Planning Commission unanimously recommends approval of the Housing Adjustments Compliance Project with amendments to the City Council

News Article

The Planning Commission's recommendation on the project, which amends the Portland Zoning Code to comply with Senate Bill 1537, will be presented at a City Council hearing in late October.

On August 27, the Planning Commission held a hearing on the Proposed Draft for the Housing Adjustment Compliance Project and considered testimony provided on the project.

On September 10, the Planning Commission held a work session on the project and considered two amendments to the project. One amendment allows adjustments to bike parking locational provisions limiting parking in the unit, while the second amendment removes the upper limit to height adjustments within the Central City. The Planning Commission voted to recommend that City Council adopt the project with the two amendments.

Staff will incorporate the Planning Commission recommendation into a Recommended Draft and develop findings in advance of a City Council hearing anticipated for late October.

About the project

The Housing Adjustment Compliance Project amends several sections in Portland's Zoning Code, Title 33, to comply with Senate Bill 1537 (SB 1537), especially Sections 38 and 39 of the bill, which were adopted by the State in May 2024.

SB 1537 requires local jurisdictions to allow applicants to request adjustments to a variety of development and design standards. Jurisdictions must either apply the state language directly to a development review, incorporate the bill's language into their local zoning codes, or request a state exemption if their existing local zoning code and process achieves the same principle.

With the proposed amendments to Portland's Zoning Code, any current prohibitions on adjustments addressed by the bill are temporarily lifted to allow an adjustment or modification until Jan. 2, 2032. In most cases, the adjustment allowance is limited to the amount of variation dictated by SB 1537. Some of the standards addressed in the proposed amendments include minimum lot size and dimension standards, maximum height thresholds, and some middle housing provisions. After Jan. 2, 2032, the provisions allowing these adjustments will automatically be rescinded, and the Zoning Code that is currently in effect will apply again.