Planning Home
ABOUT PLANNING
The City of West Linn plans for and creates a strong and vibrant community through thoughtful planning and development, creating places where community members experience their daily lives. The Planning Department oversees public and private development proposals to determine compliance with the West Linn Development Code and develops master plans and programs to achieve the City's long range community goals.
ZONING
Click here to look up zoning for a property. If you have questions about zoning, land use regulations, or process, please email the Planning Department.
CODE ENFORCEMENT
To request code enforcement, please call the Non-Emergency Police Dispatch at 503-635-0238.
SUBMIT A LAND USE APPLICATION
The Planning Department accepts land use applications through the Submit A Land Use Application online portal. Contact Planning to coordinate the application submittal. Please include a phone number for contact.
QUESTIONS?
The Planning Department counter is open Monday – Thursday, 9:00 am to Noon. Planners can answer general questions over the phone during regular business hours, 503-656-3535 or email.
PLANNING STAFF
Steve Koper, Community Development Director
Steve has an extensive background in local government, with nearly 20 years of experience shaping vibrant communities in Oregon. He worked most recently for the City of Tualatin as Assistant Community Development Director, having previously worked for Clackamas County and the City of Happy Valley. He holds a Juris Doctor from Lewis & Clark Law School, a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and an American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification from the American Planning Association (APA). In his free time, Steve enjoys being outdoors – skiing, hiking, and exploring with his family – and indoors – doing crosswords, puzzles, and word games.
Darren Wyss, Principal Planner
Darren has more than 20 years of experience as a planner for several municipalities in Oregon. He has managed many multi-year projects including Transportation System Plans, an Economic Opportunity Analysis, the West Linn Waterfront Vision Plan, the West Linn Housing Capacity Analysis and Housing Production Strategy, multiple code amendment projects, and a complete rewriting of a Comprehensive Plan. He has also helped create an Urban Forestry Plan and related development code amendments, a Downtown Plan and related development code amendments, a Vision Action Plan, and a high-capacity transit corridor land use plan. He holds a master’s degree in Planning, Public Policy and Management from University of Oregon, a Bachelor of Science in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Administration from Ohio State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Geography from University of Oregon. Darren enjoys exploring the natural beauty of Oregon, traveling, and attending live music shows to support local venues and musicians.
Erica Smith, Senior Planner
Erica is an AICP-certified planner with a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University, concentrating in environmental planning. Also from PSU, she has a BA in Community Development with a focus on affordable housing and economic development. Erica is a generalist with over a decade of broad-ranging experience in current and long-range planning. She has worked in public and private sectors, urban and rural geographies, locally and across the country. Areas of expertise include community engagement, resiliency planning, land entitlement and infrastructure coordination. Erica also has backgrounds in sustainable landscape design and commercial real estate appraisal. In her free time Erica enjoys trail running, making ceramics, seeing standup comedy, talking to other plant nerds, and petting all the dogs.
Aaron Gudelj, Associate Planner
Aaron has nearly 15 years of public and private sector experience shaping communities in Oregon, Washington, California and Texas. He worked most recently in the Telecommunications industry building emergency services infrastructure, and previously worked for City of Hermosa Beach. He holds a degree in Urban Studies, Planning and Environmental Studies. In his free time, Aaron enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing and watching sports, and hiking.
Lynn Schroder, Community Development Management Analyst
Lynn is a Management Analyst supporting the Community Development Department, focused on translating community goals into effective land use, housing, and economic development outcomes. She coordinates planning activities, public meetings, and community outreach, and helps manage projects, grants, and budgets to ensure City programs are transparent, efficient, and responsive to residents. With a background in environmental consulting and government relations, Lynn brings 12 years of experience working with Oregon municipalities. Lynn loves community development because it’s about helping shape places where people can truly live well and feel connected. When it’s done right, the benefits show up in everyday moments—safer streets, easier commutes, welcoming places to gather, and neighborhoods that feel like home.
Taryn Finley, Community Development Administrative Assistant
Taryn brings more than 15 years of experience in client service, public relations, integrated communications and business administration. She previously served in both agency and corporate roles leading multi-channel program strategies, public relations campaigns, brand storytelling, product launch strategies, messaging development, crisis communications and thought leadership programs for start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. In her current role supporting Community Development (Planning and Building) and Public Works/Engineering, she thrives on connecting with others, facilitating cross-department workflow efficiencies and cultivating strong community relationships. Taryn holds a bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science and a minor in Law & Society from the University of California, San Diego.
