Update Nov 2, 2021: Lake Oswego voters approve Measure 3-568!
Lake Oswego citizens have a strong interest in protecting and expanding those elements that contribute to the natural, cultural and aesthetic health of our community. To many residents and visitors, Lake Oswego is known as a “village in a park,” a place of physical beauty and respite from expanding regional urbanization. Lake Oswego has an extensive tree canopy as a result of investment in its natural parks and open spaces.
Protect Our Natural Parks came about in response to decades of City exploitation, attempted development, and an appetite to demolish land at the expense of our natural environment. During the Save Cooks Butte effort, we listened to hundreds of residents’ concerns for their neighborhood natural parks — many with no deeds, covenants, or restrictions. Whether it was Springbrook Park, Cooks Butte, Woodmont Park, Bryant Woods, or Canal Acres the City routinely considers these natural parks for development that’s inconsistent with our community’s desire to maintain them as natural habitats.
Measure 3-568 was the result of an 18 month citizen initiative petition (2020IN-1) effort. Petitioners persevered through the global Covid-19 pandemic, the September 2020 wildfires, and the February 2021 ice storm and power outages to fundraise, reach out, and inform voters with personalized direct mail. Petitioners ultimately collected over 4,800 petition signatures and qualified with 4,433 verified signatures.
Measure 3-568 builds upon the City of Lake Oswego’s Charter “Chapter X – Park Development Limitation.” Chapter X was enacted bu citizen initiative in 1978 to protect Springbrook Park from being developed into a major athletic facility. Voters overwhelmingly approved to “preserve Springbrook Park as a natural area” buy a 3-1 margin. Springbrook Park is the ONLY natural area park protected in the City Charter.
Measure 3-568 enhances and expands the existing Chapter X with improved development limitations and 15 additional natural parks. Additional natural parks may also be included by the City, a grantor, or voters by designating them as a “Nature Preserve.”
Measure 3-568 was the ONLY citizen-initiated natural parks measure on the Lake Oswego November 2021 ballot. It was the only measure endorsed by two prominent environment and conservation organizations: Sierra Club and Oregon Wild. These organizations carefully reviewed the Citizens’ Measure 3-568 and City Council’s competing Measure 3-575 carefully and chose Measure 3-568 as the best to protect our natural habitats!
Measure 3-568 was approved by voters in the November 2, 2021 Special Election. Measure 3-568 garnered 8,267 votes, or 62%, and winning by a substantial margin of 7%, or 875 votes, over City Council’s referred Measure 3-575 which garnered 7,392 votes, or 55%. When two measure compete in Oregon, the measure with the most affirmative votes becomes law.
Last updated: Dec 7, 2021