City Of Lake Oswego To Answer Housing Call

As you know if you’ve been reading my blog, I have been on my “platform” so to speak against large homes and about the need and desires of the boomers wanting to stay in their communities as they age.

After I published my critical post about the City, the Lake Oswego Review had a story about how its officials are rethinking the future development here in Lake Oswego and had this to say:

“Before the current recession, the trend in Lake Oswego was to replace older bungalows and ranch homes with large, expensive houses. In addition to Lake Oswego’s attractive parks, schools and other amenities, high land prices and easy access to credit contributed to the tear down trend locally. The small, relatively affordable homes that were removed for upscale housing were never replaced. What was once entry-level housing quickly disappeared, and middle-income families and young adults are now essentially shut out of the Lake Oswego market. This, of course, creates a problem for the Lake Oswego’s public schools, which are experiencing an overall decline in the local school age population; the school district is now seeking tuition-paying students from outside the district, which is not a sustainable solution. The trend is also a problem for empty nesters and other long-time residents who wish to stay in Lake Oswego.”

The First Addition neighborhood is one of the areas referred to in the above.  The small cottages were torn down in favor of the larger McMansions much to the disgust and anger of residents living there.  Now, that quaint and award-winning community is stuck with those larger homes crowding out the remaining smaller houses. 

I also read recently on the Heritage Council’s website that many of this town’s architectural landmarks have been torn down, lost or have disappeared.  Since I started my Lake Oswego Living.A Photo Blog, I’ve been researching landmarks and photos I want to take.  There’s a lot of history here in town that can never be captured.  It’s a shame that everything in favor of and to benefit its citizens is always done after the fact and not with forethought like saving those historic sites.  We’ve got to do more.  This is a great community and it can get even better.

You sometimes hear critics call this quaint town “Lake Ego”.  Frankly, I love living here and I for one don’t want to leave.

ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. © Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.  Based on a Blog at WordPress.

(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).
Portland

2009 Fall Leaf Recycle Drop-Off Sites

Check out my Lake Oswego Living.A Photo Blog later today, there will be a new photo posted.  Every Monday a new one will be added.

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This Fall must have been the prettiest we’ve had in a very long time.  At least, I don’t remember having one this nice where all the leaves were in their finest colors.

 

Here’s a list of some places you can drop off your leaves.  By now, hopefully with the rain all the leaves have fallen off the trees.  I had already loaded up 15 trash cans of leaves and the other day had around 7 more.  I think I’m done raking now.  However, I have a compost pile and it will love my leaves!  If you don’t have a compost pile, here are some sites locally for you to take your leaves:

 

PORTLAND

2009 Leaf Depot Locations

• Lents Park – SE 92nd and SE Holgate, in the eastside parking lot
• Stanton Yard – 2929 N Kerby, west of Emanuel Hospital
• Westmoreland Park – SE 22nd and SE Nehalem, in parking lot next to the baseball field
• Gabriel Park – SW 42nd and Vermont, in the upper parking lot

Only leaves will be accepted. No other yard debris will be allowed. Please contact Metro Recycling at 503-234-3000 or use your curbside yard debris container for this material.

2009 Leaf Depot Fees

• $5.00 per car load
• $10.00 per truck, SUV, or trailer load
• $20.00 per truck and trailer (5 cubic yard maximum)
• No commercial loads – these individuals will be referred to small local businesses, commercial recycling centers, or Metro.

SOME ADDITIONAL SITES

Metro South Transfer Station, Oregon City (503) 234-3000

Pacific Land Clearing & Recycling Center, Oregon City (503-656-7793)

S&H Landscaping Supplies, Tualatin (503-638-1011)

LAKE OSWEGO

The City of Lake Oswego does not have a leaf drop off program.  Residents should use compost bins, take leaves to a drop off site designated by METRO or use the yard-debris containers provided by Rossman Sanitary Service.  Rossman customers who require additional collection can also use “Kraft” bags available at most home improvement stores.

WEST LINN

Leaves may be disposed of in your yard debris container provided by your garbage hauler or you may take leaves and other yard debris to the Dan Davis Recycling Center located at 4001 Willamette Falls Drive. Call Dan Davis Recycling for hours, rates, and information (503) 655-1928 or visit their website http://www.plcrecycling.com/dan-davis.html Call West Linn Refuse & Recycling for curbside recycling information (503) 557-3900.

TIGARD

ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. © Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.  Based on a Blog at WordPress.

(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).

City of Lake Oswego – Lake Floodplain Zones

With the Tsunamis, earthquakes, flooding throughout the world, and our chances of rain increasing daily here locally, I thought it might be a good idea for you to check your insurance policies regarding coverage for flooding if you live in Lake Oswego.

At the end of 2007, FEMA completed a study of the Lake Oswego area and gave the City of Lake Oswego until June 2008 to adopt maps and codes necessary to change the flood zoning for properties surrounding the Lake, canals, Tualatin River and Spring Creek.  The City’s map  includes the area along the Willamette River that was inundated by water during our floods in February 1996.  The new maps identify the areas as “Special Flood Hazard”  areas that have a 1% chance of flooding in any given year, or what is more commonly known as the 100-year floodplain.  These are also areas that are subject to what is known as a “base flood”.

