Lake Oswego voters are about to decide whether an aging neighborhood firehouse gets a multimillion-dollar do-over, and whether their property tax bills nudge up to pay for it.
On May 19, residents will vote on Measure 3-635, a proposed bond that would raise $20.6 million to demolish and replace the South Shore Fire Station at 1880 South Shore Boulevard. If the measure passes, it would add about $0.19 per $1,000 of assessed property value, which pencils out to roughly $114 a year for a homeowner with a $600,000 assessed value. The money would go toward a larger, seismically built station that city officials say is key to keeping emergency response times low.
Measure Filed For May 19 Ballot
Measure 3-635 was officially filed for the May 19, 2026, primary election, according to Multnomah County Elections Division. That filing puts the question directly in voters' hands next month.
As laid out in the city’s bond presentation, the referral would authorize up to $20.6 million in general obligation bonds to demolish the existing 1971 building and construct a replacement facility, according to the South Shore Bond Measure Presentation. The document estimates the tax levy at about $0.19 per $1,000 of assessed value and says the tax would continue for 20 years.
Why Officials Say A Replacement Is Needed
City and task force materials describe the South Shore station as outdated, cramped and vulnerable in a major quake. The station was built in 1971 and is about 5,500 square feet, a footprint officials say no longer matches modern fire and medical demands.
Assistant Fire Chief Kristine Artman told The Oregonian/OregonLive that the living quarters are built of hollow cinderblock and cannot realistically be retrofitted to modern seismic standards. “They’re going to crumble,” she said, adding that some medical supplies are currently stored in cabinets in a laundry area, a setup that is less than ideal in a building that is supposed to be ready for the “big one.”
What A New Station Would Change
The city says the replacement station, preliminarily sized at about 14,000 square feet, would be a different world from the current building. Plans call for dedicated decontamination space, expanded apparatus storage with pull-through vehicle bays, and room for the water rescue boat and wildfire brush truck. The goal is to help the department continue reaching 90 percent of high priority calls within eight minutes.
The proposed design would also allow staffing to grow. Instead of three firefighters on shift, the new station would be built to house six to eight, with larger dorms, ventilated gear storage and upgraded medical supply areas, according to project materials from the City of Lake Oswego.
Local Reaction And Next Steps
Neighborhood boards and a citizen rebuild committee have been active ahead of the vote, with local groups publicly backing the bond and the city rolling out outreach and open houses to sell the plan, according to Lake Oswego Review. If voters sign off, city materials project that construction could start as early as early 2027 and wrap up in 2028. If the measure fails, officials say the current station will stay in use only as long as it is considered safe.
Legal And Fiscal Notes
The ballot language states that any bonds issued would be payable from taxes on property that are not subject to the limits in sections 11 and 11b of Article XI of the Oregon Constitution, and that proceeds would be restricted to the South Shore project. For the full referred measure and formal filing details, see the official record at the Multnomah County Elections Division.
