On Monday, August 18, the West Linn City Council unanimously authorized the City Manager to execute purchase of property at 3955 Cedaroak Drive. The authorized purchase price is $75,000 plus closing costs and a reimbursement of land use application fees. The sale is contingent upon a satisfactory environmental analysis of the site.
City Planning Director Bryan Brown cited the positive environmental impact of the City Council’s decision to purchase the property, saying, “Due to the width and configuration of the lot, any house built on this property could have a significant negative impact on the stream corridor. The only way to ensure that the water and wildlife is protected is to purchase the property.”
The City’s purchase of the 3955 Cedaroak Drive property is the final action in a land use case that began in 2007 when the property owner applied for a Water Resources Area Permit and Class II Variance for a side yard setback to build a house in the central-northern section of the property. The Planning Director denied the application on the basis that the proposed location for a house would result in significant tree removal, grading, slope instability, and more impervious surface and developed area within the parcel. The property owner subsequently re-filed the land use application with the City in April 2008 with a revised proposal to build a house at the south end of the parcel. After reviewing the revised application, the Planning Director approved the application with several conditions, which focused on limiting the house’s footprint. In May 2008, the City Council called up the Planning Director’s decision for review.
The property is Clackamas County Tax Lot 2S 1E 24BB, Lot #202. It is approximately 13,500 square feet of vacant land located between 3915 Cedaroak Drive and 19075 Trillium Way on the north side of Cedaroak Drive.
Please visit the City of West Linn web site to review the land use project file: http://westlinnoregon.gov/planning/3955-cedaroak-drive
