Pre-Application Conference

Scroll down to submit a request for a pre-application conference on-line.

A Pre-Application Conference is required before you can apply for most Type II, Type III, and Type IV land use applications according to Oregon City Municipal Code (OCMC) 17.50.050. The process is designed to provide you and your team with the information necessary to submit a complete, subsequent land use application package. A Pre-Application Conference will provide you with the guidance you'll need to help ensure a thorough and streamlined permit review for your project. Representatives from the City's Planning, Building, and Public Works departments - and other agencies as needed - will usually be in attendance, and/or provide guidance through notes that you will receive afterward.

Pre-Application Conference notes are based on the preliminary information and proposals you submit. Our departments research those proposals and how they meet up with Oregon City Municipal Code, state law, and existing conditions on the ground. It is therefore helpful to submit as complete a proposal, reflecting your vision and goals, as possible.

What You Need to Submit for a Pre-Application Conference

It depends on the complexity of your project. Please be advised, the more you put into your proposal and submit it to us ahead of time, the more you'll get out of the Pre-Application Conference.

At a minimum, an applicant should submit:

  • A short narrative describing the proposal
  • A proposed site plan that is:
    • Drawn to a scale acceptable to the city
    • Identifies the proposed land uses, traffic circulation, and public rights-of-way
    • Scaled elevation drawings, if applicable

To thoroughly research your proposal, we'll also need information about your lot, as required in the provided form. Some of the answers to the questions asked below can be supplied through the City's online mapping system, OCWebMaps. The more information you provide at this stage, the more accurate and timely the review and guidance you'll receive. Please provide as much detail as possible.

Timelines

Before the Conference

Once you submit your Pre-Application Conference materials, the Community Development Department will schedule your conference approximately 3 weeks from the date it was paid for. This 3-week period gives City staff from all involved departments the time to review the materials you submit, research their implications against Oregon City Municipal Code, state law, and existing conditions on the ground, and determine the most appropriate ways to advise you on putting together your eventual land use application.

After the Conference

Because Pre-Application Conferences are based on preliminary information, the notes produced by City departments are non-binding and reflect the applicant's submission to the City along with the discussion at the conference itself. The applicant has 7 business days from the receipt of the notes to notify City staff of any perceived mistake or omission in the notes; staff will then review and respond to the inquiry, and the inquiry will be added to the City's file. If no notification is received within 7 business days, the notes will be considered final and will not be modified.

Application Window

State law, Oregon City Municipal Code, and existing conditions can change, however. For this reason, the information you receive during a Pre-Application Conference is considered valid for six months from the date of the meeting, though it may be extended by the Community Development Director for up to a year. In other words, you have six months to one year to submit a land use application for the project discussed in the Pre-Application Conference before we'd require a new Pre-Application Conference.

Type of Pre-Application Conferences

Pre-Application Conferences come in 2 formats, Minor and Major.

Minor Pre-Application Conferences are conducted for the following project types:

Most other Type II, Type III, and Type IV applications require a Major Pre-Application Conference. The cost for Minor and Major Pre-Application Conferences can be found in our Planning Fee Schedule.

How to Apply

Online

Please complete the online form below to request a Pre-Application Conference through our online portal.

Email / Mail Submittal

If you prefer, you may instead download the Pre-Application Conference form at the link at the very bottom of this page and complete the items on the checklist that is provided on the form. You can then either email the materials to the Planning Division or submit them by mail with the associated fee to the Planning Division at P.O. Box 3040, Oregon City, Oregon 97045.

Please note: A conference will be scheduled only after payment is received and the application is completed.

Pre-Application Conference Request Form

  36. Overlay Districts*

    See OCWebmaps for overlay zoning information.

  37. Check if "yes"

  41. Enter any known land use applications or planning approvals.

  43. Please enter the approximate square footage of new impervious area on site.

  47. See the Transportation Planning layer in OCWebmaps, or refer to the Transportation System Plan.

  49. For subdivisions and partitions only, show net developable area and calculations showing you meet 80% minimum density.

  51. Are any new blocks created? If so, what is the length of each block? 

    Please note: The minimum block length is 150 feet; the maximum block length is 530 feet, as measured from centerline to centerline.

  53. Please include any additional information that you want to address in the pre-application conference.

  55. Please include any specific questions that you want to address in the pre-application conference.

  65. The site plan should include the following:

    1. Location and size of existing and proposed public and private utilities (e.g., water, sanitary sewer, stormwater, gas, power, and other private utility facilities).
    2. Location of existing and proposed easements (access, utility, drainage, others).
    3. Location of overlay zones as shown in the City's OCWebMaps system.
    4. Location of on-site creeks, streams, wetlands, upland wooded areas, riparian areas, rock outcroppings, on-site water wells, and septic systems (if known).
    5. Location of existing and proposed trees and landscaping.
    6. Location and dimensions of existing and proposed buildings, and structures.
    7. Configuration and dimensions of all existing and proposed lots and tracts, including a proposed park, open space, and or drainage tracts or easements.
    8. Access to and from the site, if applicable.
    9. Property dimensions.
    10. Existing streets abutting the property.
    11. Internal circulation system, name, and location of existing and proposed roadways and roadway easements (private and public).
    12. Location of existing and proposed driveways, vehicular parking, and bicycle parking.
    13. Location and width of existing and proposed on-site pedestrian circulation.
  72. Disclaimer*

    Notwithstanding any representations by City staff at a pre-application conference, the staff is not authorized to waive any requirements of this code, and any omission or failure by staff to recite to an applicant all relevant applicable land use requirements shall not constitute a waiver by the City of any standard or requirement. A property owner may apply for any permit they wish for their property. However, there are no guarantees that any application will be approved. No decisions are made until all reports and testimony have been submitted. This form will be kept by the Community Development Department. A copy will be given to the applicant. If the applicant does not submit an application within six months from the Pre-application Conference meeting date, a new Pre-Application Conference will be required. The Planning staff will assign a file number to this project. Payment is required in order to schedule the pre-application conference. For help, please contact 503-722-3789.

  76. Give us at least three weeks from the time of your request to prepare for the conference. 

    All meetings are scheduled on Tuesdays or Wednesdays at 10 am.

    77. Leave This Blank:

  79. This field is not part of the form submission.