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City planners have big ideas for a 47-acre farmstead and surrounding parkland in Lake Oswego. They want to expand urban agriculture opportunities, and plan for construction of an indoor tennis facility and athletic fields. The problem is that zoning won’t allow such development.

鈥淭he urban agriculture piece is a really big component, a really interesting component that people in the community want to see happen out there,鈥� said Kim Gilmer, parks director for the city of Lake Oswego. 鈥淭here is some urban agricultural activity going on, but it’s limited because of the current zoning. And so bringing those properties inside the city limits would actually allow us to offer a lot more programming, tours (and) activities relating to urban ag that we can’t do currently.鈥�

The city of Lake Oswego has submitted an application to Metro for expansion of the city’s urban growth boundary to include approximately 93 acres of city-owned land surrounding its century-old Luscher Farm property. The former dairy farm now is home to a historic residence and barn structure, a community-supported agriculture program, community gardens and a greenhouse for the growth and sale of rare clematis vines.

The property is zoned for exclusive farm use, and cannot accommodate educational classes, seminars or kids’ gardens without special approval. Historic walking tours or camping also are not approved uses.

Through its application, the city also hopes to bring into the UGB several surrounding park and natural areas that are already within city limits. In 2006, Lake Oswego traded pieces of that land for other parcels that were then added into the UGB. Now the city is looking at the feasibility of constructing an approximately $4.8 million, eight-court indoor tennis facility, and Gilmer said land is the first hurdle.

鈥淲hat we discovered is there isn’t a suitable site within the city limits that is large enough and affordable enough to build a new tennis facility,鈥� she said.

Luscher Farm, owned by the city of Lake Oswego, includes a house and a barn built more than 100 years ago. A city-proposed urban growth boundary expansion would include the 47-acre homeland. (Photo by Sam Tenney/91视频)

But separate from Lake Oswego’s application, Metro received a letter from the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners objecting to the expansion request. The commissioners argued that they had not been given enough time to review the request and cited concerns over the level of coordination that had taken place between the cities of Lake Oswego, West Linn and Tualatin, and the Stafford Hamlet.

Concept planning between cities is required as part of the intergovernmental agreement between Metro and the county, and the commissioners contended that a failure to participate would set a damaging precedent for future talks.

鈥淚t is uncertain whether Lake Oswego (officials) will continue to participate in local and regional planning efforts in the Stafford area once their immediate interests are satisfied, should this proposal be approved,鈥� wrote Charlotte Lehan, chairwoman of the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners, in the letter.

Interested groups have long fought to designate a 4,000-acre chunk of land in the Stafford triangle as an urban reserve. The Department of Land Conservation and Development is expected to issue written approval this month, and UGB expansion discussions are likely to follow in years to come.

Dennis Egner, long-range planning director for Lake Oswego, said that city officials knew they had not gone through proper channels before filing the application, but they were in a hurry to meet Metro’s deadlines for submission. Egner said that city officials have since reached out to peers in West Linn and Tualatin; however, they did not issue comments on the plan.

It’s a different story for the Stafford Hamlet, however.

鈥淭he IGA doesn’t say we have to involve the Stafford Hamlet,鈥� Egner said. 鈥淚t says we have to reflect the goals and vision of the Stafford Hamlet and actually all the things in the Stafford Hamlet documents that have been produced, this park there is consistent with it.鈥�

With that said, the county commissioners want Lake Oswego to engage the hamlet, and Egner said the city is willing to do that.

The UGB application also represents the latest step in a 20-year comprehensive planning effort to realize potential for the farmland.

鈥淭here is more demand for athletic fields, there is more demand for urban agriculture and pathway connectivity (and) more walking opportunities,鈥� Gilmer said. 鈥淎nd people have more interest in getting access to nature.鈥�

Tim O’Brien, principal regional planner for Metro, said Lake Oswego had requested a postponement for the UGB hearing, which would likely take place in early August.