Land Use Hearings Officer - Z0023-26

This was a quasi-judicial land use hearing held by Clackamas County on May 28, 2026, concerning an appeal of a planning director's approval of a two-year time extension for the Whipple subdivision, originally approved as a 12-lot subdivision in 2022. County staff presented the case, confirming that the extension application met the zoning and development ordinance criteria and that no significant changes to the original approval or surrounding area warranted reconsideration. The appellant and several neighbors expressed concerns about potential future development density increases due to middle housing laws, drainage and flooding issues, road capacity, and the developer's good faith in pursuing the extension. County staff clarified that the extension approval pertains only to the original 12-lot subdivision and that any middle housing development would require separate building permits without public notice or local appeal. The hearing officer emphasized that the appeal was limited to the time extension and not the original subdivision approval or future development plans. No votes or motions were recorded during the hearing, and the officer indicated a decision would be issued later.