More properties may need flood insurance.  Federally-backed home loans require flood insurance if the property is located within an area that could be subject to the base flood.  Although the new maps result in a higher base flood elevation, they also make it much easier to see if a house or other structure is actually located within the floodplain.  If a house is not within the floodplain, a property may file a letter of map amendment with FEMA.  If accepted, the letter would then eliminate the need for flood insurance.  Lenders and underwriters now are becoming increasingly more cautious when making home loans.

In the 1980s, I remember an underwriter questioning a house sale of mine with a Canal address in Lake Oswego.  The underwriter was requiring that the new buyer obtain flood insurance based merely on the address.  However, the house was perched high on a hill overlooking the canal and there was absolutely no way the house could ever get flooded.  Ultimately, we did succeed in getting that requirement waived.  However, I am sure there will be future situations like this occurring with the new stringent lending/appraisal requirements.  

Here are some issues as a result of those newer Lake Oswego changes:

• the value of property could be affected due to new elevation requirements
• you may be required to carry flood insurance even if it wasn’t required at the time of your original purchase or if you now refinance
• if a substantial remodel is planned, the entire structure will now be required to be at 104.5 feet elevation compared to the prior 103.5 feet
• new construction if it was built after 6/18/2008 will be required to be at that new 104.5 feet and subject to the new zones

If you are a buyer or seller of a lake or waterfront property, it is important you know about floodplains and insurance requirements.

© Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate by Betty Jung is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a Blog at WordPress.

(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).

Lake Oswego Living.A Photo Blog

Copyright Michael Mahlum and used with permission

ANNOUNCING….my new photo blog…..Lake Oswego Living.A Photo Blog…..starting today, October 12th.

When you have as many hobbies and interests as I do, it becomes difficult to choose one from the other.  And, now I have a new interest and challenge.  Photography.  My skills are frankly zilch.  Precisely because I am not a good photographer is why I started a photo blog and took on the challenge to begin with.  I want to learn.

It will be a companion to this blog ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate and will be a photographic journal of living in Lake Oswego-Lake Oswego Living.A Photo Blog. For the time being, photos will be posted weekly on that blog.  Hopefully, as time passes, you will see my photographic skills improve.  I have always cut the heads off people and the roof tops off houses when taking pictures.  This photo blog will force me to step up my game.  Are you ready for this?  I am looking forward to the challenge (for me it’s a challenge) and taking the pictures getting better with time.

Any comments, questions or contributions will always be appreciated.  I hope you enjoy it as I’ve already had fun with it.  Check it out when you have a chance.

© Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate by Betty Jung is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a Blog at WordPress.

(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).

Fall Leaf Lovers

Picture of Autumn in Lake Oswego (City-data Website)

Autumn declares its arrival with leaves turning bright crimson, vibrant orange and vivid yellow and it’s one of my favorite times of year.  We here in Oregon are fortunate to experience all four seasons and Fall is now in full swing.  With schools in session, there is a brief lull before the holidays.  Take a trip on some of Oregon’s winding roads that loop and twist through shades of dark green evergreen trees, amid the colored leaves of big leaf maples, alder and mountain ash sometime this week as it’s supposed to be sunny pretty much for the next seven days.

There are some great sites throughout all of Oregon to view the fall leaves.  I have a Fall video link on my side bar under my new videos category for viewing.  Pretty much anywhere in Oregon you’ll see the changing of colors, however, here are some places of particular interest:

• A drive thru Oregon’s Coast Range
• Forest Park (southwest Portland)
• University of Oregon (Eugene)
• Oregon State University (Corvallis)
• Lewis and Clark College (southwest Portland)
• Marylhurst University (Lake Oswego-West Linn-southwest Portland)
• Reed College (southeast Portland)
• Tryon Creek State Park (southwest Portland)
• Mary S. Young State Park (West Linn)
• Highway 242 – the old McKenzie River Highway from McKenzie Bridge to the top of McKenzie Pass
• Hoyt Arboretum (southwest Portland)
• Japanese Garden (southwest Portland)
• The western section of the Columbia River Gorge (between Portland and Hood River).
• Cook Park (Tigard)

If you want to bring the fall into your own yard, here are some trees recommended for planting:

• Autumn Blaze Maple
• Autumn Flame Maple
• Autumn Purple Ash
• Cascade Snow Cherry
• Chantileer Pear
• Dawn Redwood
• Emerald Queen Norway Maple
• Frontier Elm
• Japanese Stewartia
• Milky Way Kousa Dogwood
• Red Sunset Maple
• Scarlet Oak
• Seiryu Japanese Maple
• Tamarack or Larch
• Vine Maple

As they say on a popular TV show – “Take some time to enjoy the view!”.

Source:  In part – Off the Beaten Path – Myrna Oakley

© Copyright 2008-2009 Betty Jung. All Rights Reserved. Use of this article, photos and images without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

ALL ABOUT…..Portland.Oregon.Real Estate by Betty Jung is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a Blog at WordPress.

(For more local and national real estate information, go to www.bettyjung.com).