How to Influence Current Development Projects
​Treekeepers of Washington County Guidelines
Key Dates and Actions Needed
A guide for Washington County residents
A development proposal near you is not a done deal. But the openings to affect it are narrow, and they close on fixed dates. Remember to put your name in the process early - even if only a single sentence of concern.
Two things determine how much say you have: where the property is, and what type of application the developer filed. Start there. Everything else follows.
PLEASE NOTE: The following is a simplified view of the Washington County Process as it stands today. The county is currently revising these processes, and we will continue to update our website.Because these Land Use Processes can be very challenging, we're presenting the information in different ways. Please let us know which works best for you so we can improve.
On this page
1· First, two questions
2· How the process works
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01 - Where You Stand
First, Two Questions
Is the property inside a city, or in unincorporated county?
This determines whether any tree protections apply at all.
Inside an incorporated city — Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Tualatin, Forest Grove, Sherwood, Durham, or Rivergrove — that city’s tree code governs, and several are meaningfully protective. Contact the city’s planning department or urban arborist.
In unincorporated Washington County, there is generally no permit required to remove trees on private property, except in Significant Natural Resource (SNR) areas or certain commercial parking lots.
That second fact is the hard one. It explains why so much tree loss happens with no public process at all. If your site is unincorporated and outside an SNR area, your leverage isn’t tree code — it’s the land use application itself, and the conditions attached to its approval.
Check whether your site is in a Significant Natural Resource area (washingtoncountyor.gov)
What procedure type is the application?
Washington County sorts development applications into three tiers. See our more Detailed Overview for criteria.The tier decides whether you get notice, whether there’s a hearing, and — most importantly — whether you’re allowed to appeal at all.
If a project is Type I, neighbors have no standing to appeal. Better to know that in week one than week four. If it’s Type II or Type III, you have real procedural rights — but only if you use them inside the deadlines above.
Call Development Review / Current Planning at 503-846-8761 and ask which type your project is.
Read the county’s full detail on procedure types (washingtoncountyor.gov)