Since the November court ruling granting public access to Oswego Lake, many have reacted in protest, heightening tensions in the community.
On March 8, Mark Kramer, one of the plaintiffs for the legal charges to open the lake to the public, found his car vandalized after he kayaked on the lake in the afternoon. His vehicle was keyed at the parking lot across from Millennium Plaza, one of the new public access points. A witness of the event wrote a note on Kramer’s vehicle, which described the women who committed the act, their vehicle and license plate. Police investigated the note but could not bring the case to court without the witness to identify the suspected vandal. While the police have not confirmed the connection between the vandalism and the lake lawsuit, many see the timing and subject as too coincidental. Todd Pragar, the other man who led the charge, stated that he was unsurprised by the vandalism as he himself has received tons of threats and negativity following their successful results.
More recently, the legal battle for the lake’s public access continues to be fought by the city council and homeowners. In the beginning of March, the Lake Oswego Corporation (LOC) filed a notice of appeal to the Oregon Supreme Court, continuing the effort to keep the lake privatized. Members of LOC, who primarily make up residents around the lake, raised concerns about safety, the environment, water quality and financial planning in the decision. This appeal gave the city until April 2, 2025 to join the fight.
The Lake Oswego City Council voted against the appeal in a 5-2 vote, after two and a half hours of debate and a million dollars in legal fees. This decision ended the fight, making the lake public for all without question. However, the city says that it will take about a year to make the changes to the lake that the court ordered, including getting rid of artificial boulders that block off public access points. The question now is if there will be significant changes to the lake by the city and what effect these changes may have on Lake Oswego and its residents.
