City Council holds hearing on DOZA project amendments and moves most of them forward

News Article
Commissioners heard more than 30 people testify in person and received 100+ pieces of testimony in writing on amendments to updates to the design overlay zone process and regulations.
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On Thursday, June 10, Portland City Council held a hearing on a set of amendments to the recommended changes to the Design Overlay Zone Amendments (DOZA) proposals. These changes would update the process and regulations that apply in the Design overlay zone (d-overlay), including many of the city’s higher density centers and corridors slated for growth.

The hearing and testimony focused on the code amendments and ordinance change, detailed in a June 3 staff memo. Testimony was robust, with more than 30 testifiers at the virtual hearing and over 100 pieces of written testimony submitted to City Council.

Of the eight amendments, #5 (reduce the threshold for design review from 75’ to 55’) and #7 (new Context standard for the Eastern edge of the Arbor Lodge) did not move forward. This means that there will be no change to the threshold for design review or to the standards along North Interstate in Arbor Lodge.

The remaining amendments were approved by Council, although Amendment 4 included a revision that will require affordable housing projects that choose a Type II procedure to hold a design advice request with the Design Commission prior to the application.

Next steps

At a June 23 work session, City Council approved the amended drafts and ordinance. They will conduct a second reading on June 30 at 10:30 a.m., and the new rules will go into effect on August 1.

Contact

Phil Nameny

City Planner II, Planning and Sustainability