Residential Infill Project Update

 

What is this project about?

In response to community concerns about demolitions and the scale of new homes, as well as the range of available housing choices in Portland, the Residential Infill Project is updating Portland’s single-dwelling zoning rules to better meet the changing housing needs of current and future residents. The project addresses three topic areas: scale of houses, housing opportunity and narrow lots. For more information visit the project website at: www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/infill

 

More than 700 individuals and 46 organizations submitted comments during the public review of the Residential Infill Project Discussion Draft (October 3 through Nov 30, 2017)

 

Thanks to all of you who took the time to review the Discussion Draft proposals and share your thoughts with us. Staff read and categorized all the comments and has prepared a What We Heard Summary Report now available on the project website. The report is organized into three sections:

 

  • Key Themes. While most comments received spoke specifically to the project proposals, there were several recurring themes that spanned different proposals. These themes included housing affordability, mapping methodology, displacement impacts, visitability requirements, historic preservation issues, and tree preservation.

  • Comments on Proposals. This section focuses on the comments on the project’s 12 proposals received via the comment form that was distributed online and in paper form. This section also includes the comments received via email that were relevant to a specific proposal.

 

  • Letters from Organizations. Staff received letters from 46 organizations – groups representing more than one person, which included nonprofits and advocacy groups, public-sector agencies and commissions, coalitions of for-profit housing developers, business interests, and neighborhood associations and district coalitions. This section summaries the feedback from each of these groups. See Appendix D for the full text of the letters.

 

In addition to the summary report, the full text of all the comments can be found in the Appendices:  https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/670157

                Appendix A: Comment Form Responses on the 12 Proposals (166 pages)
Appendix B: Emails and Letters from Individuals (245 pages, ordered by the date they were received)
Appendix C: BPS Lobby Exhibit Written Comments (2 pages)
Appendix D: Letters from Organizations (alphabetical, 46 letters)

NEXT STEPS. How will comments on the Discussion Draft be used?

The comments will guide staff as they make refinements to the Discussion Draft proposals and develop a Proposed Draft for the Planning and Sustainability Commission (PSC) to review this spring.  The first public hearing is tentatively scheduled for May 8, 2018. At this hearing, you will be able to give your formal testimony to the PSC on the Proposed Draft, which will be available to the public at least 30 days prior to the PSC hearing. After hearing testimony from community members, the PSC will make recommendations to City Council, which will also hold public hearings (on the PSC’s Recommended Draft) later this fall. After considering testimony and deliberating, Council will vote to adopt the final package of map and code amendments. See timeline below.

code-dev_rip_timeline

Want more information?

Visit the website at www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/infill.

Or speak with a project staff member directly:

The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability is committed to providing meaningful access. For accommodations, modifications, translation, interpretation or other services, please call 503-823-7700 or use City TTY 503-823-6868, or Oregon Relay Service 711. 503-823-7700.