Pre-Application Conference

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.

Pre-Application Conference notes are based on the preliminary information and proposals you submit. Our departments research the proposals and how they align 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

  Timelines

  Before the Conference

  The Planning Department will schedule your pre-application conference approximately 3 weeks from the date it is paid for. This 3-week period gives 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, and 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. An applicant has 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:

  • Emergency Annexation
  • Flood Management Overlay District
  • Geologic Hazard Overlay
  • Minor Partition
  • Minor Variance
  • Natural Resource Overlay District
  • New Non-Transitory Mobile Food Unit Pods
  • Type II Minor Site Plan and Design Review
  • Willamette River Greenway District
  • Other projects as the Community Development Director deems appropriate

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