Title
Development Code Amendments Including Equitable Housing (Planning File LEG 18-00001)
Body
RECOMMENDED ACTION (Motion):
Prior to continuing file LEG 18-00001 to the June 19, 2019 hearing, staff recommends the City Commission take testimony and identify any remaining concerns with the draft of the Oregon City Municipal Code date 06.05.19 or associated staff report.
Recommended Motion: Continue file LEG 18-00001 to the June 19, 2019 City Commission hearing.
BACKGROUND:
Staff has prepared a final packet of draft code amendments that reflects the City Commission directions to date.
The issues of height limits within the Mixed Use Downtown zone outside of the Downtown Design District and Short Term Rentals are separated from the bulk of the amendments and require additional discussion. These items will come before the Commission for their consideration in the future.
June 5, 2019 - Public Hearing
Review final draft amendments and staff report.
June 19, 2019 - Public Hearing
Request to close public record and testimony. Tentative request for approval and first reading of Ordinance 18-1009 approving a majority of code amendments.
July 3, 2019 - Public Hearing
Tentative request for second reading of Ordinance 18-1009 approving a majority of code amendments.
Note that some issues have been directed to the Planning Commission for further consideration and may not be adopted within the schedule identified.
LEG-18-00001 includes amendments to the text of the Oregon City Municipal Code. Planning Division staff and consultants have been working with the community to provide updates to the development standards within the Oregon City Municipal Code. The standards include a variety of topics such as additional housing opportunities recommended by an Equitable Housing Public Advisory Team as well as other changes which were not reviewed by the equitable housing advisory committees but predominately implement their direction. As a whole, the amendments result in greater opportunities for housing, reduce regulations, streamline processes, provide clarity around existing standards, address existing concerns in the development standards, and are formatted to be easier to follow. This proposal does not include any changes to the adopted zoning map or any city-initiated construction or development.
The project began when the community identified concerns about not being able to afford to rent or purchase a home or condo. The availability of places to live at many income levels was constrained and the types of places available were not always matched with the types of places the community wanted. In response, the City Commission adopted goals for the 2017-2019 biennium including:
Goal 1 (Cultivate an Environment for Successful Economic Development): Complete site-readiness efforts which can be accomplished through ... improvements or process and permitting refinement.
Goal 3 (Enhance the Livability of the Community): Review local regulations and processes to remove barriers and provide incentives to additional housing opportunities
The City received a $100,000 grant from Metro to accomplish this project. The majority of the code amendments implement the direction provided by the Equitable Housing project by amending the applicable Chapters of the Oregon City Municipal Code related to land divisions and development of all types of housing such as multi-family, duplexes, and single-family homes. The amendments remove unnecessary standards, remove conflicting standards, reword for clarity, reformat for clarity, and streamline some housing processes, though a handful of additional amendments were added throughout the evolution of the project which are not related to housing. The complete package of amendments include:
• Recommendations from the Equitable Housing Project Advisory Team, consultants, staff, and Planning Commission;
• General clarification of standards and procedures for more efficient development review to support clear standards and efficient process for the development of housing; and
• A handful of other amendments identified by staff or through the course of the public hearing process which are not related to housing.
The project was driven by the community with more than 55 meetings or opportunities for input including multiple workshops, city advisory groups, project and technical advisory team meetings, three online community surveys, stakeholder interviews and a variety of Planning and City Commission meetings including:
21 Meetings Dedicated to Housing Related Issues (Remaining Meetings Include All Code Amendments)
5 Technical Advisory Team + 5 Project Advisory Team Meetings for Equitable Housing
7 Planning Commission Work Sessions
7 Planning Commission Hearings
14 City Commission Hearings
3 City Commission Work Sessions