Preserve constructed before November 2, 2021 that is above ground as long as that facility or structure, or parking lot, road, or trail for motorized vehicles is not altered in any manner that would further impair or be inconsistent with the natural conditions of a Nature Preserve.

The City of Lake Oswego shall be allowed to implement (or allow any person to implement) a park master plan for a Nature Preserve that was adopted before November 2, 2021.

(Amended November 7, 1978; November 2, 2021.)

This Chapter carries an effective date of November 2, 2021.

(Amended November 2, 2021.)

If a court should hold invalid or unconstitutional any clause or part of this Chapter, that holding shall not affect the remaining parts of this Chapter which are not held invalid or unconstitutional.

(Amended November 2, 2021.)

This Chapter shall apply to any other park (i) conveyed by property owners to the City of Lake Oswego with a “Nature Preserve” designation that shall carry with the property in perpetuity, (ii) nominated by the Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Board and/or the Director of Parks and Recreation designating such other park as a “Nature Preserve” and ratified by the City Council, (iii) ratified by voters specifically designating such other park as a “Nature Preserve”, or (iv) acquired by a bond issue after the effective date of this Chapter if (and only if) the voters specifically designate such other park as subject to this Chapter. If any other park is designated as subject to this Chapter, then this Chapter shall apply to that park and if its name (preceded by the word “and”) were added to the Nature Preserve definition of this Chapter.

(Amended November 7, 1978 [Note: from November 7, 1978 until June 30, 1980, this Chapter was numbered XXV and included Sections 102 through 107]; Renumbered Chapter on July 1, 1980; Amended November 2, 2021.)

The City of Lake Oswego shall neither construct nor allow the construction of any structure which is more than 50 feet in height within a residential zone, except for the construction of a single symbolic appurtenance of a structure to 75 foot height. The City may, however, construct or allow the construction of a lighting structure which is more than 50 feet in height in a public park or school sports fields located in a residential zone. For purposes of this section the height of a structure or of a part or appurtenance of a structure shall be measured from the ground or sidewalk surface within a 5-foot horizontal distance of the exterior of the structure, provided such sidewalk or ground surface is not more than 10 feet above the lowest grade as defined by city ordinance; or, if such sidewalk or ground surface is more than 10 feet above lowest grade, height shall be measured from a point 10 feet higher than the lowest grade, to the top of the highest element of the building or structure.

(Amended May 19, 1987; March 24, 1992.)