2 Oregon housing plans offered, but 1 opposed

4/20/2005

Two housing subdivisions have been proposed in Oregon, but only one is attracting the opposition of nearby residents.

A proposed private subdivision off Pickle Road near Lallendorf Road called Stone Gate Villas at Pearson Place has its neighbors concerned the planned multi-family villas would lower their property values; and the zoning change required is not being recommended by the Oregon Planning Commission.

But a zoning change from agricultural to medium density residential for the proposed Wynn Park 67-lot single-family subdivision near Wynn and Brown roads appears to be OK with planners and most of its neighbors.

Several residents of Parkgelande Estates said they will make their concerns about the multi-family proposal known to Oregon City Council before members vote on the zoning changes at Monday's meeting. The villas would be to the east of Parkgelande Estates.

Lois Brecklen, 56, who has been living at 4342 Pearson Pkwy. for eight years, said she is against the subdivision because she believes her property value will go down.

"There should not be a private development next to a public development," she said.

"I don't want my property value to drop because they are going to put a rinky-dinky subdivision back there. I could go on and on about how I'm against this subdivision going there."

If the subdivision were to be public, Mrs. Brecklen said she wouldn't have a problem with it as long as another entrance was built off Pickle.

Though the developer, Jefferson Development, would like to make the development private, they said they were willing to work with the planning commission's request to make it public, zoning inspector Mike Rudey said.

Delphine Grosso of 1031 Mallard Drive said that she isn't upset that a subdivision may be built next to hers, but she is against the zoning change.

"I'm not opposed to improvements. I just want the zoning to stay the way it is," she said. "I am concerned about the quality. I do not want it to detract from the value of my own home."

The city's planning commission does not recommend the zoning change to allow the villas because although the buildings are attractive, the area is not appropriate for that kind of development because of density and compatibility, commission chairman Mike White said.

Council plans to vote Monday on the zoning changes after holding the required public hearing - two of which will be to determine whether to rezone the two parcels off Pickle from low-density residential to planned residential for Stone Gate Villas at Pearson Place, Mr. Rudey said.

It also expects to vote Monday whether to change the zoning from agricultural to medium density residential for the proposed Wynn Park subdivision. The requested change for traditional single-family homes was approved by the plan commission.