What Does the Planning Division Do?

The Planning Division helps Oregon City determine how they would like to grow and adjust to change. We work together with the community to work toward solutions, focusing in particular on issues created by the built environment.

Planning is not an isolated activity, rather, it relies on the participation of the entire community. We help facilitate the processes by which all residents, employees, property owners, mayor and city commission, advocates, etc. work together to create a vision for the community and implement the framework of actions and criteria to reach the vision. We bring together data, citizens' ideas and opinions, civic leaders' goals, and good planning practice into a deliberative process of community decision-making.

The Planning Division is responsible for all long-range and current planning as well as the implementation of the Oregon City Comprehensive Plan and associated Municipal Ordinances.

Most development in Oregon City requires some review by the Planning Division to verify compliance with minimum standards adopted by the community. Larger development applications such as multi-family projects, subdivisions, new office/retail building require public input during the review process while smaller projects such as an addition to a home or a new shed have more clear and objective standards and thus do not require public review.